The creation of the circular economy cannot be attributed to a single person. For the previous 50 years, it has been building on current schools of thought, such as Cradle to Cradle, regenerative design, and biomimicry. However, it appears more essential today than before. When it comes to tangible objects, designing for circularity entails making items that may be reused several times or subdivided into constituent bits and reassembled into equally valuable items. It is about eliminating the end-of-life stage and creating products that can be used in some way perpetually.
According to the International Labour Organization, a circular economy may create $4.5 trillion in increased financial production by 2030 and 18 million new jobs by then (Schroder et al., 2019). Companies may lessen their environmental effect in two ways by thinking circularly. They are doing so by producing less trash and consuming fewer raw resources. The method of doing business offers significant financial advantages in addition to becoming more sustainable.
Opportunities of Investment in the Circular Economy
Most notably, the goal of transitioning to a circular economy is to limit the depletion of precious natural resources, decrease environmental harm from virgin material mining, and reduce carbon emissions from material processing. The primary way of accomplishing this is to increase the productivity and efficiency of resource usage while decreasing the amount of material dumped. It will necessitate new business models that integrate confined supply chains, reverse logistics, and regenerative design to prolong the lifespan of products, thereby retaining the worth of their materials (Camilleri, 2018). It also retains the overall value obtained from the materials for an extended period resulting in fewer materials ending up as garbage. These business models must be financially sustainable, which needs to be improved by several obstacles. Removing these will necessitate essential changes in the economic context where they operate. These variations will have to come through a variety of governmental measures, as well as changes in company organization.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that company models of this type are more lucrative than those they replace, although such models are marginal to commercial activity in general. Nonetheless, there are estimates of significant economic advantages from methodically transitioning to a circular economy that accompanies better employment (Camilleri, 2018). Ultimately, this might significantly contribute to sustainable growth, as the Sustainable Development Goals outlined. These resource and environmental advantages serve as a significant justification for a circular economy. There are several opportunities for investment in the circular economy business models.
Food Waste Management
As the preferred method for food waste management, emphasize that decreasing waste generally is the most excellent method. In great depth, the campaign will create awareness of the food mishandling that many individuals in Riyadh practice and educate citizens on the importance of dumping food in a sustainable manner (Camilleri, 2018). The most effective answer to the end-of-life dilemma will be simply reducing the amount of packaged foods and discarding them. Additionally, feeding individuals in need using reused and repackaged food products can be a development path. It is ingrained in the culture to assist people in need.
Product Recycling
Many company models are developing initiatives to encourage customers to reuse their items after their active life cycles. These initiatives lower the company’s worldwide waste impact. Many businesses are now offering incentives to their clients to participate in the initiatives. Adidas, for example, launched a shoe-recycling campaign in Brazil dubbed “Sustainable Footprint” in 2012. The concept is straightforward: consumers may bring old sneakers to an Adidas shop (Sassanelli et al., 2019). The shoes are shredded by the firm and utilized as raw material and substitute fuel sources to generate electricity. Adidas utilizes the substance to operate cement kilns, reducing the company’s reliance on dirtier energy-generating techniques and keeping trash out of landfills and incinerators. As the most substantial advantage, the consumer receives a discount on one of Adidas’s forthcoming products, which helps Adidas increase its customer base. Adidas’ dedication to environmental problems is further reinforced through the initiative.
Take-back Programs
Take-back initiatives are often targeted toward e-waste or trash created by manufacturing and disposing of consumer electronic products such as computers and televisions. Because of the availability of potentially harmful compounds within, these objects are infamously tricky for customers to dispose of because most household garbage collectors will not collect them. A take-back program has a shop collecting this e-waste from the customer.
Risk-return Profile
The circular economy is essential to worldwide efforts to satisfy the Paris Agreement’s aims. Activities in the circular economy seek to limit overconsumption, eliminate waste, and recover and rejuvenate habitats and natural systems (Sassanelli et al., 2019). However, new financial tools and investments are required to enable the scale-up of the business models and breakthroughs. With a growing understanding of the global effects of climate change, financial investors and institutions are under increasing pressure to tackle sustainability problems in their portfolios. Investing in projects that encourage the growth of the circular economy is one approach to this.
For bankers, engaging in circular economy alternatives and business models remains a significant risk. Both policy initiatives and financial mechanisms are required to de-risk ventures. Investing in circular economy breakthroughs and innovative business models, particularly in developing nations, is still a high risk compared to continuing and expanding financing experiments in developed economies. The initial expenditures necessary to construct circular economy facilities like eco-industrial projects, trash collection and recycling infrastructure, and sanitation practices based on circular technology can be significant for low- and middle-income nations.
Policy de-risking tools can aid in the removal of underlying hurdles to circular economy business practices. These tools might include support for resource efficiency policies beyond waste management, such as product eco-design policies, institutional strengthening, taxation legislation evaluations, green financing decisions, and public-sector skills enhancement (Sassanelli et al., 2019). Financial de-risking devices can assist in transferring some of the risks faced by investors to public entities. Loan guarantees, global equity co-investments, and public-private blended financing are examples of such vehicles.
De-risking under the Development of Policy
Through the initiatives of professionals in the sustainable finance domain, the voluntary integration of circular economy financing into the financial services industry is taking form. However, compared to the sum of money that flows into the linear world economy every year, the rate and volume of acceptance could be faster. Setting suitable norms and criteria is one strategy to de-risk and increase circular economy financing by making it an opt-out instead of an opt-in. It implies that regulators and politicians across different areas would need to encourage banking institutions to make more ethical and sustainable investing decisions.
Several policy terrains must be connected to grow the amount of circular economy financing as part of formal sustainable finance. Furthermore, recognizing latent emissions of greenhouse gases from old materials and resources might help to integrate circular economy initiatives into net zero climate legislative priorities (Sassanelli et al., 2019). Policymakers must work hard to ensure that rules and regulations regulating the resource agenda and materials of resource efficiency finance align. It may be accomplished in a way that aids implementation by addressing policies that do not overtly bear the circular economy name but assist its adoption.
Policy Changes to Support Investment
The Circular Economy concept’s fundamental aim is to encourage evidence-based approaches that can yield long-term and societal benefits. Consumption of raw materials and scarce resources is insufficient to meet the demands of future economies. It indicates that CE is based on renewable energy and trash recycling characteristics. These ideals have become CE’s pillars: retaining resources and goods in use indefinitely, eliminating various sources of waste and pollution, and renewing all-natural systems and processes.
According to this concept, CE is implemented to enhance how waste materials are removed from the natural habitat and to ensure that the available resources are continually exploited. This model’s fundamental principles or processes are sharing, repairing, renovating, recycling, and reusing (Lahti et al., 2018). Such projects could reduce the number of waste products generated by various production processes. Residents are also urged and instructed to recycle various items and materials.
These projects are critical because they will reduce carbon emissions and make each region more sustainable. The organizations that follow this method will guarantee that equipment and infrastructure are used for as long as feasible. Various goods will be acquired and used for an extended period. This technology ensures that no additional raw materials are purchased and utilized throughout the manufacturing process. Another guiding premise is the creation of renewable resources that will allow more individuals to realize their full potential. Farmers should consider utilizing compost manure because it is affordable, wants to clean the environment, and supports the concept of sustainability.
One of the significant concerns about the strength and efficacy of this type of economic model is that it fails to convert into reduced or terrible living circumstances (Lahti et al., 2018). It is because more consumers will be able to utilize and repurpose most of their items. Manufacturers leave their old regression analysis to examine the best techniques that provide high-quality services. These efforts will simplify companies’ engagement in long-term, sustainable business operations. CE models can provide sufficient income and help businesses succeed. These ideas and concepts illustrate why so many people must embrace CE’s potential.
References
Camilleri, M. (2018). The circular economy’s closed loop and product service systems for sustainable development: A review and appraisal. Sustainable Development, 27(3): 530-536. Web.
Lahti, T, Wincent, J & Parida, V. (2018). A definition and theoretical review of the circular economy, value creation, and sustainable business models: where are we now and where should research move in the future? Sustainability, 10(8): 2799-2817. Web.
Sassanelli, C, Rosa, P, Rocca, R & Terzi, S. (2019). Circular economy performance assessment methods: a systematic literature review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 229(1): 440-453. Web.
Schroder, P. & Raes, J. (2021). Financing an inclusive circular economy. Chathamhouse. Web.