The opportunity
Reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based plastics, decrease plastic pollution in the environment, and create a more circular economy for materials.
From “The BIG Future: New Materials Science” (February 2023)
Plastic enables our current lifestyle. If you think about traditionally measured properties of materials, such as durability, raw material availability, price and suitability for industrial production, plastic is an excellent material, describes researcher Sesilja Aranko from Aalto University.
Nowadays, we believe that it is necessary to find alternatives to plastic. They should meet the traditional requirements for raw materials, but in addition they should be ecological throughout their life cycle and completely biodegradable.
Not only might we achieve energy and cost savings - lighter airplanes, trucks that are less heavy thereby getting better mileage - but we might also reduce harmful emissions: “Other issues may also arise from the selection of the types of materials used for product production. Electronic products are constantly being improved and upgraded, and environmental impacts can result from the large volumes of consumer electronic products that enter into and phase out of the market each year. Certain materials used to produce products for consumers and industries require manufacturing processes that are energy intensive and generate large amounts of greenhouse gas and environmental waste. In addition, many waste products end up in landfills, and the materials may persist in the environment for thousands of years.
From “Daily Inspiration: 24 Strategies for 2024 #5 - “Elevate your enthusiasm!”” (December 2023)
Renewable Energy: Massive acceleration of the technologies behind solar, wind, and other sustainable sources.
Green Economy: Growth in environmentally sustainable jobs, companies, and opportunities
Advances in Agricultural Efficiency: More sustainable food production through concepts of ‘precision farming’
From “Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #8 The Circular Economy: “Opportunities come not just from turning trash into treasure, but from engineering systems and products to make that a regular reality.”” (July 2025)
What’s it all about? Essentially, the way we produce and consume goods is undergoing a fundamental shift. For decades, our economy has largely operated on a linear ” take-make-dispose ” model, leading to significant waste and depletion of natural resources. Everything we build is thrown away; there is nothing in the design of the product itself that presumes reuse and recycling. However, that is changing, and a new paradigm is emerging: the circular economy . This regenerative system is designed to eliminate waste, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems, presenting a strategic imperative for the coming decade and unlocking trillion-dollar opportunities.
This packaging and plastics sector is ripe for circular innovation.
Material Innovation: Adidas implements a “three-loop” circular strategy using recycled materials like Parley Ocean Plastic and designing 100% recyclable performance running shoes.
Read the full pieces on jimcarroll.com:
The BIG Future: New Materials Science
Daily Inspiration: 24 Strategies for 2024 #5 - “Elevate your enthusiasm!”
Decoding Tomorrow: 30 Megatrends - #8 The Circular Economy: “Opportunities come not just from turning trash into treasure, but from engineering systems and products to make that a regular reality.”