Fourth Annual Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit

Fourth Annual Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit

ByThe Circular Economy Team

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation hosted the Fourth Annual Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit May 9-10, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Applying sustainability and circular economy principles can bring enormous business value—through both risk mitigation and new revenue opportunities. Forward-thinking business leaders recognize the potential of this approach, but often find it difficult to communicate these concepts and their value internally and externally to consumers and value chain partners.
The theme for the 2018 Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit was Translating Value to Ignite Action. The event explored how to effectively implement sustainable and circular strategies and featured case studies, interactive breakout sessions, and hands-on toolkit exercises. Participants gained a better understanding of what has (and hasn’t) worked, what trends are emerging around these issues, and how to communicate the value of sustainability and circularity as a business strategy to a wide array of business units and consumers.
This annual convening attracted hundreds of thought leaders and practitioners from business, government, academia, and nonprofit organizations. Attendees had unparalleled networking opportunities with industry leaders, like-minded peers in the field, and potential collaborators.
The Chamber Foundation is hosting the 2019 Sustainability and Circular Economy Summit on August 15-16, 2019. Come learn the practical knowledge, skills, and applications needed to most effectively execute sustainability and circular economy priorities. Click here to learn more.
For a look at the 2017 summit agenda, speakers, and sessions, click here.
For any questions, please contact Senior Director of Sustainability and Circular Economy Program, Stephanie Potter.

Circular economy in the limelight in Davos – EURACTIV.com

Circular economy in the limelight in Davos – EURACTIV.com

ByThe Circular Economy Team

The report states that of the 92.8 billion tonnes of exploited resources in 2015 (which equates to 34.4kg of raw materials per person per day, excluding water), only 8.4 billion tonnes was recycled. This equates to just 9.1% of all resources. The Dutch think-tank Circle Economy made the most of the annual meeting of world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos to publish its first report on the circular economy, titled the Circularity Gap Report. If 21.5 billion tonnes of raw material are put into long-term stock, notably in construction, the remaining 51.9 billion tonnes are transformed into short-lived products and are assumed to be scattered in the environment. Of the 19.4 billion tonnes of materials turned into waste only 46% is recycled, according to the report, whose main objective is to develop a method and indicative references to measure the world economy’s progress towards a more circular economic model. Pressure on natural resources decreased by 28%. This waste completely goes against the environmental commitments discussed by governments and corporation at the COP21. The extraction of natural resources multiplied by twelve between 1900 and 2015 and should double once again by 2050. But a fully circular economy would decrease pressure on natural resources by 28%, the report calculated. Indeed, 67% of greenhouse gases are emitted by the exploitation of natural resources. A fully circular economy would enable us to cut these emissions by 72%, according to the report. A crucial contribution if you take into account the UN’s last Emissions Gap Report published in October, which served as a reference to the Circularity Gap Report. According to the UN report, even if all participating states of the Paris Agreement were to keep to their commitments, the global temperature would most likely rise by 3-3,2°C before 2100. Therefore the agreement’s goal of keeping the global temperature rising above 2°C would not be reached. On 22 January France’s Environment Minister Nicholas Hulot revealed that France had failed to meet its 2016 carbon emission targets by 3.6%.
Read the full article at: www.euractiv.com

The circular economy and the bioeconomy. Partners in sustainability. New report by EEA –

The circular economy and the bioeconomy. Partners in sustainability. New report by EEA –

ByThe Circular Economy Team

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its report on the circular economy and the bioeconomy. The circular economy and the bioeconomy — Partners in sustainability shows that the two policy agendas have similar objectives and areas of intervention, including food waste, biomass and bio-based products, and that they would benefit from stronger links, particularly in product and infrastructure design, and collaboration throughout the value chain. According to the report, the increasing demand for food, feed, biomaterials and bioenergy resources could worsen the over-exploitation of natural resources. By extending the lifetime of products and recycling materials, a circular, bio-economy approach can help retain material value and functionality for longer time as well as avoid unrecycled biowaste. Promising innovations and strategies for circular biomass use include biorefinery, 3D printing with bioplastics, multi-purpose crops, better use of residues and food waste, and biowaste treatment. Consumers can also contribute to bioeconomy’s sustainability, for example, by eating less animal-based protein, preventing food waste and separating biowaste from other waste streams, the report says. The report argues that biobased approaches should be tailored to the specific use context in order to maximise the benefits of biobased and biodegradable products. The technological innovation, covering product and infrastructure design, should be embedded in a wider system innovation that also tackles consumer behaviour, product use and waste management. The circular economy and the bioeconomy — Partners in sustainability is the third EEA report on the circular economy that aims to support the framing, implementation and evaluation of European circular economy policy from an environmental perspective. The two previous reports were: Circular economy in Europe – Developing the knowledge base; and Circular by design – Products in the circular economy.
Read the full article at: ilbioeconomista.com

European Circular Economy Project Researches Wind Turbine Blade Recycling

ByThe Circular Economy Team

short time ago very first wind power turbines were dismantled. Much of the material is easy to recycle – mostly steel. But the blades are made with thermoset FRPs that have so far been considered unrecyclable. A short time ago, Finland’s very first wind power turbines were dismantled after nearly 30 years in service. Much of the material is easy to recycle – it’s mostly steel. But the blades, the largest up to 90 meters long and close to 10 tonnes in weight, are made with thermoset FRPs that have so far been considered unrecyclable.Markku Vilkki, CEO of Conenor and demonstration manager for the H2020 project Ecobulk, wants to demonstrate that it is not only possible, but also profitable.“ This is not just a problem for turbine blades. Composite materials are a fast-growing choice for many applications due to the excellent weight to strength ratios, excellent durability, and highly flexible moulding and manufacturing techniques,” he explained. “The analysts of Ceresana expect the global market for C-FRP and G-FRP to increase to a volume of over 9.98 million tons by 2024. But they very difficult, and in some cases considered impossible, to recycle,” Vilkki continued. According to the CEO most end up in landfills – and that’s something that needs to be resolved. “As this is great obstacle not only to the circular economy but also to more widespread use of these materials that otherwise can have great environmental benefits – for example in vehicles, a 10% reduction in weight can result in 6-8% reduction in fuel consumption,” he said. Together with the Ecobulk partners, the possibilities of re-using and recycling bulky composite products are being explored.
At Delft University of Technology (TUDelft), Professor Ruud Balkenende and his team of researchers, are experimenting with a large sample of wind turbine waste that was supplied by project partner Virol. So far their approach is to use the waste to build new products, and through this experience learn how we can improve the original materials for better and easier re-use at the first end-of-life stage. In his labs in Conenor, Vilkki has already produced samples of wood composite extrusion profiles containing 20% FRP waste from wind turbines. While these still need more thorough testing, early results show that these could well be used in lightweight construction applications.
Read the full article at: livecircular.com

Axion urges Government Circular Economy policy to support UK manufacturers

ByThe Circular Economy Team

hat’s the view of Keith Freegard, Director of Axion Polymers speaking at the first-ever Made in Britain (MiB) workshop focused on marketing in the Circular Economy (CE).
Keith commented: “Demand creation for recycled products is important if we are to create a circular economy based on efficient recovery and reuse of our existing finite resources, such as plastics.
“The technology is there to recycle these materials and there are multiple benefits to using recycled polymers from secure, locally-sourced UK supply chains with stable pricing. It’s also a brilliant carbon-saving story!”
Held at Axion’s end-of-life vehicle recycling facility in Manchester, the March event attracted more than 30 manufacturer and entrepreneur members keen to learn more about trading sustainably and supporting a more sustainable future in Britain.
Speakers also included Jane Gardner, Axion’s Head of Consulting Services on supporting business growth and development towards a circular economy; Malcolm Marnold from the Department for International Trade and Steve Poppit from Craemer UK who highlighted how their wheelie bin recycling scheme demonstrated circular economy principles.
Attendees also toured Axion’s facility, the Shredder Waste Advanced Process Plant (SWAPP) where resources are extracted from shredded scrap vehicles. Recovered materials include high-quality recycled polymers that can be used in new plastic goods, from automotive components to construction products.
For MiB member David Trotter, Managing Director of Muggi, the event has inspired him to seek recycled polymers for use in his plastic cupholder products. He said: “It’s really interesting listening to the experts and I enjoyed the networking. I found Keith’s talk fascinating and I will call him for a chat. I’m specifically interested in seeing what recycled products Axion supply that I could use in making our polypropylene Muggi tray.”
Made in Britain’s Chief Executive, John Pearce, said: “What a privilege! To have our members take the factory tour at Axion in the afternoon, after spending the whole morning learning how you turn old cars into high value polymers, which some of them will want to purchase, was as good a day as I have ever had at Made in Britain.
“For me personally, just to see…

Feather packaging innovation picks up European circular economy award | Envirotec

Feather packaging innovation picks up European circular economy award | Envirotec

ByThe Circular Economy Team

The winner of the 2018 Green Alley Award has been chosen: Aeropowder from the UK beat off five competitors to pick up the European circular economy award. Aeropowder’s solution is pluumo, an insulating material for packaging based on waste feathers. The decision was made on the evening of October 18 at Haus Ungarn in Berlin. In mentoring sessions, the finalists worked with experts on their business model. Afterwards, all six startups presented their project to the audience and the jury in live pitches.
Aeropowder’s seemingly unique idea is to use waste feathers from the poultry industry to produce sustainable thermal packaging. After cleaning and treatment, the feathers are covered in a certified, compostable food grade liner. This textile is called pluumo and serves as an environmental-friendly alternative to conventional polystyrene packaging, PE-foams or thermal foil. “Once again, this year’s decision was not easy, and our finalists presented six strong and well-designed concepts,” said Jan Patrick Schulz, CEO of Landbell Group. “Aeropowder convinced us with their product pluumo, as they are repurposing materials which would otherwise be disposed of. We want to give the Green Alley Award to those innovative approaches that directly feed into the idea of a Circular Economy.” Elena Dieckmann, co-founder of Aeropowder, is delighted about winning the award. “With pluumo we had the idea of putting a valuable resource back into the material cycle. Winning the Green Alley Award shows us that we are going in the right direction. Feathers have incredible properties, as they are light-weight and robust, and insulate against heat and cold. We have requests from Spain, Germany, France; not only from customers but also from feather suppliers.” The Green Alley Award has been running since 2014 and was initiated by the environmental services supplier Landbell Group from Mainz, Germany. “With their unconventional approach and their enthusiasm, startups fuel an innovation-driven industry such as the circular economy. We are delighted that Aeropowder is once again a strong Green Alley Award winner this year. With pluumo, Aeropowder can really help to reduce waste and make our economy more sustainable,” says Schulz.
Read the full article at:…

Scotland’s cities can unlock £1bn circular economy boon, says report

Scotland’s cities can unlock £1bn circular economy boon, says report

ByThe Circular Economy Team

Key regions of Scotland, including Aberdeenshire, Tayside, Edinburgh and Glasgow could unlock up to £1bn through circular economy practices and principles, the report claimed. Aberdeenshire, for example, could generate more than £620m by overhauling waste management processes across key sectors, while Edinburgh-based breweries and distilleries could reap new benefits through reuse processes. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “These reports show the exciting potential of a circular economy where reducing waste and investing in keeping materials in circulation for as long as possible can release an estimated £1bn of economic opportunities for Tayside, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. This demonstrates the overall scale of the opportunity for Scotland. “Scotland is already leading the way with its ambitious and challenging targets for recycling which are above and beyond the EU targets. However, we want the narrative to move beyond recycling to re-use, repair and remanufacturing of items. In this light, we are currently considering next steps for introducing a deposit return scheme which will help us achieve our ambitions.”
Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan was launched in 2010 and sets out the Scottish Government’s vision for a “zero-waste society”. It includes goals to achieve a 70% recycling rate for all waste, with a maximum of 5% sent to landfill by 2025. The report notes that the numerous breweries and distilleries in Edinburgh could add £1.2m to the economy each year by sending spent grain to be used for animal feed, anaerobic digestion and energy generation. In related news, Sturgeon has also unveiled the latest projects to receive support through the nation’s Circular Economy Investment Fund. More than £700,000 will be shared across three projects which aim to reuse household appliances in house clearances in Glasgow, recycle coffee grounds into bio-oils and deploy 3D metal printing technology.
Read the full article at: www.edie.net

Environment Ministers Discussed Circular Economy And Plastics Strategy –

Environment Ministers Discussed Circular Economy And Plastics Strategy –

ByThe Circular Economy Team

At Monday’s Environment Council, ministers exchanged views on the package presented by the European Commission on January 26, 2018, which aims at delivering on the circular economy action plan. The package consists of the following elements: European strategy for plastics in a circular economy; a Monitoring framework for the circular economy; and Implementation of the Circular Economy package: options to address the interface between chemical, product and waste legislation. They based their debate on a note prepared by the Presidency and took into account the interventions of Commissioners Vella and Arias Cañete, who were present. Ministers agreed that they welcome the presentation of the new EU plastics strategy. They highlighted the need to move forward with the plastics strategy as it aims to improve how we use and recycle plastics. Plastics have been instrumental in achieving the economic and social standards we have today. However, in recent years marine littering and other undesirable consequences linked to the use of plastic have been a concern to environment ministers. All Ministers welcomed the Commission package and called for an urgent implementation of concrete measures, in particular to increase the recycling of plastics, find solutions to the widespread use of single-use plastic and to find a holistic approach to the value chain of plastic production. Eco-design for plastic products can play a very important role here. In their exchange of views, ministers mentioned several other possible actions to be taken at EU or at national levels: campaigns for raising consumer awareness; increasing the quality of recycled products through setting standards; green public procurement; and the use of the rules on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), similar to the one which was agreed recently in the waste package, together with financial incentives and voluntary commitments by the industry. Finally, ministers agreed that they are all looking forward to the Commission legislative proposal on single use plastics. “We need to protect our environment from plastic pollution. We also need to protect our seas from microplastic particles. 
Read the full article at: www.eurasiareview.com

Green Alley Award 2018 is looking for the best circular economy startups in Europe

Green Alley Award 2018 is looking for the best circular economy startups in Europe

ByThe Circular Economy Team

The Green Alley Award is entering the next round: Right now, circular economy entrepreneurs and startups have the opportunity to apply with their business ideas. Landbell Group, originator of the Founder’s Award, encourages young companies to compete with their technology, service or product by July 1, 2018. With the Green Alley Award, Landbell Group created the first European startup award for the circular economy in 2014. This year, founders have the chance to present their innovative projects at the GAA 2018 by applying here. The winner, who will receive €25,000 in prize money, will be determined at the finals in October as part of a live pitch.
The Green Alley Award 2018 is aimed at all startups and young entrepreneurs who have developed a business model in the areas of digital circular economy, recycling and waste prevention. GAA 2018 is looking for companies that are about to launch with their products or services or are already in the growth phase. Startup founders who want to expand into other European markets are also welcome. The sole condition is that the business idea must help recycle resources. Patrick Schulz, CEO of of the Mainz-based Landbell Group, stated: “We are delighted that the Green Alley Award is entering its fifth round this year. In recent years, we have come to know many exciting and innovative business ideas that all show in a special way how we can gradually establish a circular economy in Europe. In a circular economy, the value of products, materials and resources should be conserved in the economic cycle for as long as possible while, at the same time, generating as little waste as possible. In our current linear economy, not all products are recycled at the end of their lifecycle, wasting valuable materials.” Whether it’s the avoidance of plastics, the development of sustainable materials or the multiple use of products – the circular economy holds enormous business potential for young entrepreneurs and startups. This can be seen in the diversity of ideas from GAA winners over the past years. In 2017, the Finnish startup Sulapac convinced the jury with a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.
Read the full article at: www.eu-startups.com

Plastics producers gear up for shift to circular economy

Plastics producers gear up for shift to circular economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

Circular economy database launched | Innovators magazine

Circular economy database launched | Innovators magazine

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

Zero Waste Bistro installation provides circular-economy model

Zero Waste Bistro installation provides circular-economy model

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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.

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

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

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

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

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

Kingfisher spearheading the circular economy

Kingfisher spearheading the circular economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

How Circular is the Circular Economy?

How Circular is the Circular Economy?

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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.

Global Agencies Propose New Circular Electronics Economy

Global Agencies Propose New Circular Electronics Economy

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

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

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

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

Recycling gets nod under ‘circular economy’ projects

Recycling gets nod under ‘circular economy’ projects

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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

Can Makers produces sustainability report

Can Makers produces sustainability report

ByThe Circular Economy Team

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