How To Build Circular Transportation System In A City
We have to build a circular transportation system in every city. This is because transportation has an important role in distributing goods and moving people from one city to another. Unfortunately, urban transportation problems are numerous and have a major impact on the environment. Moreover, if the city is crowded, then the level of severity will be even greater. Carbon emissions from vehicles contribute to 90% of total urban pollution. The vehicles they use require fuel such as fossil fuels and a lot of materials. In addition, the construction that the government builds for transportation also certainly requires a lot of resources and costs. Therefore, here are various circular economy principles that we can apply to urban transportation systems.
Applying reuse and remanufacturing of vehicles
The use of vehicles is indeed difficult to avoid, but maybe we can still replace the components so that it is easier for us to reuse and remanufacture. Making product as a service a way to make the life of the vehicle last longer than usual. Then, building a business ecosystem from used vehicles may also be a solution to the excessive increase in buying new vehicles. These two things will help reduce the production of emissions and reduce the use of energy that we don’t need. Besides that, the use of biocomposite materials is an example of a unique development in vehicle materials. Biocomposite materials can be completely degraded materials in the soil.
Using recycled materials in construction
Infrastructure development for transportation requires a lot of resources. Therefore, the use of construction and demolition waste can be a way to reduce virgin material. In addition, the use of plastic for asphalt mixtures can also be a way to reduce plastic waste while increasing the volume and quality of asphalt. For this reason, the development and research of construction using recycled materials can be a very interesting topic in the future.
Using renewable energy
The use of renewable energy is very important for the application of circular economy in the transportation system. Renewable energy can be obtained from various sources. For example, from biomass derived from fermented food waste. Later, we can process this biomass to produce biogas or biofuel as an energy source. In addition, the use of electricity by electric vehicles can also reduce fossil fuels and convert them into cleaner energy. In addition, the use of solar panels along roads for street lights can also reduce primary energy consumption.
Regarding energy, we also need to pay attention to battery utilization. Optimizing the battery so that it has a longer lifespan can help accelerate the circular economy. The level of battery efficiency also determines the level of waste of energy utilization. Thus, the development of renewable energy sources is inseparable from the development of technology to store and utilize this energy.
Using shared transport
Using a private vehicle is often fun and feels freer. However, if our vehicles are not fully charged, this is a waste of energy. Therefore, the circular transportation system emphasizes the use of shared transport such as buses, trains or commercial planes. This will reduce energy use many times over. We can see how trains in developed countries can help them reduce energy very efficiently. In fact, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, our target is to reduce 66 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year by 2050.
Designing efficient city layouts
Cities are complex systems within which there are various activities. Designing a city so that it can apply circular economy principles is a concern now and in the future. A transportation system built on the basis of a comprehensive landscape analysis will provide high efficiency and substantial savings. If the city design is bad, it is possible that the streets will fall apart and there will be demolition and overhaul of infrastructure in the short term.
Digitilize transportation
Transportation can aim to deliver goods or only people. We can analyze these various activities and try to break them down into activities that are far more detailed. Then, we can question again whether we really have to do transportation for this activity or are we able to digitize it. This activity is what we call dematerialization. This will reduce our need for the process of transportation or distribution.
Reducing distraction to service with technology
In transportation, we also experience problems and obstacles, don’t we? We could be stuck in traffic, exposed to heavy rain, or have an accident. It is also not uncommon for the transportation process to experience delays which reduce productivity on that day. Therefore, the use of technology can reduce these risks. For example, by utilizing blockchain technology. This blockchain technology is able to trace the goods we send and fully control them, thereby increasing the level of accuracy and success of sending the goods.