According to Science Daily, the circular economy is about “keeping resources and materials in use as long as possible.” This involves reducing, reusing, and recycling. In Yale’s Journal of Industrial Ecology, researchers investigate ways to take the circular economy a step further. This can have benefits locally and globally. Let’s look at what you and your business can do to join and further the circular economy.
Why join the circular economy?
Earth has finite resources. This means we have to use what we have efficiently to continue to do business in the long term. Globally, nations and businesses have realized that and are adjusting accordingly. Some governments mandate companies to be cleaner, but it’s better to be prepared to be green before regulations require it. Being caught off guard by regulations will put you behind more forward-thinking competitors.
Coordinate
One major way to further the circular economy, researchers found, is to go beyond isolated efforts. Many companies have green initiatives, but they often work in isolation from others in their industries. A coordinated effort will likely further the circular economy.
What can you do to coordinate efforts to keep resources in use as long as possible? Recycling initiatives are a good start. Goal setting is key to a good initiative. Your business can set goals along with others in your office park. The goal of reducing waste is also a goal of increasing efficiency. When you use materials efficiently, you will create less waste. To engage other businesses in your efforts, you can encourage them to use a recycling company with the goal of reducing the amount of waste shipped to the College Station Landfill.
You can also coordinate with businesses you serve and your own suppliers. If you provide and demand less packaging, that can become the norm. If you want and use recyclables, then that can become the norm in your supply chain. Sometimes, all that’s required to make a supplier act more sustainably is the demand from customers, like yourself.
Innovate
Successful businesses offer something that others don’t have. That means you are likely already an innovator. With that in mind, how can you make more efficient use of materials and resources?
Reducing the use of paper products is an excellent way to reduce waste. By utilizing the latest technology and streamlining processes, you can reduce the amount of waste your business produces.
Eventually, all businesses will have to reduce waste and reuse materials. Now is the time to adjust your business practices to adjust to a more efficient world. No business wants to be inefficient, but increasing efficiency can require coordination up the supply chain and innovative use of technology.
The circular economy is the economy of the future. You are likely already a part of it just by having a recycling service. Recycling is a key step in being more efficient, but don’t stop there. Finding innovative ways to use materials, reducing the materials used, and recycling everything else ensures that we have the resources to continue to do business in the future.
