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Plastics producers gear up for shift to circular economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 5, 2022

KUALA LUMPUR: Local waste management experts are confident Malaysia can shift to a circular economy where reduction, reuse and recycling of resources prevail for the benefit of the environment. At least one trade organisation, the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA), is already taking the necessary steps in that direction. The term “circular economy” is defined as an idea for a truly sustainable future that works without waste and is in symbiosis with the environment and its resources.
It is a future where every product is designed for multiple cycles of use, and different materials or manufacturing cycles are carefully aligned so that the output of one process always feeds the input of another. Rather than producing emissions, by-products or damaged and unwanted goods as waste during the manufacturing process, in the circular economy this waste become the raw materials or “nutrients” for new production cycles. A circular or regenerative economy can also be loosely described as maximising the use of resources or materials by channelling waste back into the production cycle to be used as a raw material source, thus closing the loop of product manufacturing and waste management. Waste management expert and senior lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Perlis (Unimap) Irnis Azura Zakarya said Malaysia would be able to practise a circular economy if the relevant ministry gave its full support to the idea. However, she said, in order to achieve a circular economy, the country must first put in place efficient recycling and waste management practices. “It is important to identify recyclable resources and materials that can be reused and returned to the economic cycle. “This means we have to now reconsider materials that are usually regarded as waste and view them as valuable resources or secondary raw materials. “And, to enable industries to make full use of such secondary raw materials, any obstacles that stand in their way should be eliminated,” Irnis Azura, who is also director of Unimap’s occupational safety and health unit, told Bernama.
Read the full article at: www.freemalaysiatoday.com

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Circular economy database launched | Innovators magazine

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 5, 2022

A new global database drawing on information from 60 countries has been launched to support the growth of the circular economy. Compiled by the Circular Economy Club (CEC), on the back of its international Mapping Week project the open-source database is designed to accelerate the impact of circularity. “If we aim to move towards a circular economy, we first need to understand what is already being done. It is imperative that circular economy advocates come together and clearly document what each of us knows. This database puts these abstract concepts into a tangible form that helps form a clearer picture,” CEC founder Anna Tarí said in a press release. One message that came from the 2000 plus participants – from more than 100 cities – that took part in the Mapping Week was that there needs to be better communication among stakeholders. Anna added: “Something mentioned in most workshop sessions was that stakeholders are not talking effectively among themselves. We suspect this lack of communication may directly influence why certain industries—such as investment, financial and public sectors—appear to be grossly underrepresented in findings.” A post-mapping week campaign is being planned to build on the lessons learned. Check out the CEC website for updates.
Read the full article at: www.innovatorsmag.com

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Zero Waste Bistro installation provides circular-economy model

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 5, 2022

A pop-up restaurant that is built from recycled food packaging and that composts all of its leftovers has been set up at the WantedDesign Manhattan fair.
Commissioned by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York, Zero Waste Bistro is open for four days to coincide with the NYCxDesign festival.

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We need more durable and reparable products to build a circular economy – EURACTIV.com

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 5, 2022

Stéphane Arditi and Chloé Fayole are members of Coolproducts, a campaign led by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and ECOS to ensure that EU product policy works for the environment and citizens. Europe’s ‘take-make-use-throw’ economy is costing consumers money and depleting the world of finite resources. Every day we buy products that don’t last as long as we would like. Cracked smartphone screens, weak laptop batteries, faulty printers. We’d like to fix them, but instead end up replacing them because repair costs are too high and spare parts are not made easily available by manufacturers. The current situation is unsustainable for governments and businesses that are highly dependent on virgin raw materials imported from far-away countries, despite solutions already available in Europe to improve repair, reuse and recycling. The good news is that we have the means to reverse this trend through better product policy. Look no further, Europe already has a solution. With 80% of the environmental impacts of products determined at design stage, product design has the potential to increase repairability, durability and recyclability of products. Part of the EU legislation on product design known as Ecodesign and Energy Labelling has already set out durability requirements for certain products such as vacuum cleaner motors and light bulbs. But it has so far mainly focused on making fridges, TVs and other appliances more energy efficient. Given its success, why not include more requirements to make products that last longer and are easily reparable and recyclable? The Ecodesign Directive gradually removes from the market the least efficient products by setting standards that demand a certain level of performance. Meanwhile, the Energy Labelling regulation pulls consumers towards the best products by giving them an impartial A to G ranking based on their energy efficiency. Through these laws, the EU has already succeeded in cutting carbon emissions and energy bills. The European Commission estimates that by 2020 every home in Europe will see their energy bills reduced by nearly €500 per year. Greenhouse gas emissions will also be cut by 319 megatonnes per year, that’s equal to taking about seven million cars off the road.
Read the full article at: www.euractiv.com

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Circular Economy “in Vogue” at Helsinki Fashion Week – Circle Economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 5, 2022

As part of Circle Economy’s ambition to place circularity on an international stage and bring the topic to a wider audience, we are proud to announce our official partnership with Helsinki Fashion Week. Helsinki Fashion Week is the world’s first Fashion Week aiming to be 100% sustainable and is taking a ground-breaking stance by putting the circular economy front and center. Circle Economy is thrilled to become an official knowledge and content partner to this progressive platform. Circle Economy will support Helsinki Fashion Week in presenting the topic of circularity to a wider fashion audience. This year’s event, that takes place from the 20-25th July, rests on the twin pillars of the circular economy and sustainability. 30 brands, who are all integrating environmental and social sustainability at their core with garments crafted from recycled materials or natural and reusable fabrics, will be brought together in a celebration of all things circular. Pick of the bunch is The New Normal project, a closed loop fashion collection produced in collaboration with WFF and the Infinited Fibre Company. Since an estimated 80% of a product’s environmental and economic impact is determined at the design stage, empowering designers to make the right decisions, and rewarding those who are already are, will undoubtedly accelerate the industry’s transition to a sustainable and circular economy. Helsinki Fashion Week are clearly focused on and dedicated to creating a more circular and sustainable fashion industry through cross-industry partnerships. If you want to hear more about their commitment to the cause, their Advantage podcast series offers insightful discussions on the challenges and rewards of implementing circularity within the industry and everyday life. Learn more about our work within textiles here: [cta link=”https://www.circle-economy.com/textiles/”]Circle Textiles[/cta]. NFW collaborates and consults several organisations, enterprises, research institutes and other industry events on the themes of circular economy and sustainability.
Read the full article at: www.circle-economy.com

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Kingfisher spearheading the circular economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 4, 2022

Kingfisher has established a number of design principles (in collaboration with experts from Bioregional). ”These principles help our product developers and suppliers integrate circular design principles into our products and supply chains in a way that is good for customers and for our business”, Laurie says. Kingfisher’s principles focus on six so-called impact areas: safe materials for humans and nature, sustainable materials that are easily and widely recycled, reused or renewed, utility and function, including efficient use of materials and design for longevity and reuse, energy and carbon, focusing on reducing fossil fuel energy use, water stewardship and ethical responsibility, including fair and safe working conditions in the supply chain. Retail Detail had an exclusive interview with Caroline Laurie, Head of Sustainability of the Kingfisher group that has several large DIY-chains in its portfolio, operating around 1200 stores (store brands such as B&Q, Castorama or Brico Depot) and omnichannel operations in 10 European countries. According to Laurie, Kingfisher has been integrating circular economy principles into product design for many years, working with partners including Bioregional and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. “We focus on solutions that reflect growing customer interest in smarter consumption, and product ranges or services that help customers and our business to get more from less, reuse or use longer. Most people have never heard of the circular economy but they know they want quality products that are long-lasting, create less waste and are easy to recycle.”
Read the full article at: www.retaildetail.eu

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How Circular is the Circular Economy?

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 4, 2022

The circular economy has become, for many governments, institutions, companies, and environmental organisations, one of the main components of a plan to lower carbon emissions. In the circular economy, resources would be continually re-used, meaning that there would be no more mining activity or waste production. The stress is on recycling, made possible by designing products so that they can easily be taken apart.
Attention is also paid to developing an “alternative consumer culture”. In the circular economy, we would no longer own products, but would loan them. For example, a customer could pay not for lighting devices but for light, while the company remains the owner of the lighting devices and pays the electricity bill. A product thus becomes a service, which is believed to encourage businesses to improve the lifespan and recyclability of their products.
The circular economy is presented as an alternative to the “linear economy” – a term that was coined by the proponents of circularity, and which refers to the fact that industrial societies turn valuable resources into waste. However, while there’s no doubt that the current industrial model is unsustainable, the question is how different to so-called circular economy would be.
Several scientific studies (see references) describe the concept as an “idealised vision”, a “mix of various ideas from different domains”, or a “vague idea based on pseudo-scientific concepts”. There’s three main points of criticism, which we discuss below.

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Global Agencies Propose New Circular Electronics Economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 4, 2022

UN agencies along with the World Economic Forum, the Global Environment Facility, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development called for an overhaul of the current global electronics system this week in Davos, Switzerland. The world produces as much as 50 million metric tons of electronic and electrical waste annually — weighing more than all of the commercial airliners ever made, according to UN Environment. This waste is actually worth over $62.5 billion. Given that less than 20% of global e-waste is formally recycled, a new report from the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) and the UN E-Waste Coalition proposes a circular e-waste economy. The report, A New Circular Vision for Electronics, Time for a Global Reboot, says it is time to reconsider e-waste, re-evaluate the electronics industry, and reboot the system for the benefit of industry, consumer, worker, health of humankind and the environment. “There is a lot of economic value in e-waste, particularly from such materials as gold, silver, copper, platinum and palladium, among others,” the report notes. In addition, it points out that there is 100 times more gold in a metric ton of smartphones than in a metric of gold ore. Last year, researchers discovered that extracting metals from e-waste costs 13 times less than mining ore. “The transition to a circular economy must take place in a way that benefits all stakeholders from the consumer to workers, government, businesses, entrepreneurs and society at large,” the report concludes. “There will be a need for mass collaboration, system changing ideas, new policy frameworks and new ways of doing business.” We are currently accepting submissions for the 2019 Environmental Leader Awards. Learn more and submit a project or product here. Design: Products designed for durability, reuse and safe recycling, substances of concern substituted out. Reintegration of manufacturing scrap: Scrap metal from manufacturing is re-introduced into new components.
Read the full article at: www.environmentalleader.com

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SC Johnson and Ellen MacArthur Foundation partner to spur circular economy progress

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 4, 2022

Announced this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the partnership will see the two organisations work together to bring innovative, cradle-to-cradle products and services to market. Specifically, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will offer its best practice advice to SC Johnson and connect the company to its nine other Global Partner corporates, including Nike, Unilever, Google and H&M, while SC Johnson will invest in research, development and trials of new products and materials.
The overarching aim of the Foundation’s Global Partner scheme is to drive a culture-wide shift to a truly circular economy, in which no resources are sent to landfill or left to pollute nature. As the owner of brands such as Mr Muscle, Glade and Windex, SC Johnson’s specific focus will be on single-use plastic packaging – a topic it has been discussing with industry experts for “several years”, according to chairman and chief executive Fisk Johnson. “Plastic pollution is an enormous problem, and it is going to take businesses, governments, consumers and civil society working together to solve it,” Johnson said. “We’re all going to have to come together, and Ellen and the Foundation have done an excellent job creating an opportunity for partnership and progress.”
Read the full article at: www.edie.net

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Recycling gets nod under ‘circular economy’ projects

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 4, 2022

Support for a shift to a circular economy has been growing since the World Economic Forum (WEF) undertook a multi-year collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation under the Project Mainstream to accelerate a transition. Project Mainstream is a CEO-led initiative that helps to scale business innovations related to the circular economy. The idea behind the circular economy is to reuse and recycle resources multiple times to keep them in use for as long as possible and minimise waste. Building on the work of the WEF and the MacArthur Foundation, the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy – PACE- was launched in 2017 as a public-private collaboration. It is co-chaired by the CEO of Philips and the heads of the Global Environment Facility and UN Environment, along with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the International Resource Panel, Circle Economy and Accenture Strategy as knowledge partners. The World Economic Forum hosts and facilitates the Platform. The Global Leadership Group currently includes over 40 CEOs, ministers and heads of international organisations committed to leading a portfolio of projects and activities. Project focus areas include plastics, electronics, food and bioeconomy, the business model, and market transformation across China, Asean, Europe and Africa. Following the trend across Asia, businesses are increasingly discarding the decades-old “take, make, waste” model in favour of the circular economy in which waste is minimised and products are kept in the market in one virtuous loop. The approach has the potential to spur a new industrial revolution, Eco-Business Magazine reported recently. For example, in Taiwan, used coffee grounds collected from Starbucks cafes are turned into T-shirts, socks and soaps by Taiwanese firm Singtex. Lighting giant Philips gives office landlords in Singapore free lights in return for a share of the energy saved. In the Philippines, discarded fishing nets are sold by local communities to carpet maker Interface to make fresh carpet tiles. All over the world, including in Asia, home-sharing platforms Airbnb and PandaBed, along with car-sharing services Lyft and Tripda, and goods-sharing apps SnapGoods and Rent Tycoon are fuelling collaborative consumption and changing the way people use goods. In Thailand, Magnolia Quality Development Corporation Ltd (MQDC) has collaboration with PTT Global Chemical Plc (GC) to develop upcycled building materials from plastic waste. The materials were used in the construction of MQDC’s residential projects starting last year. The first project features construction of a 5-kilometre network of footpaths that will take at least 160 tonnes of plastic waste. The plastic is being provided by GC, which collects it from the sea. Later, the company’s Research & Innovation for Sustainability Centre (RISC) will carry out research and development into the use of other such materials in infrastructure at its projects. The World Economic Forum estimates that 80 per cent of the US$3.2 trillion (Bt103 trillion) value of the global consumer goods sector is lost irrecoverably each year due to the current inefficient linear “make, take, waste” model.
Read the full article at: www.nationthailand.com

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Can Makers produces sustainability report

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 4, 2022

The attention on packaging’s environmental impact has markedly heightened in recent months, putting increasing pressure on governments, brands and retailers to act. Media coverage has been predominantly focused on the marine impact of single use plastics, including plastic bottles, and as a result this has put pressure on other drinks packaging formats too. It gets overlooked, surprisingly often, that there is already a ready-made solution for many drinks to switch to. It’s called the drinks can. The Can Makers says the drinks can is the perfect example of the circular economy already in action, pointing out that when an aluminium can reaches the end of its useful life, the material is never lost. It’s simply collected and recycled, over and over, with no loss of its inherent properties or quality, there’s no need to add virgin raw materials. Up to 75% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today. The European Commission’s Circular Economy Package (CEP) sets common targets to increase recycling to prevent valuable resources from being lost in the recycling loop. It has set an overall packaging waste recycling target of 75% by 2030 and an aluminium packaging recycling target of 85% by 2030 to help drive the circular economy. The UK Government outlined new targets in 2017 for aluminium, challenging businesses to achieve 64% by 2020. Aluminium drinks cans already contribute significantly to this overall recycling target. 72% of all drinks cans were recycled in the UK in 2017.
Read the full article at: www.packagingnews.co.uk

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Cosmoprof Bologna 2019 event designed around sustainability

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 3, 2022

The event organisers note that businesses are showing an increased commitment to becoming eco-sustainable both in terms of their business operations and their products, while consumers are becoming more aware of natural ingredients and eco-packaging. The Cosmoprof team says its initiatives for the show have embraced these trends, while also pledging its own commitment to make the actual event more sustainable and eco-friendly. Likewise, the show will also be platforming sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives by exhibitors on the show floor, with the aim of inspiring other businesses to stay ahead of everything that is helping to drive this important trend.
Read the full article at: www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com

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Circular economy: European Parlement back plans to boost recycling and cut landfilling

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 3, 2022

Statistics for 2014 suggest that 44% of all municipal waste in the EU is recycled or composted. This compares to just 31% in 2004, and by 2020 EU member states should be recycling or composting over 50% of waste. In 2014, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden sent virtually no municipal waste to landfill, whereas Cyprus, Croatia, Greece, Latvia and Malta still landfill more than three quarters of their municipal waste. Although waste management in the EU has improved considerably in recent decades, almost a third of municipal waste is still landfilled and less than half is recycled or composted, with wide variations between member states. Improving waste management could deliver benefits for the environment, climate, human health and the economy. As part of a shift in EU policy towards a circular economy, the European Commission made four legislative proposals introducing new waste-management targets regarding reuse, recycling and landfilling. The proposals also strengthen EU provisions on waste prevention and extended producer responsibility, and streamline definitions, reporting obligations and calculation methods for targets.
Read the full article at: www.duurzaam-ondernemen.nl

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HISER project final conference: new circular economy solutions for the construction sector

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 3, 2022

The final conference of the project is organised during EU Raw Materials Week 2018 in Brussels in La Plaza Hotel, on 16th of November 2018. Agnieszka Kowalska, an Expert of ASM – Market Research and Analysis Center (project consortium member responsible among others for HISER dissemination) informed us that after nearly four years of collaboration in the project, the aim of this final event is to present HISER findings in an attractive way to contribute to the dissemination of the knowledge and experience gathered throughout the project – Covered topics will include among others innovative demolition methods and tools – Mrs. Kowalska adds – together with technological solutions for closing material loops. HISER will increase the use of recovered raw materials. This will be achieved by the development of new building products through the partial replacement of virgin raw materials by higher amounts of secondary high-purity raw materials recovered from complex C&DW. Cost-effectiveness is also guaranteed by using novel harmonized methodological solutions and tools. Moreover, the project promotes advanced technical methods as well as technologies for the production of high-purity raw materials from complex C&DW. Some really unique solutions have been proposed, like harmonized procedures complemented with an smart tool (BIM) and a supply chain tracking system, for highly-efficient sorting at source in demolition and refurbishment works. These solutions have been demonstrated in demolition projects and five case studies across Europe. Moreover, the economic and environmental impact of the HISER solutions has been quantified, from a life cycle perspective. Market analysis and policy and standard recommendations encouraging the implementation of the best solutions have been drafted.
Read the full article at: www.hiserproject.eu

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Circle Economy Launches Circle Lab to Crowdsource Circular Solutions for Humanity’s Biggest Challenge

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 3, 2022

The circular economy is a concept that provides new business strategies and economic policies to create value again and again and aims to achieve inclusive economic, social and environmental prosperity within the planet’s boundaries. The launch of Circle Lab follows the news that the global economy is only 9.1% circular and that the current linear system of production is failing people and the planet. “eBay has been at the heart of the circular economy since its founding over 20 years ago. The eBay Foundation believes that by using the power of technology to bring people together, the circular economy can help fuel the future of commerce. We are proud to support Circle Lab, a platform that accelerates creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial action towards a more circular economy,” said Amy Millington, President of eBay Foundation. During the past five years, Circle Economy has worked on hundreds of business cases, and supported businesses, cities and regions in imagining a new “circular future”. After bringing to life countless pilot projects, they have identified the need for a platform that not only captures ideas and encourages collaboration, but also ensures that those ideas see the light of day and are actually implemented. During a successful market validation phase last year, Circle Lab brought together a community of nearly 14,000 and co-created unique reverse logistics solutions for the mobile phone industry. Following this phase, Circle Economy launched the open-access knowledge portion of Circle Lab in August of 2017. The knowledge hub has since brought together nearly 2,000 circular economy enthusiasts who are now using the hub’s 750 case studies to share and further learn about the topic. “The launch of the knowledge hub and results of the market validation showed us that there is a high demand for a global community to engage and co-create circular solutions. The addition of a challenge environment is the next step,” said Friedl.
Read the full article at: www.duurzaam-ondernemen.nl

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Lehigh win Circular Economy award in Davos

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 3, 2022

Lehigh Technologies has won the Young Global Leaders Award for Circular Economy SME (small to medium-sized enterprise) for The Circulars 2019, the 5th iteration of the award, in Davos at the World Economic Forum on 21 January 2019. Lehigh was recognized for upcycling end-of-life tyre materials into Micronized Rubber Powder (MRP), a sustainable, lower-cost, high performing and customizable feedstock for industrial and consumer markets. MRP is used as an additive in a wide range of consumer and industrial products, like tyres. By improving performance and cost, Lehigh’s business model is said to be closing the loop on tyre production, ensuring sustainability and stability in manufacturing costs for the tyre industry and reducing dependence on oil-based chemicals. According to the company, tyres made with Lehigh’s MRP have better vehicle fuel economy compared to tyres made of less technological rubber powder and have saved a total of over 20 million passenger car tyre equivalents from landfills in more than 10 years. To date, Lehigh’s products have been used to manufacture over 500 million tyres using a circular model. “Consumers, employees, stakeholders and policymakers alike expect companies to lead with purpose around sustainability and are holding them accountable. Inaction or idleness can severely harm competitiveness, with a drop in stakeholder trust costing businesses globally $180 billion in potential revenues,” said Peter Lacy, Senior managing director, Accenture Strategy. “Moving to a circular economy delivers the disruptive change needed to secure a sustainable future, while enabling businesses to unlock innovation and growth. We are proud to recognize the individuals and organizations that are leading the circular movement, creating a thriving global economy.”
Read the full article at: www.tyrepress.com

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EuPC & Partners Publish Strategic Research Plastics in a…

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 3, 2022

Plastics can accelerate their contribution to the European Circular Economy objectives of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, higher resource effciency and job creation, according to a new report from EuPC and 4 other partners. ‘Plastics Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda in a Circular Economy’ was developed in cooperation with SusChem, the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry; CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council; PlasticsEurope; and ECP4, the European Composites, Plastics and Polymer Processing Platform. The report presents a shared vision, demonstrates how collaboration within the plastic value chain will be a driving force for change, and outlines the future research needs required to fulfil the objectives of the European Plastic Strategy. The technology solutions described are part of an integral approach to make the entire plastics production more circular. To achieve an overall increased circularity, the report identified a number of key factors: Design materials with enhanced separation and recycling properties, Design articles/products to encourage reuse, Develop repair solutions that extend the lifetime of plastic articles, Innovate advanced recycling technologies to increase the value retrieved from plastic waste, Incorporate alternative feedstocks in the production of plastics – feedstocks that take waste or by-products from other sectors and processes, such as biological feedstock from the agricultural industry, carbon-based feedstock from the chemical industry and chemical and secondary plastics from the plastic industry.
Read the full article at: waste-management-world.com

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New Case Study Report on Messaging the Circular Economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 2, 2022

As more companies commit to innovative circular economy and sustainability strategies and investments, there is an increased need to learn the best practices for successfully communicating these decisions externally. The Chamber Foundation recently published a case study and insights publication, Messaging the Circular Economy, which showcases (1) tactics companies are taking to educate customers on their circular products, ambitions, or service offerings, and the opportunity the circular economy represents in the United States; (2) perspective pieces from nonprofit organizations, communications and advisory firms, academia, and trade associations on how to communicate to external stakeholders about circularity; and (3) research on what messages resonate with which audiences. The case study publication covers approaches from a wide range of businesses, from internationally headquartered to U.S.-headquartered, publicly traded to privately held, business-facing to consumer-facing, and across industries, from consumer electronics to apparel. Communicating business relevance, shared responsibility, and corporate priorities about extending the useful life of products and services involves many tactics, exemplified and explained in the publication. Within the report, you’ll see details of video campaigns, graphics, white papers, and playbooks, as well as the value in transparency regarding lessons learned and approach rationale. The publication fills the gap in the literature on how companies can most effectively communicate about their circular ambitions, products, and service offerings. Businesses that want to understand how best to communicate such priorities can reference the examples and research insights featured in the report.
Read the full article at: www.uschamberfoundation.org

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What it Will Take to Create a Circular Economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 2, 2022

As great as the circular economy sounds, getting there will require profound transformations in how we do business. It could start with how we design products, suggested Faith Legendre, a circular economy solutions strategist at Cisco. She suggested that more companies could put leaders in charge of designing for circularity, and that companies should have a plan for and be held responsible for what happens at the end of a product’s life. Planning for disposal needs to happen while the product is being conceived, she said, not tacked on afterwards. Achieving circularity will require a combination of both rules and incentives for companies, the panel participants agreed. Legendre suggested that innovation centers and technology incubators could include criteria that judge new product ideas based on what happens at the end of its lifetime. She’d also like to see circularity incorporated into financial ratings systems. But ultimately she thinks regulation will be needed as well. Until producers are held accountable for the full lifecycle of their products, she said, they will continue to make decisions that contribute to sending those products to the landfill. Anne van Riel, head of Sustainable Finance Americas at ING, said that consumers can also help drive change by choosing to buy more sustainable products and to invest their retirement funds in responsible companies. “I wouldn’t underestimate the power that consumers have,” she said.
Read the full article at: news.climate.columbia.edu

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The world is round; the economy should be circular

ByThe Circular Economy Team December 2, 2022

Entropy, life-cycle accounting and the circular economy are terms and concepts indicative of how society looks at the world differently than previous generations. As the global population pushes toward 10 billion by the end of this century, thoughtful approaches to sustainability will become ever more essential to policymakers. Yet a coherent narrative remains elusive.
Industrialized countries continue to operate very far from a circular economy. Instead, they rely heavily on a linear economy, where the make-use-dispose product life cycle dominates. A circular economy, by contrast, encourages product reuse and longevity, not disposability and planned obsolescence. Efforts by communities and policymakers to develop circular economies and maintain the viability of natural ecosystems in the United States and other countries take many forms. Several cities around the U.S., including San Antonio, have made it a priority to implement policies aimed at long-term sustainability. For example, in August 2016, the city of San Antonio adopted its SA Tomorrow Sustainability Plan intended to prepare the city for smart, sustainable growth in light of the prospect of an additional million residents by 2040. The plan is a fuller elaboration of past efforts such as Mission Verde and SA2020. For 14 months, the city of San Antonio engaged a broad range of stakeholders in a variety of venues to solicit input and develop the plan. Focus areas include energy, food systems, green buildings, infrastructure, land use, transportation, natural resources, public health and solid waste resources. Cross-cutting themes include air quality, economic vitality, equity, resilience and water resources. On a global basis, some of the most systematic research dealing with sustainability comes from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, which examines planetary boundaries affected by our waste outputs and attempts to gauge those most at risk. The boundaries include stratospheric ozone depletion, which filters out ultraviolet radiation; loss of biosphere integrity, which is necessary for biodiversity; chemical pollution; climate change; ocean acidification; the freshwater cycle; land system change, when forests, grasslands wetlands, coastal fisheries, savannas and other habitats that recycle are converted to municipal, industrial or agricultural use; the nitrogen-phosphorous cycle, or fertilizer runoff; and atmospheric aerosol loading.
Read the full article at: mahb.stanford.edu