Our consumption model has traditionally followed a linear ‘make, use and waste’ pattern. We have only recently become aware of the impact and consequences that this behaviour has on the environment. There are many different ways of trying to reverse the trend and, while they all mean stepping away from the current model, circular economy initiatives are the best way forward. These initiatives aim to put a stop to resource waste and focus on more responsible use of the products and raw materials we use each day.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY?
The circular economy is a production and consumption model based on the idea of extending the useful life of existing materials and products by ensuring we put them to better use. Within this, there are many different ways of keeping products and materials in the consumption cycle for longer. For example, by reusing, recycling, repairing, lending and so on. Ultimately, the goal is to use fewer resources and materials during manufacture and generate far less waste. At a practical level, this means using goods for as long as possible and recycling them when they cannot be used any more. When we do this, we keep goods or the materials they are made of in the system and increase the overall sustainability of the consumption chain.
RECYCLING: ONE OF THE PILLARS OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Recycling is clearly one of the key components of circular economy initiatives. It decreases resource exploitation and eliminates much of the waste we generate. Several studies on recycling patterns in European countries have found that recycling is very much on the up and this trend has been particularly notable over the last decade.
There is no better way of illustrating the importance of recycling than by looking at the results we can get from certain recycled materials such as rPET, which is obtained from recycled PET. In terms of manufacture, the possibilities are huge because it can be put to many different uses such as food trays, packaging for all kinds of products, clothes and much more.
Furthermore, the benefits of recycling are not limited to the environment; they can also reap financial rewards. Businesses and consumers can benefit from more responsible use of resources that minimise the materials used during production and bring down end costs for the consumer.
THREE EXAMPLES OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY INITIATIVES
ECODICTA: A PLATFORM THAT GIVES CLOTHES A SECOND CHANCE
Circular economy initiatives are readily available to anyone who wants to make a contribution towards a more sustainable world, and Ecodicta is one good example of projects of this nature. The platform aims to use a rental service to increase the useful life of clothes, a concept that marries compliance with sustainability standards and the constant changes that are so characteristic of the fashion industry of today.
The company sends members between two and four items of clothing a month. When the times comes to pick them up again, they replace them with new ones. By exchanging clothes between users, the service helps members to remain sustainable while enjoying up to 48 new items of clothing a year.
TRAY2TRAY: DOING OUR BIT FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
At SP Group, we have always supported sustainability and the search for more circular consumption models. We do not believe that they have to hinder financial growth so, several years ago, we created the Tray2Tray circular economy project.
In collaboration with the Plastic Sense Foundation, we have managed to reuse multilayer PET packaging and complex layer packaging and give surplus packaging and trays a second life. As a result of this project, we were awarded the EcoSense certificate, which guarantees the circular nature of PET.
And Tray2Tray is not our only collaboration with the Plastic Sense Foundation. We have also managed to make PET food trays more recyclable in the RETRAY project which aims to create channels for dealing with trays that have already been used by consumers. Currently, and despite the good intentions of consumers who recycle trays by placing them in the correct rubbish bin, the full potential of the PET in these trays is not being tapped. Fortunately, and thanks to initiatives such as these, the packaging industry is increasingly in support of sustainable PET trays or RETRAYS.
