Circular September

Circular September is an initiative that was established in 2018 in partnership with Life Cykel as a way of raising awareness of the Circular Economy, as well as celebrating and collaborating with individuals and businesses that employ circular and sustainable initiatives within their business models and their lives as a whole.

Here at Life Cykel we strive to connect with people and businesses that are creating innovative practices that will bring about positive long lasting change and balance across communities and the delicate environment in which we live.

There are so many businesses and communities out there that are doing incredible work to make a difference. We would love to hear from any businesses that would like to collaborate to create something special for the planet and the people.

What is a Circular Economy?

A Circular Economy refers to a closed loop system that aims to eliminate waste by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible. It aims to tackle challenges such as biodiversity loss, pollution and waste by moving from the ‘Linear Economy’ of ‘Take, Make, Waste’ to a regenerative circular one.

We are all well aware that the Earth is under extreme stress from the exponential growth of the human population and our high demand for resources. We are growing at a rate at which we use these resources faster than they can regenerate naturally. By harnessing the Circular Economy we reduce our demand for new resources, as materials are kept in the system for longer, allowing more time for natural resources to recover on their own. Reducing the amount of waste we produce also helps to alleviate other detrimental effects on the environment.

There are 3 key principles of the Circular Economy:

First and foremost, keep products and materials in use. Products, components of products and materials should be reused, repaired and remanufactured so that they can continue to be in the system and therefore reducing the amount of waste output.

Secondly, design out waste, this principle is key to maintaining a Circular Economy and to actually have long lasting effects. If we go way back to the beginning of product manufacturing and rethink the way the product will be used we can change the amount of waste it produces. We should also personally focus on purchasing products that produce less waste, for instance, purchasing high quality products that will last a life time (or a long time at least) and stop purchasing in the ‘fast market’.

Lastly, we should aim to regenerate natural ecosystems. As well as reducing our impact on the environment, we should also endeavour to actively improve the health of the environment. This can be done by returning essential nutrients to ecosystems to help them regenerate faster and even enhance their production. There is no waste in nature, one systems ‘waste’ is another systems ‘fuel’, so we should strive to do the same.

We can incorporate these principles into our everyday life as well as into our businesses and with a collective effort, it will make a difference.

Life Cykel’s Grow Kit range embodies the Circular Economy. The Oyster Mushroom Grow Kit, Alkaline Greens Grow Kit and the Bee Pollination Grow kit all include a special coffee compost mix that is prepared with used coffee grounds that are collected from around Australia. Coffee grounds will often end up in landfill where they are exposed to an anaerobic environment, causing them to release a harmful greenhouse gas known as methane. As you know, in Australia we drink a lot of coffee, which unfortunately means a lot of coffee waste ends up in landfill.

Coffee grounds contain high levels of potassium and nitrogen, which are essential minerals for plant and fungi growth… *bing!* Lightbulb moment. Let’s grow mushrooms and veggies using this coffee ‘waste’, which in fact is not waste for our fungi and plant friends. By collecting these coffee grounds, we are reducing the amount that will end up in landfill and subsequently releasing greenhouse gases. And what’s even better, after you have grown all you can from our Grow Kits, you can mix the coffee compost into your garden compost and use it to fertilise your garden.

Support our circular journey here by checking out our Grow Kits here.

Our Kombucha SCOBY grow kit is also a great way to reduce your waste by making your own delicious probiotic drink at home! Shop here.