Our waste is built on a linear system – it is made, we unwrap it/eat it/use it, before it ends its life either in a recycling plant or, worse, as landfill. Think of it as cradle-to-grave, just like us – (except, of course, we’re completely organic!)
Turning our growing volumes of solid waste into income-generating resources is what’s known as circular economy. Rather than just treat the remaining raw material as waste to be gotten rid of, companies can innovate by turning that material into input for a new product. Or cradle-to-cradle. The circular economy has emerged as a value generator from both the business and environmental point of view.
Recycling, reuse, and repair have existed for millennia. The sharing of under-utilised household possessions has a long history; similarly the access and use of products, rather than ownership of them, is not so different from traditional product leasing. What is new is the growing diversity and sophistication of these business models, as well as the range of sectors adopting them. In the context of personal transport, vehicles containing a significant proportion of recycled materials or remanufactured parts are now available. Even better, ride sharing, car sharing or short-term car rental have become ever more popular solutions. Renting people’s homes while they’re away, as opposed to a heavy-carbon-footprint hotel room, is a new norm (thanks AirBNB).
At Wanless, we’re committed to turning waste into resources. With a long history in commercial and domestic waste collection, and the recovery of recyclable material, we deliver sustainable outcomes for our customers with a focus on safety, innovation, reliability and, as always, sustainability and greater resource recovery. Get in touch to find out how.