ENCINA’s Post

Covestro: Advancing Full Circularity through Material-Driven Circular Design In a linear economy, the way products are manufactured, used, disposed of, and recycled is unsustainable. This issue is particularly evident with plastic products, which are often discarded as waste rather than seen as valuable resources at the end of their lifecycle. The linear economic model exacerbates global climate change, resource waste, and environmental pollution. Among the numerous solutions to these challenges, one critical yet often overlooked aspect is design. Although design is not the most closely related field to the chemical industry or circular economy, it plays a key role in achieving circularity in various ways. This presents a significant opportunity for sustainable high-performance material suppliers like Covestro to leverage their material expertise and promote circular design.

Rethinking design for a circular future The potential becomes even more clear when you consider the fact that most of the materials that the EU economy will need by mid-century have already been produced — 75 per cent of steel, 50 per cent of aluminium and 56 per cent of plastics.

The industrial sector is tasked with the challenge of satisfying the world’s material needs without exceeding the available carbon budget. Four key materials—steel, cement, aluminium and plastics—are responsible for a majority of industrial CO2 emissions. Yet, with the adoption of circular practices, there is potential to cut these emissions from heavy industry by 56 per cent come 2050. “Circular economy is crucial when enhancing green transformation in the society. Circularity enables a new way of thinking as the linear economy needs to be left behind. Focusing only on recycling isn't sufficient action anymore— we need to adapt circularity to all our actions,” says Tomas Norrena, Development Manager, Circular Economy, at Sweco Finland. Looking towards the future, a substantial portion of the materials that the EU economy will needs in 2050 are already produced. Recirculating these materials will reduce C02 emissions and lower energy consumption. Circularity also presents the industrial sector with new opportunities. Products can become services, and new, competitive markets can arise from recycled materials. Click the link to read more about the role of circularity in the green transition, new business opportunities through circular strategies and Sweco’s services for the circular economy. https://lnkd.in/d9nZg9sa #SwecoGroup #TransformingSocietyTogether 

Progress toward a circular economy has stalled. Our demand for key raw materials is far too high for circularity to make sense in the current market! This position, while not new, has been outlined in a recent report published this month by the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency. While the findings are localized to the Netherlands, many of the trends identified are found in other countries where the demand for material resources is high. The report outlined three product groups that exhibit substantial material usage, leading to significant impacts on the climate, environment, biodiversity, and supply security. Energy technologies (such as solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries), packaging (specifically plastic packaging and beverage cartons), and the built environment (including new construction and renovation). Why is the circular economy not progressing (in The Netherlands)? - Increased demand for raw materials: Significant material demand in energy, packaging, and construction is driving environmental and supply risks. Addressing this requires strategies that go beyond current approaches. - Recycling alone is insufficient: Reducing demand and extending product lifespans are key to achieving meaningful material savings alongside recycling efforts. - Low priority for circular economy: Circular economy practices are often sidelined by urgent priorities like housing and renewable energy, missing opportunities for long-term sustainability gains. - Barriers to circularity: High costs, market dynamics, and incompatible product designs limit the adoption of circular practices, making alternatives less accessible. - Policy focus: Emphasizing diverse circular strategies and improving data availability can help drive more comprehensive circular economy transitions. At Metabolic, we understand the complex challenges involved in making circularity an attractive proposition. It requires a systemic approach that addresses demand-side measures such as material efficiency, product life extension, product-as-a-service, and circular product design. We work with companies, organizations, and cities to help tackle this complexity. For further information please get in touch. You can find the full PBL report here: https://bit.ly/47mRlz0 #sustainability #systemschange #materialdemand #circularstrategies

Our commitment to #circulareconomy extends beyond good intentions alone - it represents a measurable journey. To quantify this, we evaluate our products with a Circularity Index, reflecting their circularity and sustainability levels. By focusing on product longevity, ease of maintenance, and the use of recycled materials, we're actively driving our environmental stewardship. 🔄 💡 The Circularity Index also represents our determination to establish new standards. In doing so, we aspire to lead our customers and the industry toward a brighter and more sustainable future. 🌿 Discover more about the role of Circularity index in product lifecycle in our latest blog post. 👇 #sustainability #circulareconomy #ecodesign #productdevelopment #productlifecycle #productlifecyclemanagement #sustainablelighting #lightingdesign #lightingsolutions #ETAPLighting #tomorrowslight #circularityindex

🌍 Today is #EarthDay with the theme “Planet vs.Plastics” . Since 22 April 1970 this day has been dedicated to demonstrating support for environmental protection, and today it encompasses a wide range of events and actions. To mark this day, we'd like to highlight the #ecodesign approach introduced in 2007. What does it mean? Our products are designed with eco-conscious principles, taking into account the environmental impact from conception to end of life. Our engineers meticulously balance the use of plastics and metal alloys, considering volume, weight and life cycle at every stage of production. For example, by replacing brass with a plastic material for the meter bodies, they have reduced their carbon footprint. The ALTAIR meter is our first fully eco-designed product (https://lnkd.in/ebNAcw6X), and last year we introduced the SHARKY 775 and the Radio VHF CP V2, both made with recycled materials. We are committed to increasing the use of recycled materials in our products, advancing circular economy practices and improving the recyclability of our clip-on radio modules. Our commitment has resulted in a 61% recyclability rate in our products. Learn more about our actions: https://lnkd.in/eF9yiZV4 #EarthDay2024 #EmpowerASustainableFuture #EcoDesign

Let´talk about Circularity today. There are many factors that have an impact on cicularity like product design, material choice and handling or consumer behavior. The issue of #sustainability is really complex and you have to look at it from all angles. At FKuR we are passionate about #plastics and about using them responsibly. That's why, for us, circular economy involves more than the classic 3R's (reduce, reuse, recycle). We have expanded this concept and developed the “8R” principles for an optimal circular economy. Learn more about the 8Rs and find out how you can contribute to a more sustainable future.   #BioplasticsWeek   https://lnkd.in/eRQSuRVR

🤔How do we measure circularity? While there are many facets to the circular economy, we at Circle Economy measure the ‘circularity’ of a city, country, region or the globe by looking at the proportion of secondary materials used by their economies. Our signature Circularity Metric equals secondary material use divided by total material use (virgin + secondary). Both components are essential: we can boost circularity by increasing secondary material use (using again) and by decreasing total material use (using less). Our Circularity Metric considers ‘secondary materials’ to be those that were formerly waste, but are now being used again. This includes a whole range of materials, like recycled concrete, metals, paper and processed wood, to name a few. According to this methodology, the global economy today is 7.2% circular. Learn more in the Circularity Gap Report 2024: https://lnkd.in/ebsYzjAX #circulareconomy #measuring #metrics #circularitygap

𝐃𝐚𝐲 1️⃣ 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 Circular Economy Week is an annual event dedicated to promoting the circular economy. The circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and using and reusing resources efficiently. Instead of a linear model where products are discarded after use, the circular economy aims to close the material cycle. Within DuFor, our ReSpec program is our way to come to a fully circular approach. During the Circular Economy Week, we want to highlight the benefits that ReSpec has to offer to the polyester industry. Moving the polyester value chain in the circular direction means improving recycling, promoting reuse, and redesigning products while considering the whole product life cycle. That is why we are respecifying and expanding our existing product portfolio step-by-step to contribute to a circular and sustainable polyester chain and a circular economy as a whole. 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 4️⃣ ➡ 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠: Special developed polyesters which allow production of fully recyclable products, because we are considering the whole product life cycle during the design process. Our strength is our know-how to enhance the properties of polyesters while maintaining their recyclability. Also, we focus on the development of polyester-based solutions to substitute (a combination of) materials that are less recyclable. ♻ In short: We provide our customers with the best possible product that is also recyclable! Curious about the possibilities? Contact us! https://lnkd.in/edHpAKAM #circulaireweek #recyclable