My name is Jos and I’m working on the research in Circular Economy and automotive sector, and I would like to know your point of view. If you accept, I’m going to record our conversation, transcribe it and put the transcription with a pseudonym, not your real name, in a repository of text documents that will be used for the research. If we do this and you change your mind later and no longer want to participate, get in touch with us and we will immediately remove your interview from the repository. I’m leaving you an information sheet with contact informations. If you agree with that, then please say your name and that you agree.
I agree. And I am Tabitha.
I agree. And I am Lena.
Thank you. So the first question, can you define a circular economy Kreislaufwirtschaft in your own words ?
So I think it’s that you take a material again that you already used so nothing is wasted.
You try to keep the raw materials as long in the cycle as possible so that the waste can be minimized.
Do you participate in the circular economy yourself in any aspects of your life ?
And well, sometimes I try to re-use jars when I, for example, buy jam, I use it to put my sugar in, for example. So for storage. And I don’t know any other example right now.
I do recycle everything or upcycle things. I buy many recycled clothes and things like that in thrift stores, for example. Okay.
How did you become interested in the circular economy, ideas and practices?
Um, climate change and all these topics were a big thing in my life. So I thought being a part of the people that want to escape and make the world to a better is something I want to achieve in my life. So I try to study things and learn how to make it better.
And you?
Well, it’s really important in our generation, the topic, it’s important for our existence. And yeah, it’s important that you learn about it. And I’m interested in it and want to change something. That’s what we study at the term bioeconomy. So yeah, that’s probably helpful.
In your opinion, can a circular economy be implemented in individual sectors or industries?
Yeah. I mean I think it’s it can be implemented in any sector. You have to have good ideas and investors and everyone has to engage.
Yeah. I think this is pretty much.
Do you think the circular economy already exists, for example, in the car industry? Um.
That’s a bit difficult, I think, because of course cars can be driven and resold and it’s a great market, of course. But if the cars get older, they. It’s harder to renovate them, of course, because you can’t keep them on the street forever. If they’re just not worth keeping on the street, then the circle will end. And also many of the car industry, things like the SUV, things are just too much. Most people don’t need such big cars, but it’s just a status symbol. And it’s, I think, a big problem that we waste so much resources on things we wouldn’t need normally.
You?
Yeah, I think a big problem is that cars are often used to show off. And of course you also need a car. But if you have the money, you will buy a new car and not like old ones. But I think a lot of companies have good ideas in that area. We had a guest lecturer of BMW two BMW. Um, yeah. For example, they had a carpets which were reused from some material and they tried to that when you have a car and you want to have a new one, you can bring it back to them. And they look, if some materials are still good and we’ll use them again. Yeah. And try to upcycle them, that’s a good idea.