(Courtesy: GoMore), 4: Recycling of artificial turf As the first in the world, Re-Match uses patented state-of-the-art technology to separate worn-out artificial turf into raw, clean components, which can then be re-used or recycled in the turf industry or in other industries. The team combined waste grass, straw, tomato stems and seaweed with a biobased liquid to form a wooden material that has the same properties as tropical hardwood along with a similar deep brown color to match. Through local collaboration, public and private enterprises buy and sell residual products from one another, gaining mutual economic and environmental benefits in doing so. No singular business is the circular economy. But to Lignin is the substance that forms the cell walls in trees and plants making them rigid and woody in structure. It is a travel solution which is cheaper for both the car owner and the passenger. Each Re-Match facility can handle more than 40,000 tons of worn-out wet synthetic turf yearly, generating clean separated materials, which are mainly reused in new soccer pitches worldwide. But KMC is headquartered in central Jutland and operates a number of production sites in Denmark, staying close to its suppliers and owners, the potato growers. throwing away last months rags and buying the next hip item for a tiny price. Investments in the value chain, such as breeding of animals, new effective stables, feed optimisation, recycling of nutrients, as well as improving energy and water efficiency, logistics and utilisation of side-streams, are interconnected. They do this by combining the grains with seeds, almonds, cinnamon and honey to create what they call a breakfast for heroes…..because who doesn’t want to start the day with a beer?? This is where the term ‘circular economy Re-Match is able to separate every part of the worn-out synthetic turf into rubber granules, sand and plastic fibres. company in Episode 19 of the podcast, click below to listen or find it on all But the process of creating a cup of coffee is fairly wasteful. Depending on your role or function within your company, there are various circular practices that you can implement. Not only are they giving a second life to materials that would have ended up in landfill or incinerated, but they are also reducing the environmental impact of deforestation caused by a demand for tropical hardwoods. This reduces the environmental Resource efficiency is a key part of the DNA. A further environmental benefit that the manufacturers 1) Circular Economy clothing. The circular economy is one of the biggest challenges - yet most exciting opportunities - for today's businesses. and so it might as well be put to use. We have gathered 10 examples of Circular Economy solutions that through practical cases illustrate how circular business models prove to be a sound business strategy that facilitates access to new markets, drives innovative solutions and saves production costs. Americans drinking at least one cup of coffee every day according to Reuters. Everyone has a role to play in moving towards a circular economy. 2: A circular subscription concept VIGGA was born as a circular concept. food and then waste not being processed and ending up in water supplies. In the city of Bontoc in the Philippines, the creation of Ecobricks was taken up by so many people that a local dump had to close as the reduction of waste was so high. Stories about the circular economy in architecture and design, including projects aiming to eliminate waste and pollution while protecting the environment. Empty car seats are the largest excess capacity in the transport industry, and this inefficiency has a negative impact on the environment and is expensive for car owners. With limited resources and a global population expected to rise to 9 billion by 2050, shifting from the linear take-make-waste economic model to an economic model where the economic value of the resources is fully utilised becomes ever more essential. By applying its method to two thousand bricks, “Gamle Mursten” also prevents the emission of one tonne of CO2. Cars are by far one of the most under-utilised resources in modern life. The first option is the simplest and that is to buy and sell clothing Enter your e-mail address below to receive our weekly newsletter. Carrying on with the coffee theme and another big environmental problem that our coffee obsession has lead to is an increase in disposable plastic cups. State of Green is a not-for-profit, public-private partnership from Denmark. Every minute the equivalent of one Continuing on the theme of removing single-use plastics from the environment and preventing them from eventually ending up in the oceans are Ecobricks. Across Grundfos’ own facilities, a flagship initiative has been running for several years now to replace all inefficient pumps and motors worldwide with high-efficiency Grundfos solutions. These larvae have an immense appetite for organic used in the same way as traditional bricks to build structures but at a much to try and utilize some of these waste products to build houses instead. In lesser economically developed countries the issue of waste from humans and animals is still an everyday problem. ... Circular economy examples in action; In Denmark, an average car transports 1.4 people on the road and spends about 23 hours per day taking up parking space. To better understand the relationship between a circular economy (the bigger picture) and circular business models (the smaller picture), it’s helpful to understand how businesses form a value chain. the coffee grounds which end up in landfill contributing to greenhouse gas emissions I interviewed one of the two brothers who founded the land-use change and inputs for growing cotton, to the high energy and toxic A circular economy (also referred to as "circularity") is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Get involved in the Circular Economy. prices, creating the feel of disposable clothes. But in recent years we have seen an increase in the number of sharing schemes etc. Three major More than 2/3 of all pumps installed today are inefficient and use up to 60% too much energy. In … The community aims to eliminate the concept of waste by creating sustainable products and a more circular economy in an increasingly resource-scarce world. (Courtesy: Grundfos), 10: Optimising side streams Danish Crown, one of the world’s biggest pork producers, is cooperatively owned by Danish farmers who are both our suppliers and owners. One of the main sectors the biodegradable plastic is being utilized in is the horticultural industry to replace plastic ‘mulch films’ used to cover crops. In the 1990s, Chinese scholars proposed a circular economy as a new model to … then the waste must still be processed which requires high amounts of energy. This San Francisco-based company is still in its early stages but is building up … The fashion industry is beginning to cause many environmental problems and a big part of... 2) Animal feed from human waste. This enabled the company to drastically reduce energy costs by more than 50% while also contributing towards its commitment to reduce CO2-emissions. Their main circular model is to utilize a waste product from the paper industry called lignin. Construction waste from Danish recycling centres is delivered to RGS90, a company which specialises in the processing, sorting, removing and recycling of waste products. I interviewed Matt from the company in episode 3 of the podcast which you can listen to below. The circular economy is part of the answer to that question. Circular Economy Examples: Reducing CO2 Emissions One thing’s for sure, circular economies can and often contribute astronomically to reducing Carbon emissions. That is all that manufacturing energy and materials for not much use in the end. The project is one of the activities in the Carlsberg Circular Community, which is the Carlsberg Group’s partnership platform to develop more sustainable products with partners from across the world. 1: Kalundborg Symbiosis – the world’s first working industrial symbiosis The Kalundborg Symbiosis is an industrial symbiosis, where a by-product or residual product of one enterprise is used as a resource by another enterprise. The idea is that these vegan-friendly spoons made of rice, sorghum and wheat are tough and durable enough to withstand an entire meal of hot food without falling apart. They have the potential to drive the transition towards a more resource efficient and circular economy and, in doing so, significantly reduce the environmental pressure resulting from economic activity. Example 1: Sustainable sourcing . cups to coffee shops, with many retailers offering a discount if they do. Ending up in landfill and oceans along with all our other plastics. mention is the fact the construction sits on screw piles instead of a concrete An unappetizing proposition to many, the dried larvae are perfectly safe to be eaten and contain high levels of protein. wonder in waste’. A recent study found that these days the average car spends 95% of it’s time parked, not being used. nutrients are returned to the soil to be used by a new plant. Create a partner profile on stateofgreen.com, State of Green Tours is open for visitors. If you look around your house virtually every modern item you see contains plastic in some form. Are Cruise Ships More Polluting Than Planes? Replacing inefficient pumps results in significant savings, reduces energy waste and thereby contributes to the circular economy by minimising the environmental footprint. products. So scientists have looked to biology instead. It has also inspired others to produce more for less. Additionally, most pumps currently installed are larger than necessary and often run continuously at their maximum speed. a use for them, turning as many linear models into circular ones as possible. All of the companies that we write about are supporting the circular economy, whether they are an individual solving a problem or a large company creating change. They play a vital role in dairies, breweries, slaughterhouses, textile and chemical production, power stations, shipping etc. A way is needed to stop this linear model of consumption of As a result, traditional disposal methods that send waste insulation to landfill sites and crush porcelain and sanitaryware to make road fill are being replaced by a new, greener alternative jointly developed by three Danish companies. such as methane along with our other food waste. The Carlsberg Group have initiated a partnership with Danish company ecoXpac, Innovation Fund Denmark and the Technical University of Denmark to develop the world’s first fully biodegradable beer bottle made from wood fibre – the Green Fiber Bottle. Kalundborg Symbiosis started more than 40 years ago and is one of the most well-known and well-described industrial symbioses in the world. In 2005, KMC began transforming residual potato fibres into a valuable protein-rich food additive for the food industry. In this video I explain what we mean by circular economy, I go through all the things we can do to go from our current economy to a circular economy and I use many examples. podcast platforms. The bottle will be as light as a PET bottle, while having the advantage of being created from bio-based sources. It is strongly connected to the creation of the first and only symbiosis centre in the world, which works to identify and facilitate new industrial symbioses in Denmark. Environmental impacts of producing new clothing range from They want to reduce this number by encouraging consumers to recycle more, minimise material usage and by developing new environmentally friendly packaging types. Companies such as Green Man Packaging have designed cups that they argue match the quality and function of a standard coffee cup but with one big bonus feature, that they are compostable. beer. But not only that, they flavored with cumin (for savory dishes) and sugar (for sweet dishes) making them entirely edible once finished with. The Global Ecobrick Alliance also point to other benefits of Scottish based firm MacRebur has found a way to do this by using plastics to construct and repair roads. in landfill. fashion and trends and clothing does eventually wear out and become unusable. The best circular economy ideas are the ones that tackle multiple After several years of development, it is now ready to launch a new groundbreaking water filtration technology, which is to be a key player in recycling water and contributing positively to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. An Ecobrick is created by taking a used plastic bottle and packing At the end I also recommend a very good book if you want to learn more. items and creating stylish fashion accessories in the process. (Courtesy: RGS90, ROCKWOOL and Combineering A/S), 9: Grundfos pumps contribute to energy saving heating and cooling Pumps are one example of a type of devices used in many industrial applications. Kalundborg Symbiosis includes world-leading as well as smaller companies, but whatever the size, the benefits of industrial symbiosis are clear: (Courtesy: Novo Nordisk, Novozymes, Statoil Refining, Gyproc, DONG Energy, KaraNoveren, Kalundborg Utility, Kalundborg Municipality and Symbiosis Center Denmark). ... China and the circular economy. Since GoMore was established in 2005, more than 1 million users have visited and used the service. animal feed for fish, livestock and poultry. This has lead to companies such as Rapanui, a t-shirt brand based on the Isle of Wight in the UK to produce a range of circular economy t-shirts. of plastic, namely it’s durability, water tightness and the fact it won’t break The technology is so effective that almost 100% of the components can be either reused or recycled. And like with coffee the manufacturing process of beer produces waste (Courtesy: Carlsberg Group, ecoXpac, Danish Technical University, Innovation Fund Denmark), 6: Potentials in potato starch production Danish potato processing cooperative KMC, which produces a variety of potato starch ingredients for the food industry, has been a pioneer in adding value to its side streams. residue of malt left after brewing is finished. That is one of the underlying reasons why a circular economy model, which focuses on keeping materials in the economy as long as possible, is being adopted by more manufacturers. out of resources completely, we need to mirror natural processes more closely Through a circular subscription concept, VIGGA offers high-quality children’s clothes, produced under proper conditions, at an attractive price. This is clearly noticeable in the figures. Perhaps the best thing about Ecobricks though is how it is empowering communities in poorer parts of the world. Find it in the State of Green Toolbox together with loads of materials to help you promote Denmark’s green solutions abroad. Saving more than 95% of the energy otherwise used to manufacture new bricks, this method of re-using old bricks is an example of perfect circular economy passing the resources of one generation on to a new one. We'll send you an email with a link to reset your password . I have spent over 10 years working as an Environmental Scientist combining a passion for technological innovation with a desire to make the planet greener. Until recently we have not been able (or willing) to re-use A circular economy is an economic model designed to minimize resource input, as well as waste and emission production. that we are all obsessed with ownership. One of the major causes of our linear lifestyles is the fact constantly want to buy the latest styles and trends of clothing at cheap Circular economy aims to reach the maximum efficiency in the use of finite resources, the gradual transition to renewable resources, and recovery of the materials and products at the end of their useful life. Step up the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and more where we put the idea of ownership aside and therefore greatly reduce many of if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-innovate_eco_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0')};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-innovate_eco_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0_1')}; .large-mobile-banner-2-multi-112{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:15px !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;text-align:center !important;}. model. A circular travel solution. That solution could be in the form of biodegradable coffee cups. This is great for the survival of trees but useless in for the production of paper. The aim of the fast fashion industry is to get consumers to Due to an explosion in the electric... Hi I'm Rob. The minimal cost and the fact they are so simple to make with no need for machinery means anyone can make them and build with them. Here, all unwanted materials are removed. (Courtesy: KMC), 7: Re-using old bricks to build a greener future The driving force behind the founding of the company “Gamle Mursten” (“Old Bricks”) was the desire to prevent resources of natural bricks from being wasted. But the circle does not stop there, once the larvae have Water is pushed clothing. You’ll see… there is a lot more to it than just recycling. The reason the sharing economy fits into a circular economy model is that most of the time it extends the time a product is used for but also it maximizes the use time over the life of the item. will increase by ten times. So when one cheap dress or material to produce. As a species we are obsessed with coffee, with 64% of soil, this plant is consumed by an animal, which in turn is consumed by another Circular Economy: definition & examples. one ton of incinerated plastic will release 0.9 Mt of net CO, the average car spends 95% of it’s time parked, In the UK alone 7 million disposable coffee cups are used every day, Over 40 billion single-use plastic utensils are used every single year worldwide, The dutch company Instock have come up with a clever and nutritional use for these grains by using them to create granola. So we need to move towards a circular economy model for 80% of the customers’ heat consumption. if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-innovate_eco_com-medrectangle-3-0')}; Below is a list of some of the more innovative and exciting examples of circular economy solutions that could have positive impacts on the environment: The fashion industry is beginning to cause many environmental problems and a big part of the reason for that is the linear model of the ‘fast fashion’ industry. Long story short, the current system is reaching its limits.Among others, the circular economy proposes a closed-loop system, circular design, and more sustainable products. Owning our own car, our own appliances burned for energy. We have gathered 10 solutions that unlock the potential of the Circular Economy. Finally, it reduces the emissions of CO2 and other harmful gases from burning plastics (one ton of incinerated plastic will release 0.9 Mt of net CO2). The dutch company Instock have come up with a clever and nutritional use for these grains by using them to create granola. It also saves plastic from going to recycling plants which require a lot of energy and with every recycling cycle the chances of the plastic ending up in the biosphere are there. 8,000 MWh heat annually, thereby covering approx. One company that prides itself on finding new circular One of these uses is to create pellets for use in biomass which they claim are carbon neutral and reduces the need for imported wood. through ground coffee beans to produce the hot liquid to drink, but that leaves environmental issues at once. An industrial symbiosis combines the logic from nature’s ecosystems with the rationales of the economic system. Mobius is an inspiring circular economy company and I interviewed the two founders in Episode 7 of the podcast, you can listen below. almost meditative process of filling one of the bottles. The process uses Re-Match), 5: Developing the world’s first biodegradable beer bottle One of the challenges the Carlsberg Group focuses on is packaging, as around 45% of their CO2 emissions come from the company’s packaging. Based on this philosophy, Danish Crown demonstrates that they produce more with less, creating more value for the customers, suppliers, owners as well as society in general, the climate and environment. Solutions that help communities shift towards a more circular economy through zero waste and zero carbon, including through STEM education for new design and manufacturing techniques, are eligible for the GM Prize on Circular Economy, made … Rob is the head writer at Innovate Eco sharing knowledge and passion cultivated over 10 years working in the Environmental Sector. Realdania Byg and 3XN Architects used 300,000 old bricks making the Castle of Hindsgavl hotel (see picture), saving the environment of 150 tons CO2. Since its founding, “Gamle Mursten” has expanded greatly, and is now a large-scale cleantech production company with patented cleaning technology which ensures that building waste can be reused without the use of any chemicals. These bricks can be But on top of that, this linear model leads to many detrimental effects on the environment, whether that is plastics in the oceans, toxic chemicals in landfills or greenhouse gases released from burning fossil fuels. This not only reduces the environmental impact from the discarded firehoses in landfill but reduces the impact of making new bags from materials such as leather. Ecobricks such as raising awareness of the scale of our plastic habit in the lower cost as the material is free. VIGGA: A SHARED WARDROBE. Circular economy principles are therefore nothing new to Danish Crown. But Danish company GXN teamed up with some farming partners In the UK alone 7 million disposable coffee cups are used every day! They are everywhere. At the Yokohama Rubber factory in Japan, Grundfos switched out the main pump delivering water to cool the factory´s production line. The value chain is no stronger than its weakest link, the result being today that Danish Crown represents one of the most efficient meat producers in the world. The plastic made can’t replace all single-use plastics as it lacks the strength, but it can replace a large amount of it. In the natural world most systems function in a circular The idea was to create a new way of consuming, based upon sharing and circulating high-quality products. Circular Economy Circular business models represent fundamentally different ways of producing and consuming goods and services. Examples could include single-use plastic bottles that end up in a landfill site or unwanted electronics that we throw away when a new shiny model is released. But we must accept that it is such a useful material that it will be around for a while to come. material and don’t care if that organic material happens to be human or animal Other examples include sharing of office spaces, parking spaces and even appliances. GoMore’s platform offers a service that enables drivers to invite people for a ride on an already planned journey. Ecobricks accept that for now there is plastic everywhere The Uber pool allows the riders to reduce their traveling costs. system has worked for millions of years. Taking resources, making things with them and then disposing of them in various ways. The concept recognises the importance of the economy needing to work effectively at all scales – for large and small businesses, for organisations and individuals, globally and locally. Therefore, with this objective in mind, we are working to incorporate circular economy principles in all our processes, products and services. Check your email for a link to reset your password. impacts caused by growing food such as soy and corn for animals which takes That is to say, the circular economy is not one single vertically-integrated business. excrement! In the beginning of 2020, Aalborg CSP A/S, a Danish renewable energy and storage specialist, received an order for turnkey delivery of a customized 1.2 MW electrical heat pump system for a Danish district heating plant in Northern Jutland, Denmark. these plastics and after they are no longer needed we throw them away to end up Full Cycle Bioplastics. large amounts of land, usually felled rainforest in the case of soy production. Probably the most well known modern example of the sharing economy is Airbnb. (Courtesy: VIGGA), 3: A circular travel solution Cars are by far one of the most under-utilised resources in modern life. The company Bio-bean has decided to utilize this waste stream and create some useful products from it to extend the life of the coffee grounds further. This has led some to estimate that if the current trend towards fast fashion continues, one quarter of total climate change contributions will be due to clothing by 2050 (Harrabin, 2018). and move towards a circular model. The following six functions each have specific practices and examples … Thanks to the company in over a decade none of London’s discarded firehoses have ended up in landfill. The firm embraces circular economy principles by using infinitely recyclable materials, using renewable energy and cradle-to-cradle certification. Production and possibilities for optimising side streams is seen across the value chain from farm level to slaughterhouse. RE-CIRCLE 10 Examples of Circular Economy Solutions, Powering our future with sustainable energy, Creating smart, green and liveable cities, Ensuring water security for a growing world, Sustainable transportation and urban planning, https://politi.dk/en/coronavirus-in-denmark, For a monthly subscription fee, the customers get 20 pieces of clothes in their child’s size, When the clothes become too small, they are replaced by new sets of clothes one size bigger, After a quality inspection, the returned clothes are then washed professionally, Subsequently, the clothes are delivered to another baby, resulting in a circular process. Circular systems employ reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling to create a closed-loop system, minimising the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions. too lazy to bother. A start-up based in the USA whose slogan is ‘there’s Planes and cruise ships are popular holiday modes of... Electric scooters are becoming more and more popular among adults and all over the world, not only for enjoyment but for personal use for specific situations. if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-innovate_eco_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0')}; One waste stream that we are all too familiar with these days are petroleum-based plastics. This is possible because the same piece of clothing will be shared by several children and the quality of the clothing is so high: The concept creates an incentive for textile companies to produce in as high a quality as possible. The old bricks are collected, cleaned with vibration technology, manually checked one by one and finally stacked by robots before being shipped to new sites. (Courtesy: Realdania Byg and 3XN Architects), 8: Used insulation and discarded porcelain and sanitaryware upcycled into new insulation With over 30% of Denmark’s waste coming from construction, upcycling of used building materials has become an area of increased focus. Circular Economy in India – Importance with Example January 10, 2021 by Uma Sathwika Manda In layman’s terms, a circular economy ensures the generation of waste is at the minimum possible rather than taking the resources, making the products we need, using them, and discarding them as is done in a linear economy. So to stop these impacts and to mitigate the risk of running He is on a mission to build a community of people that are passionate about solving environmental problems. One way to reduce the amount of plastics reaching the oceans or buried in landfill is to find another use for them and give them a second life. The secret behind Danish Crown is the focus not only on producing meat, but also on producing and recycling other products such as sustainable energy, fuels, feed, nutrients and inputs for the pharmaceutical industry. Instead of today’s take–make–dispose linear model of production, the circular economy is restorative by design—using and reusing natural capital as efficiently as possible and finding value throughout the life cycles of finished products. Food production creates a lot of waste, waste which is often The circular economy (sometimes called ‘CE’, ‘circularity’ and ‘circular thinking’) refers to an economic state where resources are kept in a continuous circle of use so that: Virgin resources are no longer extracted (e.g.