No One at 0%, No One at 100%: The Spider Web Model for Everyday Sustainability

We’ve created an easy-to-use tool designed to help you live more sustainably. The Spider Web Model is here to make circular living accessible for everyone, no matter where on the sustainability journey. Circular living means reducing waste and reusing materials in a way that keeps everything we produce within a closed loop, preventing it from being thrown away.

What is the Spider Web Model?

The Spider Web Model is a visual tool that shows you how to be more circular in your everyday life. It’s based on 9 key sustainability strategies which include:

9 key sustainability strategies. Credit: Based on Potting et al. (2017)

Instead of presenting these strategies in a strict order or hierarchy, the Spider Web shows them as flexible options you can use depending on the situation. The goal is that circularity becomes accessible, understandable and doable for everyone. No one is at 0% and no one is at 100%.

How Does It Work?

The model is divided into 2 main categories to help you think about different types of products:

1. Food Products
2. Non-Food Products

Spider web model. Credit: Marie Tebel, Stefan Hoffmann, Marie Berner

Each product group encourages you to focus on 3 key actions:

1. Buy less and use smarter (R-strategies: refuse, rethink, reduce)

Choose quality over quantity. Buy products that are durable and have a smaller environmental footprint.

2. Extend the lifespan of products (R-strategies: reuse, repair, refurbish)

Take care of what you already have. Repair, maintain, and increase the life of your items.

3. Use waste as a resource (R-strategies: recycle, rot, recover)

Find ways to reuse, recycle, or compost materials to minimize waste and give them a second life.

The Spider Web: A Visual Guide

In the Spider Web Model, the further you go toward the outer edge of the web, the more circular your behavior is. Each section of the web represents a different level of sustainability, helping you visualize where you stand and where you can improve.

Track Your Progress

In the future, we’ll offer a questionnaire that allows you to assess your current circular practices. This will help you to:

• See what you’re already doing well
• Identify areas where you can improve
• Track your progress over time

Stay tuned!

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