Circular economy and waste management
Implementing practical circular economy strategies and solutions is key to creating efficient, resilient and productive businesses and communities.
Implementing practical circular economy strategies and solutions is key to creating efficient, resilient and productive businesses and communities. Download the roadmap to supporting a circular economy with waste management solutions.
Waste management’s role in the circular economy
The circular economy is an alternative economic model designed to solve some of the world’s greatest environmental and social challenges. In a circular economy, products and materials, energy and water stay in the system –circulating – for as long as possible. It is a redesign of our ‘take-make-use-dispose’ linear economy.
The circular economy aims to change the way we plan, design and operate, eliminating the concept of waste, recognizing the value of resources and retaining them in our economy, and creating a net environmental and social benefit from our economic activity.
Download the roadmap to supporting a circular economy with waste management solutions. The circular economy aims to change the way we plan, design and operate, eliminating the concept of waste, recognizing the value of resources and retaining them in our economy, and creating a net environmental and social benefit from our economic activity.
How can you implement circularity into your business through waste minimization and management?
1. Assess the current state
Establish the application of circular economy into your business or community and evaluate the various areas where waste is generated, introduced and disposed. Understanding the type and quantity of waste is done through waste audits and helps establish a baseline and identify goals, targets and areas of focus for your organization. This also involves determining key resources and prioritizing opportunities for waste minimization and diversion.
-
Waste Audits
-
Waste generation baseline studies
-
Zero-Waste Planning
2. Identify opportunities and evaluate their potential
Determine priority focus areas to help meet waste goals. This includes identifying ways to recycle or reuse waste so it can be eliminated or converted to a beneficial product. Some examples include waste converted to energy or using organic waste to create compost. Determining the feasibility of these projects can be streamlined with the use of digital tools.
-
Recycling programs
-
Organics Management & Reuse Technologies
-
Product/Packaging Design
-
Waste as a Resource
-
Renewable Natural Gas
3. Implement and refine projects, and analyze results
Planning and designing selected projects and infrastructure properly and efficiently supports movement towards a circular economy. Whether that be designing facilities that keeps organics out of landfills or implementing infrastructure on the cutting edge for upgrading biogas to RNG, or implementing in-house recycling programs, there are a variety of large and smaller-scale projects that can move the needle towards waste reduction goals. When implementing solutions, there are a variety of considerations such as siting, permitting, design, construction, commissioning, operations support and compliance.
-
Waste management infrastructure design
-
Operational support
-
Reporting and analysis with digital tools
-
Waste stream management
Realize the benefits of projects that contribute to a circular economy and measure the results to track towards your sustainability goals.
-
Reduced costs
-
Reduced waste (progress towards zero waste goals)
-
Clean economic growth
-
Progress towards net zero goals
-
Reduced supply chain risks
-
Improved ESG performance
-
Enhanced social license to operate
-
New revenue streams
-
Lower greenhouse gas emissions
-
More circular, efficient and sustainable operations
Shaping Future Communities, together
CROSSROADS is a research-backed report based on a survey of more than 10,000 people across 10 countries. The report data states that 70 percent of survey respondents in every country agreed with the statement
I’d like to see more green and sustainable building methods, like energy-saving designs, modern methods of construction or low-carbon materials, in my area."
This finding indicates that circular economy principles, such as reducing waste and reusing materials, are seen as essential for creating a sustainable future. Citizens believe circularity offers us opportunities to address the design flaws in our linear systems and create fundamental changes that will lead to the future we would like to see.
Examples of integrating circular economy into business and communities through proactive waste management solutions
GHD and Circular Waste Management
We offer circular economy strategy, implementation planning, design and project administration for products, buildings, communities and infrastructure.