Rent, revive, repeat: A new era
Ever wondered how your old phone could help save the planet and support local jobs? Welcome to the world of the circular economy.
What a circular economy tries to do is also take these environmental costs into account and minimise those costs. It makes really good business sense for a company to do that as well.
The circular economy is not just another trendy term, it’s a refreshing approach to closing the loop on waste and considering the environmental cost of our consumer orientated lifestyles.
It’s a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated. It’s good for business, good for our planet, and good for our economy.
In the latest episode of The Green Scene podcast, Andiswa Susan Dlamini, Duncan Pritchard, and Sharlene Versfeld highlight how a mindset shift encourages us to change the way we consume things, recycle, repurpose, and close the loop when it comes to waste.
Whether it's reviving old clothes, reusing margarine or ice-cream tubs, or making more use of the growing “sharing economy”- these small changes can lead to big environmental benefits.
The leasing economy is growing, and it works out cheaper for users, it's cheaper for the manufacturers, and it's great for the environment.
Pritchard highlights that it's not just about keeping waste out of landfills—it's about boosting local economies and supporting sustainable practices.
By opting for second-hand items or choosing local businesses, we create a ripple effect that enhances community growth.
Listen to The Green Scene at the top of this page, or directly below.
The Green Scene is produced by East Coast Radio in partnership with Durban-based NPO Green Corridors.
Meanwhile, in a previous episode of The Green Scene podcast, the hosts looked at the true meaning of ecotourism and its significance beyond just spending time outdoors.
They discussed how ecotourism connects people to nature while respecting local communities.
Some of the best ecotourism spots in eThekwini are areas like Molweni Valley, eNanda Dam, and iSithumba Adventures near Hillcrest.
Listen below to find out more.
Find out more about Durban’s ecotourism activities and tours here.
Learn more about pop-up camping with Green Corridors here.
Follow the series or listen via the ECR website under Podcasts, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.
Andiswa Susan Dlamini is the Tourism Operations Manager at Green Corridors having worked there since its inception. She cut her teeth at the various Green Corridors sites where she helped manage and co-ordinate activities and has an intimate knowledge of its various operations. She is passionate about her role and helping connect people to the various Green Corridors sites. Andiswa is mum to a fast-growing teenager.
Duncan Pritchard heads up tourism product development, project management, planning and marketing at Green Corridors and is an independent sustainability practitioner with a special interest in niche ecotourism markets, avitourism, rural community development and related projects. His work aims at social, environment and economic development using tourism as a tool. He founded ETC-Africa a consultancy specialising in sustainability, ecotourism, conservation and greenhouse gas reporting. He is a registered carbon auditor and founder of the Unearthed academy for social entrepreneurship. He works on sustainability-related projects locally and internationally with groups ranging from small non-profits to local government to multi-national companies around Africa.
Sharlene Versfeld is a well-known Durban communications consultant who is also a qualified nature guide, nature enthusiast, and keen conservationist who works with Green Corridors. She loves trail running, hiking and walking, adventures, and travel, having done some iconic overland Africa trips with her family. She is married to an “IT Geek” and has two young adult children.