Can we stop waste by turning cities into circular economies?
In short: Our current economic model has waste built directly into its foundation. But what if we could harness the value of everything we discard? By repurposing everything from office furniture to bricks, we could slash greenhouse gas emissions, create new jobs, and drive significant economic growth.
The traditional linear economy follows a 'take-make-waste' pattern, but a circular economy offers a transformative alternative. Garry Cooper, a scientist and entrepreneur, envisions a world where cities operate as sustainable, circular systems. Instead of sending materials to landfills, a circular model focuses on large-scale resource-sharing systems that keep assets in circulation. This approach applies to a vast range of goods, including office furniture, construction materials like bricks, and even specialized medical or laboratory equipment. This strategy extends to various sectors, ensuring that essential items like lab equipment are redistributed to those in need. Such systems transform how we perceive discarded assets.
Cooper’s work focuses on scaling this reuse through enterprise asset management. As the co-founder and CEO of Rheaply, a B2B climate technology company established in 2015, he aims to help organizations lower procurement costs while simultaneously reducing waste. This shift is not just about environmental stewardship; it is a strategic economic move. By keeping materials in use, businesses can foster economic growth and create new employment opportunities. His leadership at Rheaply focuses on scaling these reuse models through advanced technology. This approach helps businesses manage their assets more efficiently.
The transition requires sophisticated management to track and redistribute assets effectively. Cooper, who holds a PhD in neuroscience from Northwestern University and previously led drug discovery efforts for Parkinson's disease, brings a scientific lens to these systemic challenges. His career spans from biotechnology supply chain improvement at Ernst & Young to venture capital with LongJump Ventures, a firm dedicated to funding underrepresented founders. This intersection of science, business, and sustainability highlights the complexity of redesigning our global supply chains to prioritize reuse over disposal. His diverse background includes serving as an adjunct assistant professor at Northwestern. He also holds a patent related to his medical research.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How to Make Sure Materials Get Reused — Again and Again | Garry Cooper | TED
- Also: Reusing chairs, bricks, even lab equipment by building a circular economy
- Also: Garry Cooper — UCLA IoES
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