Linear vs Circular Economy

Nowadays, our global development system is based on the so-called Linear Economy, which exploits natural resources to generate goods and services, closing its production process with the elimination of waste, destined to accumulate more and more.

On the other hand, a Circular Economy aims to reduce most of the waste, converting it into an available resource that can be reused as secondary raw materials and put back into the production process. This is what we pursue at Legs4Africa, trying to maximise the life cycle of every prosthetic leg donated to us, thus reducing vast amounts of waste streams that would otherwise end up in landfills.

A Circular Economy is referred to the optimisations of every product or output, from the moment it is manufactured until the end of its life cycle. This approach can recover and reuse all (or most) waste material as a starting point in another production chain.  Therefore a Circular Economy aims to eliminate waste through a better structure and a more efficient design of materials, products, systems and even business models, adding value and quality to the production process.

Social and Economic benefits

The Circular model we adopt at Legs4Africa is not only to be considered as an approach to environmental sustainability and a form of respect for the ecosystem but also and above all as a method for increasing the quality of life of individuals and the whole society, generating economic sustainability and therefore prosthetic legs which are more available for everyone, obtaining higher social sustainability through a more transparent and collaborative coexistence within the community. This is not a model that just supports the current Linear Economy but replaces it entirely at every stage of the production process, regenerating and positively modifying its structure.

To understand the problem we are facing with today’s development system, about 60KG of plastic in manufactured every year for every human on earth, and the equivalent of one truckload of plastic enters the sea every minute. This is exponentially increasing the social discomfort generated by the unsustainability of waste management costs. 

The Circular model we pursue represents an excellent solution to all these problems; a fair investment in the Circular waste management sector generates value in both monetary and social terms. A Circular Economy gives the possibility of classifying waste according to the different reuse and recycling properties, promoting their transformation into secondary raw materials.

At Legs4Africa, we start our Circular Economy process by collecting unwanted prosthetic legs from limb fitting clinics and individuals. We then dismantle the legs into their modular components and service them appropriately. After that, components are put in recycled barrels from the food industry and delivered to partnering mobility centres in sub-Surhan Africa by sea freight. Trained experts on the ground then repair or remanufacture prosthetic legs from the serviced components. Fundamental is the step of Emotional Rehabilitation, during which community groups support amputees to cope with the trauma associated with limb-loss through peer support and education. 

We listen to our beneficiaries and partnering mobility centres diligently so that we can constantly work to improve the model and service. 

By adopting this Circular Model, we’re able to generate huge environmental, social and economic benefits for everyone.

Life Cycle Management

All of this is possible thanks to optimising the Life Cycle we ensure to the prosthetic legs we receive. We reuse different parts of the prosthetic legs with a product lifecycle management based on a circular method, resulting in a succession of management strategies as a product passes through its lifecycle. We ensure that the Product Life Cycle is as long as possible; many parts are, in fact, reusable many times before they can be melted down and used to make something else. 

By integrating the life cycle perspective into a holistic supply chain, Legs4Africa supports the global prosthetics industry move towards a more sustainable direction. 

At Legs4Africa, we recognise the benefits of environmental, occupational health and safety, risk and quality management, as well as developing and applying cleaner processes and product options. 

Through the life cycle approach of a Circular Economy, we’re driving the global prosthetics industry towards a more sustainable direction by offering a simple recycling solution for unwanted prosthetic legs whilst being mindful of our carbon footprint throughout the supply chain.

It’s vital that individuals, organisations and governments look ahead towards a more Circular approach to protect our planet and future generations to come. 

Our Circular Economy method, therefore, means sustainability in the environmental, economic and social fields; the process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the investment plan, the orientation of technological development and institutional changes are all in harmony and enhance the potential. 

Legs4Africa aims to maximise Sustainable Development, which was first introduced in 1987 by the Bruntland Report of the World Commission for Environment and Development, which means ‘development aimed at satisfying the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.