The Danish solution to waste is… no waste!

Weekend mode. Most of us go shopping and then get to clean our house and throw away anything we feel we don’t want or need anymore. Rewind. Most of us clean our house, collect anything we don’t need anymore and search for ways to pass them on to others who may need them. Also, before buying something new, we search online for places where we can get what we need second-hand.

The Danes are well-known for their practicality and creative thinking. So, when they had to solve the issue of waste, they simply said “No waste at all!”. This is the motto behind the fresh concept of the circular economy. But what is it all about?

From linear to circular!
The old way of consumption was “make – consume – dispose of”. Our planet’s and society’s resources are stretched. So this model can’t work anymore. The transition from the linear to the circular economy means that we make the most out of buildings and products of all kinds, so we reduce waste. Instead of discarding them, we can repair – reuse – recycle them.Denmark has even set up a new joint public-private initiative to promote the new model and help towards becoming a more efficient and sustainable society: from food waste to clothes and buildings. Everything can be reused before ultimately recycled.

What if clothes could grow with your child?
VIGGA is a great example of the circular economy and how it can involve private businesses as well. It is about sharing and circulating high-quality children’s clothes. The concept is simple: you buy clothes for your baby. As it grows older and clothes don’t fit, you return them and get new larger ones to fit its size. The used clothes are carefully inspected, professionally cleaned and then delivered to another happy mom and her baby. All this at a very reasonable price. You can even get a monthly subscription to get 20 pieces of clothing whenever your baby grows in size. Textiles are reused and companies are forced to make high-quality clothes. The better the quality, the more children will share the same clothes. Smart, huh?