Day: July 22, 2021

In a conversation with The Fifth Estate before Building Circularity, chief executive and co-founder of Coreo, Ashleigh Morris, delved into her passion for accelerating the transition to a circular economy, how she elevated a busy street out of its waste woes, and why food scraps should be the new way of creating energy. Starting out at the hyperlocal level, on a grungy coastal Queensland street, businesswoman and conservationist Ashleigh Morris has built a growing circular economy consultancy that’s now collaborating with Lendlease, Mirvac, Rio Tinto, universities and the Brisbane and Sydney councils.

Discussions around the circular economy are increasing. The concept, an economic model that encourages continuous reuse of materials to minimise waste, has been described by Gartner as starting with “good design, end of life and raw material reuse in mind”. It is not simply a theory, either. Back in February 2020, the analyst revealed that 70 per cent of supply chain leaders are planning to invest in the circular economy in the next 18 months. The likes of Maersk, Caterpillar, IKEA, Philips Lighting, Rolls Royce, Timberland and Nestle are all developing circular economy initiatives, while others are building dedicated departments and hiring talent to specifically drive related projects.

The concept of the ‘circular economy of plastics’ means that plastic is viewed as a material that can be reused, to avoid depleting natural resources. This is a concept and economic model that Mondelez Philippines supports, in line with its goals towards zero waste to nature by 2030. The phrase “May pera sa basura” has long been heard in the Philippines. Newspaper drives and glass bottle collection initiatives are common measures to recycle. The same process can apply to plastic packaging.

As brand owners seek to enhance their values-led positioning, innovative logistics solutions can play a major role, says James Ash, head of EMEA communications at Manhattan Associates. More informed and demanding than ever, consumers are now imposing iron-clad expectations on brands in the form of environmental and sustainability credentials. With the boom in e-commerce, the transition to a circular economy is becoming even more important. The final delivery of this utopian, sustainable model, however, is largely based on the efficiency and innovation of transport networks.

Dezeen partnered with flooring brand Tarkett to host a live discussion with Perkins and Will about how architects and suppliers can support the circular economy and help create carbon-neutral buildings.
Titled The circular economy: a journey towards carbon-neutral buildings, the talk explored why the industry should be moving towards a circular model.
A circular economy is a model that minimises consumption, overuse of finite resources and the destruction of ecosystems, by instead continually reusing materials.
Read the full article at: www.dezeen.com