[04:07]
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’ll buy a new car and not, like, old ones. But I think a lot of company have good ideas in that area. We had a guest lecture of BMW.
[04:25]
It’s a BMW. Mhmm. Yeah. For example, they had, carpets which were reused from some material, and And they try 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.
[04:46]
That’s a good idea. It’s Do
owen
January 12, 2026 15:09
24
[04:48]
you currently own a car or did you own a car?
[04:53]
You do? Yes. I do because I have to. I’m from a very, I’m from a small village. So if I need to get somewhere, there is no public transport, not even a bus.
[05:04]
So if we don’t want to go by bike an hour to the next town, there is no other way.
owen
January 12, 2026 15:09
28
[05:13]
What kind of car do you have?
[05:15]
It’s an old Ford. Wow. But Fort Monteo, February, which is pretty old, but I love it.
owen
January 12, 2026 15:09
30
[05:32]
When is the one objective, that comes to mind when you think about car electronics? That’s
[05:39]
Electronics. Like, in the interior. Of course, it’s very necessary. Of course, you want to have good climate in the car if it’s hot outside, and you also need light. But car batteries, of course, is not are not the best, of course, because it’s a lot of energy storage and many new resources, are wanted and needed if you want the car to run properly.
owen
January 21, 2026 16:41
33
This is the transcript for Test Session uploaded by owen.
owen:
Hello. My name is, Jos, and I’m working on 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, repository of text documents that will be used for the research. If you 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.
codop2214725525:
I agree, and I am Lina.
owen:
Thank you. So the first question, can you define a circular economy, Chrysler, Fitschaft, in your own words?
codop22147991:
Well, sometimes I try to reuse jars when I, for example, buy, jam. I use it to put my sugar in there, for example. So for storage, I don’t know. I don’t know. Any other example right now.
codop2214725525:
Climate change and all these 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.
owen:
And you?
codop22147991:
Well, it’s really important in our generation, the topic. It’s important for our existence. And, yeah, it’s important that that you learn about it, and I’m interested in it and want to change something. That’s why we study at the tomb by your economy. So, yeah, yeah, that’s probably helpful.
codop22147991:
Yeah. I mean, I think it’s, it can be implanted in in any sector. You have to have good ideas and investors, and everyone has to engage. Yep. Yeah.
codop2214725525:
That’s a bit difficult, I think, because, of course, cars can be driven and reselled, 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 instead a symbol.
codop2214725525:
And it’s, I think, a big problem that we waste so much resources on things we wouldn’t need, probably. Yeah. I think
codop22147991:
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’ll buy a new car and not, like, old ones. But I think a lot of company have good ideas in that area. We had a guest lecture of BMW.
codop22147991:
It’s a BMW. Mhmm. Yeah. For example, they had, carpets which were reused from some material, and And they try 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.
codop22147991:
No. I don’t own a car.
codop2214725525:
You do? Yes. I do because I have to. I’m from a very, I’m from a small village. So if I need to get somewhere, there is no public transport, not even a bus.
codop2214725525:
Electronics. Like, in the interior. Of course, it’s very necessary. Of course, you want to have good climate in the car if it’s hot outside, and you also need light. But car batteries, of course, is not are not the best, of course, because it’s a lot of energy storage and many new resources, are wanted and needed if you want the car to run properly.
codop22147991:
Yeah. Of course, battery is important also to store energy. I mean, it’s also important in other sections. But, yeah, I think it this section needs a lot of improvement, like, especially from the materials and where you get them. It’s also critical with, like, human rights and stuff.
codop2214725525:
What is the exact like
codop2214725525:
But now electric cars?
codop2214725525:
Like hybrid.
owen:
Yeah. I think it’s
codop2214725525:
a good solution because it can be more energy saving in terms of, fuel, but it’s, of course, not the optimum. And after the short term of using the you switch to the fuel already. So it’s it depends on how good the car managed to do that and how good it can save energy. Some friends have repeat cars for of my friend group, and they are very happy with them because, they need to, get fuel just very, not not often. So, but I think that’s also it depends on how old the car is.
codop2214725525:
Of course, I can’t compare my really old car to a new one. So but buying a new car that is more sustainable is, of course, not in the budget for everyone. So it’s dependent on how the situation is for everybody, I think.
owen:
In your opinion?
codop22147991:
Well, I think it’s important to, reuse the the metals, the rare metals. Well, I don’t know the other stuff.
codop22147991:
Of course, it shouldn’t be too expensive. And, okay, that’s more of the politics they should maybe, like, also, sub franchise. I don’t know what’s the word names. Yeah. I think the cost factor is important, and the car should look good.
codop22147991:
And, also, sometimes, electric cars kinda look different, and some people don’t want that. And you need to, have the opportunity to drive a long distance because that’s a big factor why people say I don’t want an electric car. And your opinion?
codop2214725525:
I think the distance, thing is the most important because, of course, recycling and you’re reusing the old cars and materials would be great, not just trashing them. But, like, the batteries, if they are wasted, it’s mostly more, money intensive to recycle them than just to throw them the way. So it’s a big problem. And if we don’t solve that, it’s very hard that we make even more electric cars and to keep them for long distances on the street because we need more batteries. So it’s kind of we need better solutions, I think.
codop2214725525:
I think they try because, of course, sustainability can in some factors also be more, better for their expenses, because it’s less expensive also, if the government would have more regulations that made them made them that they pushed them more in the sustainable and circular economy, direction. It would be even more of their own interest, of course. But, yeah, them and the government and their corruption is a big thing, I think. So yeah. I don’t know.
codop22147991:
I mean, the journey. Lobby is big. Well, I think they’re doing it for their image mainly, I’d say. And it’s I I it’s normal that they that their number one priority is profit. That’s, like, for every company, except when you start with the sustainability thought.
codop22147991:
But it’s important to, like, yeah, have maybe the second goal should be sustainability. And yeah. I think they’re trying. I mean, it it needs a lot of time to change. But as my friend said, the government it’s important that the government does something there, and they shouldn’t be too influenced by the lobby.
owen:
I don’t know if UK has maybe system or something like that. But, do you have concerns about privacy and personal data stored by, for example, car electronics like GPS or like Navi?
codop2214725525:
I don’t have GPS. I don’t have nothing. Maybe sometimes, even I don’t know where I’m going. So, of course, privacy is a big thing, especially in Germany. We have so many privacy laws.
codop2214725525:
And I think it’s a big deal that everybody always knows where to go, especially if the self driving cars in this movement gets, even stronger. Of course, everybody will know where everybody goes because, otherwise, this won’t even work. But in this situation, I think maybe the, public trains and these things that have just, like, regular, bar planer. Regular movement where you can’t be tracked is maybe more is more important. But, like, everybody has a cell phone.
codop2214725525:
Most people have GPS on, like, always or have Snapchat. So if somebody wants to know where you are, I think it’s for most people already daily business that you could be stalked if somebody wanted to. So just You put yep. Just the car stand or doesn’t matter. Yeah.
codop2214725525:
Mhmm.
codop22147991:
I’m I’m actually not worried at all about my car knowing my, like, where I am because I think my phone already knows it. I I think if someone wants to know it, they could find out and not about my car.
codop2214725525:
Yes. It does. Because reusing, then you keep it like it is and recycle, then you make new things out of it, I think. Or you waste it but in a better way. Like, if you recycle all your waste, waste, some of it just gets burned because it burns better than the other stuff.
codop2214725525:
So it’s not keeping it in the cycle. It’s not the circular economy you’re looking for. Reusing is keeping it in the cycle, making it better, or even upcycling it. So I think reusing is always better than recycling.
codop22147991:
Your opinion? Mhmm. Same thing. I think, like, reusing is if you keep it in the same state and you don’t have really an effort to change the thing. And recycling is, like, one step down, but also good.
codop22147991:
I’m actually quite concerned. I mean, like, pollution already affects, like, in Germany, it’s not that hard. But in other countries, the air pollution is really hard. Also, the water pollution I mean, we’re also eating fish from water which is polluted. It’s it affects our human health and also the health of animals, which are also important.
codop22147991:
And I mean, in the end, it’s the whole ecosystem and everything could die. What was getting about to five? I’ll go one to five. I’d say right now it’s four, but, if we don’t do anything, it’s five.
codop2214725525:
Yeah. I pretty, have the same opinion like her. It’s actually a four or five situation because even if we in Germany don’t get in daily touch with all the causes, it’s like, the weather situation and having more hotter summers and colder winters, the weather gets extreme. These are things that we know here. But in other countries where you are even poorer, it’s, of course, a much bigger issue.
codop2214725525:
I think everybody have has to do his own small steps, like recycle, reusing everything. Don’t throw away food because if we throw away food, we don’t keep in mind that everything from the production to the seed, the water that goes into that always gets wasted. At the moment, we throw out the tomato tomato because we don’t want to eat it anymore. So, it’s the small steps steps every day, actually. But also the big industries, of course, cost so much more than the just normal human being.
codop2214725525:
And often, those get forget forgotten a bit because, like, we don’t need extra plastic around every, cabbage. And just, like, we need to even get more regulations
codop22147991:
so I think plastic is a good idea. You can do a lot there, for example, not buy any like, everything in plastics like vegetables. You can also have these bags which are in supermarkets and put it in there. Just a good idea. And, I mean, waste separation is really important that you really, like, are careful there.
codop22147991:
For example, where we live, there’s no official plastic waste, no yellow bag. So you have to bring it to the where is the wheeler? Wheeler cycling station. Yeah. And there, you have to put it in, like, eight different bags and have to separate it.
codop22147991:
that, and you have to have time, I think. Yeah. I do that. But I for a lot of people, that’s maybe too time consuming. And, of course, I try to take the train.
codop22147991:
I don’t have a car, so and I I ride the bike. Yeah. Not too much flying. And, it’s important not to, like, buy new clothes every day or not every day. Like, every week.
codop22147991:
It’s I think it’s good if you have good clothes that you can wear more often, not these cheap ones. Like, in stores like New York or something, they are they are and they they break, and you don’t use it anymore. And you have to like your clothes and not, like, waste your money there and also the resources.
codop2214725525:
It’s like I said before, everybody has to take its own steps. But, like, the, fast fashion industry, those are things the normal buyer doesn’t actually influence this much because if you see all the stores with its €2, one shirt prices where you know those all get thrown out because it’s not in the trend next week anymore. And, like, if you see those documentaries about fast fashion industry and where the waste goes, it just gets shipped off and put on a big, big mountain of clothes already there. We just need to get the businesses more sustainable at all. If there isn’t so much to buy, then we can’t throw as much away, of course.
owen:
You’re hoping it?
codop22147991:
Yeah. So you can do a lot of stuff by yourself, but you kind of need the ideas. So I think the government is responsible for, like, sharing ideas and giving, like, suggestions what you can do.
codop22147991:
I think it’s important in a local, national, and international way. Why? So it depends on which sector you’re working. So local, for example, I don’t know, local businesses. I think it’s, like, of course, then it can stay in a local area.
codop22147991:
And, like, also, I think waste is kind of an international topic because in German, we are, like, export, we export waste a lot, which is stupid. I don’t know why because it just lands in, in the sea. And that’s maybe an international topic. Yeah. Your opinion?
owen:
I think, it is on all
codop2214725525:
three levels important. Of course, it depends on which materials are we speaking about. If we want to keep it local, then it’s maybe more about the food just to try more locally and, things that grow each time of the year, about things like big resources like, lithium or things that we need for batteries. Of course, we can’t harvest them here in Germany because we don’t have those, mines and not the resources. Though we have to think international.
codop2214725525:
So, to be fair to everybody and every country would be, of course, the optimum, but that’s more like a dream. So it depends on which level we are talking about.
codop2214725525:
I think it’s already it’s already happening, of course. I think we just need to bring more awareness to it that everybody and every business starts to think about it even more, not to think about where do we get this from, but, like, okay. And not this is waste, but what can we do with the waste? How can we recycle it? What other companies could use it for making something new?
codop2214725525:
I think that’s already in the implementation, but it’s not, like, the biggest, aim of everybody, of course. Like, we could just switch some sync things up so that it gets even more of this circular economy. But I think that needs a lot of research in how we can implement it and a lot of planning, of course, because if we know that one material will be the waste, maybe we could switch the production so up that the waste wouldn’t be waste anymore. But that’s, of course, depending on how everybody’s working together. Because if it’s cheaper to produce waste than to produce something that might be helpful, of course, nobody’s willing to do it if not the government or other, companies try to, implement it and make it more, more option that others are willing to take.
codop22147991:
Yeah. No? Yeah. So in order to, make it attractive that companies, implement circular economy, they need to see their advantages. For example, that it’s cost saving, and also you need to bring the environmental factor with it.
codop22147991:
And I mean, it’s always good if you don’t have to, like, use new material and use the old one. It saves resources and stuff. And it’s important to, like she already says, do research on different options you have and compare it and then look for the best one. So but I think it’s also important. If a company already works good, then they wouldn’t change something probably.
codop22147991:
So, of course, the government is always important that they do laws there and maybe also, support companies.
owen:
Thank you very much.