Businesses are being urged to learn about the benefits of moving to a circular economy for the millions of tonnes of ‘stuff’ we all rely on every day.
The way we use finite resources has a big impact on our planet. The drive to reduce carbon emissions requires a complete rethink of the way these materials are used, how products are created and essential services are delivered.
The good news is that many organisations have already started the journey, and there’s help available to local businesses who are about to start on the journey towards ‘net-zero’.
One such company is Lush Cosmetics. Based locally but with a global reach, Lush has invested heavily in reducing waste and the footprint of its products and processes, and recently hosted DEMC’s ‘Towards a net-zero BCP’ event.
"Lush have created a circular economy for their product packaging, and more than half of all Lush products are sold naked showing the company has already made significant inroads to reducing the impact of their products. But they want to go further. Find out more about their journey to ‘leave the world Lusher than we found it’ in this video.
What is the circular economy?
The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. Waste is minimised through better design and durability, and materials are kept within the economy – the closer to where they are used, the better.
Organisations like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have more information on the circular economy including guidance on how you can help make change happen – take a look here.
Net-zero needs you: fill out our business survey!
BCP Council has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions across its services by 2030. This is a huge task and the council can’t do this in isolation – organisations which supply products to or deliver services for the local authority are essential in helping to achieve this important mission.
We’d like to hear from local businesses about their journey to net-zero, the materials they use and waste materials they produce by completing this survey.
Help is at hand
Local SMEs (Small and Medium-sized businesses) can receive free help and advice including access to the Climate Essentials platform which helps organisations to measure, track and reduce their carbon emissions and set a meaningful net-zero pledge.
The platform assists SMEs to identify where their biggest impacts are, meaning better investment decisions can be made. More information can be found here.