Today, the circular economy can be seen not only as a way to save, but also as a competitive advantage. Find out what are the trends in this area.
Waste as a resource
As experts from CERC – Circular Economy Research Center point out, the perception of waste is changing. It is no longer taken as a problem, but as a resource and, in a way, a treasure that can be used further. In its guide, StartUs insights states that, in addition to mechanical recycling of waste, one of the biggest trends in the circular economy is the conversion of this waste to energy through incineration, gasification, anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis. Thanks to this, companies can effectively get rid of waste and use its energy. Some fields, such as food, fashion or agriculture, produce more waste, and in connection with this, more and more possibilities are emerging to work with it further. For example, the fashion industry uses textile waste to produce new clothing, footwear and accessories, reducing raw material costs and making companies more sustainable and responsible.
StartUs insights mentions the Danish startup WAIR, which collects textile waste in the form of jeans and work clothes and transforms it into sustainable sneakers, or the British company SEaB Energy, which offers a solution for converting waste into energy. In this case, a containerized anaerobic digester, the Muckbuster, converts manure and agricultural waste into electricity and heat and produces fertilizer as a byproduct. On our server Podnikateľl.sk, we previously wrote, for example, about an entrepreneur producing bags, backpacks, bags or decorations from jute coffee bags.
Product reuse
The use of waste is related to renovation and remanufacturing, on which several companies have also established their business and thus contributed to reducing the amount of waste or saving energy. As Yazmin Padrilla explains in the article, refurbishing is an industrial process that revives previously sold, worn, or non-functional products or components to as good or better than new condition. It differs from recycling or repair in that it provides a guarantee of a certain level of performance and quality. The advantages of remanufacturing include, for example, reduced energy consumption in production processes, reduction of waste production and related disposal costs, or offering products at lower prices while maintaining quality. Commonly remanufactured product categories include aircraft parts, automotive parts, electrical and electronic equipment, engines and their components, medical equipment or, for example, office furniture. Remanufacturing is an essential element of the resource-efficient manufacturing industry. By extending the life of components and their used materials, it significantly limits energy consumption and reduces CO2 emissions. In addition, remanufacturing contributes to better resource management, the creation of skilled jobs and economic growth, summarizes Yazmin Padrilla.
