The Circular Economy
With sustainability being such an important factor in many businesses, being a circular brand is a strong way to achieve this and build a brand that actually does good for the planet.
Now you may be wondering what does being circular actually mean?
Being circular can be seen as a cycle where products are produced and used by the consumer, after their time with the consumer they are broken down and recycled/repurposed in order to remake those products, in turn returning back to the start of the cycle. This way of making and reusing products is an amazing way to avoid excessive amounts of waste that end up in landfills or the ocean, as well reducing a brand’s overall environmental impact.
From the impact we are seeing on our planet due to climate change, circular brands now more than ever play a crucial role for sustainability and shifting our current economy towards a more environmentally responsible and regenerative system.
To read more about other brands that are embracing the circular economy, check out Sustainability Mag’s blog.
We’ve selected our top 5 brands that are embracing the circular economy and doing their bit to become fully circular brands…
UpCircle
First on our list of circular brands is the ethical and organic skincare brand UpCircle. Not only are they B Corp, but this skincare brand has the circular economy high on their priorities.
They first started their journey with reusing coffee grounds to make their amazing body scrubs. This sparked their idea to reuse ingredients in order to make their products in order to achieve a circular model in their business as well as give ingredients a new life.
So far they have transformed more than 450 tonnes of coffee grounds, which normally go to waste, into their sustainable skincare!
But they don’t just stop with coffee grounds, they have a wide range of ingredients they repurpose and use to make their products.
Patagonia
First making their sustainability commitment in 1986, Patagonia has been leading the way in the circular economy and reducing their environmental impact through minimising waste and reusing products.
In order to help encourage others to join the circular journey, Patagonia has introduced The Worn Wear programme which encourages customers to repair, reuse and recycle their items. In order to make this programme easy and accessible to customers, they offer a repair service for any damaged clothing, and an option for customers to trade in their Patagonia clothing in exchange for store credits.
Patagonia are passionate about the circular economy, and minimising the environmental impact of their products which shows through in their programmes and encouragement to get others to join their movement.
IKEA
Next up we have IKEA. Now you may be wondering, how is IKEA circular?
IKEA has introduced three programmes to commit to the circular economy and being sustainable. These include, The take-back programme, investing in sustainable materials, and circular services.
Like Patagonia, IKEA promotes the circular economy by encouraging customers to take back their furniture so that they can be recycled or repurposed.
Not only this, but on their sustainability journey, they are pushing towards only sourcing renewable or recycled materials by 2030 which we love to see!
With a large company like IKEA, it’s great to see them taking sustainability seriously and promoting the circular economy.
Fruu
Fruu is another beauty brand that we love in the circular economy. Their brand is full of amazing values including the fact that all their products are sustainable and affordable, so you can buy skincare products that don’t harm the environment without splashing too much cash. As well as this, they are cruelty free and vegan friendly with a portion of their profits going towards wildlife charities.
At Fruu, their mission is to create their products out of food processing and juicing industry waste without the need to use virgin plant materials which are very environmentally intensive.
This fruity beauty brand likes to do things the right way and that’s why they’re on our list of our favourite circular brands!
Unilever
Last on our list but definitely not least is Unilever. They are one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies and are driven to make sustainable living available to everyone.
With plastic waste being such a large environmental issue that our planet is facing, Unilever wants to do their bit in order to eliminate this problem. That’s why they have pledged to reduce waste from packaging by 2025 and increase recycling rates.
But to make a change they know they need to encourage others to follow. They recognise the power of consumers in driving sustainable change and by raising awareness to these consumers, they can encourage responsible consumption and waste reduction.
Unilever is committed to the circular economy and ensuring their process and products are all done sustainably. They understand that by encouraging and raising awareness of these issues, they can help make a global change and drive others to contribute to creating a positive impact on the planet and society.
Embracing the circular economy…
As we face the challenges of climate change, depletion of resources and many other environmental issues, embracing the circular economy becomes a necessity for a sustainable future.
However, with brands that have the circular economy at the heart of their practices, they help lead the way for change as well as encouraging others to work collectively in working towards a sustainable future.
MISSING ALERT
Are you a business doing good and have not been featured here – Don’t panic! Simply drop Nikki a line on nikki@ethicly.co.uk or call 01202 946 649 to get listed.
