At Certified Sustainable, we help protect brands from association with environmentally damaging activity. We believe that a ‘circular economy’, an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources, is a fundamental framework which should be implemented within all companies.
It is often assumed that sustainability-focused processes breed complexity and costly outlays. Fortunately, this needn’t be the case. A circular economy is not an unreachable goal, this can be simply and affordably achieved across industries to create a greener ideal. In this blog post, we will explain what a ‘circular economy’ entails in more detail, to debunk the myths that surround this concept and clearly demonstrate how it could benefit a variety of businesses.
A circular economy is an economic system which aims to eliminate waste by continually reusing our planet’s resources. This inspires a cycle of reuse, sharing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing and recycling. By repeating this process, we subsequently minimise the production of new resources, as our requirements are fulfilled by materials which are already in circulation.
In essence, a circular economy is a sustainable economy. It is built upon the principle of recycling, as we maximise the output of products already produced before time is wasted creating replacement materials which will inevitably need to be disposed of. In the long-term, a circular economy reduces the harmful effects of waste production.
For example, Lush Cosmetics’ pots and bottles are made with 100% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, saving about 65 tons of carbon dioxide and 90 tonnes of virgin plastic, or 800 barrels of oil, each year. It’s shampoo bars are sold without packaging, this saves Lush nearly 6 million plastic bottles from this small change alone. It’s the small steps that can help a lot!
Theoretically, a circular economy benefits businesses in many ways. More specifically, its closed-loop system keeps products, equipment and infrastructure in use for longer, thus improving the lifespan of these resources. Ultimately, it would save your business money.
The environmental benefits of adopting a circular economy are also considerable, reducing waste and minimising a business’ dependence on new materials. A circular economy seeks to respect environmental boundaries, increasing the share of renewable or recyclable resources whilst reducing the consumption of raw materials. In turn, your business would save money on its Co2 emission tax.
It can be extremely hard for businesses to completely stop producing waste, but they can focus on closing, narrowing, slowing, intensifying, and dematerialising their resource inputs and outputs. In this sense, a circular economy provides a realistic and achievable goal for growing businesses.
The construction, textile, automotive, logistics and agricultural industries are a handful of sectors which have begun to adopt a circular economy. Here at Certified Sustainable, we can ensure you’re not left behind. We help businesses move into a circular economy by completing an in-depth and professional audit of their waste streams. From there, you are equipped with the knowledge and support required to improve your processes and adopt a ‘circular economy’.
This is the perfect time to embrace a ‘circular economy’ and become more sustainable as a business. Customers are now supporting companies which can be seen to care for the environment; adopting a circular economy is a powerful way of demonstrating this.
If you want to begin incorporating a circular economy into your business, harnessing the public’s interest, get in touch with us today. We will help your business to better understand how it can achieve more environmentally friendly waste streams, ensuring you reach your targets.
