Opinion: Circular systems should prioritise reuse before recycling

From the newsletter

As Africa advances its circular economy ambitions, Sidikat Folami of Mateen Lander is concerned by the growing tendency to treat recycling as the first solution to waste, rather than the final stage of a circular system. She argues that successful circular systems preserve value by prioritising reuse, repair and upcycling before recycling becomes necessary.

• Ms Folami is the founder of Mateen Lander, a Nigeria-based waste management company. A textile waste and systems management specialist, she also runs The Textile Circularist, a LinkedIn community that shares insights on textile circularity, waste management and value preservation. 

• "The success of a circular system is no longer measured by how much it recycles, it is measured by how long it prevents recycling from becoming necessary,” she says.