The circular economy is praised as a practical solution to the planets dwindling resource problem. Reserves of key resources such as minerals and rare metals are diminishing, whilst material extraction and exploration costs are rising. We are currently consuming our planet’s resources faster than they are being replaced and producing more greenhouse gas emissions are we go. Adopting a circular economy aims to retain and add value to our resources and helps provide materials with a longer life than previous, linear models.
We have previously written about 10 Positive Things your Business can do to Reduce it’s Impact on Climate Change, with adapting towards a circular economy being a major factor. However we feel it’s important to go further in-depth with the circular economy and the benefits it can bring.
The circular economy goes beyond simply recycling, instead being based around a restorative industrials system geared towards removing waste at every available opportunity. The goal is not only for better end-of-life material recovery, but also to minimise energy use. With the latest Environment Bill passing to committee stage unopposed, moving towards a circular economy will likely be supported strongly by government, with measures to extend responsibility for waste disposal to those who produce it, reducing waste in the long term as well as creating incentives for the reuse of material.
‘[Our] landmark Environment Bill leads a green transformation that will help our country to thrive. It positions the UK as a world leader on improving air quality, environmental biodiversity… and managing our precious water resources in a changing climate.’
– Theresa Villiers, Environment Secretary
So how can adopting a circular economy help your business?
- Save money on energy bills through more efficient methods.
- By reducing packaging businesses benefit from reduced raw costs.
- Cutting waste streams can help cut raw material costs and reduce waste management expenditure.
- Efficiency gains through the optimisation of equipment.
- Opportunity to brand products as sustainably sourced.
- By adopting a truly circular economy, theoretically it provides a product that will last forever.
At Ethical Partnership we aim to make every project we work on as sustainable as possible, this includes our work with waste auditing. A recent study found that 77% of the waste created at commercial office buildings that is sent to a landfill is actually recyclable. A waste audit looks at all the waste created in your business and where it goes and gives recommendations on how to store, sort, and reduce waste so that you can maximise profit, time, efficiency and increase sustainability. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you move towards a circular economy with waste auditing. You can also find out more about the services we offer here, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to keep up-to-date with work we do and news on the planning system and the environment.