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Building a green future
Circularity is the word of the hour . But how can businesses achieve it ?
By David Harris
The UK is now halfway to hitting its net-zero target but with a long way still to go , it ’ s more important than ever for businesses to fulfil their sustainability commitments . The new , world-first center for circular economy research in the UK represents the wider push for sustainable resource management , but how can businesses accelerate their adoption of circularity and what can be learnt from offsite manufacturing practices ?
Interest in circularity is gathering pace in line with government targets and growing public concern over the environmental impact of domestic and industrial activities . As part of its Circular Economy Package , the government has set a target to recycle 65 percent of municipal waste and limit waste sent to landfill to ten percent , by 2035 . In Europe , the pace of regulatory change is moving even faster ; by 2025 , EU member states must prepare to reuse and recycle 55 percent of all municipal waste , based on weight , in accordance with the Waste Framework Directive .
Advances in technology are accelerating the path to circularity for many commercial and industrial businesses . Artificial intelligence ( AI ) systems are improving recycling and waste management processes and even assessing the recyclability of a product ’ s components over its lifecycle . However , research shows that only 7.2 percent of the 100 billion tonnes of virgin materials used each year , make it back into the economy . If circular models are to be embedded , businesses must rethink their operational strategy .
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