Circular economy

Guaranteed gearbox returns... Finnish tractor manufacturer has built a profitable and growing new line of business from remanufacturing tractor gearboxes A deposit at point of sale guarantees resellers bring the gearbox back to the manufacturer Valtra develops, manufactures and services agricultural...

Right time for textile take-back Major organisations like IKEA are exploring circular economy models in their commitment to community and environment A textile take-back scheme is successfully piloted as part of EU-supported REBUS initiative IKEA has the ambition to become a circular retailer, with...

Lithium-ion batteries get a second life Battery-maker investigates the cost and benefits of different remanufacturing scenarios Conclusion: remanufacturing of lithium-ion batteries is technically and economically viable, and offers huge potential for resource efficiency Cegasa Portable Energy...

The fruity aroma of success French fruit wholesaler and marketer turns its 1 800 tonne-a-year headache into an efficient biogas energy and heat plant Energy independence, co-generation potential, fertiliser for farms, partnerships with neighbouring companies, and more Boyer SAS is fresh fruit giant...

More than a pebble story... Joint waste-sorting and resource conservation efforts yields good results for the company, environment and staff Material losses reduced by 264 tonnes (saving € 53 000 a year), and 57 % cost savings on waste Le Moulin is a flour milling company based in Martinique, the...

Tackling mixed waste a priority Improved waste-sorting channels cut back on mixed waste destined for incineration Better-sorted waste leads to lower waste costs, resale options, more staff participation Improvement measures generate savings of around € 6 000 per year Nestlé Purina, a food-processing...

Money for jam... and pits Well-established conserve-maker converts bio-waste into a revenue stream Selling its prune pits to a partner company cuts waste by 26 % and saves around € 3 600 a year Favols is a jam manufacturer in southwest France. Created about 50 years ago, the company has been...

Industrial symbiosis is an industrial ecosystem where the unused or residual resources of one company are used by another. This results in mutual economic, social and environmental benefits. It is a process involving several companies – firms that complement one another provide mutual added value...

Natural materials 'embedded' throughout! Bedding company improves its all-natural offer through involvement in pilot project Its recycling and 'take-back' scheme delivers 81 tonnes of material for recycling and 89 tonnes for re-use Naturalmat is an international, award-winning business that offers a...

Globechain is an online reuse platform in Europe, a so-called “free-cycle for corporates”. It allows companies and charities to claim unwanted items from the retail, commercial and construction sectors. Globechain can provide all the legislative information necessary for these transactions and...

This little piggy went to market ... and more Hotel farmstay introduces circular economy thinking Crops, livestock, energy production, waste recycling ... everything is factored into this closed-loop business Na Farmě, a hotel and farmstay in the Central Bohemian region, is one of few in the Czech...

Synergy seals the zero-waste deal Partnership deal diverts 3 936 tonnes of waste from landfill Cost savings totalled around € 11 400 and additional sales of some € 125 000 Denby Ceramics has been making pottery in Derbyshire, England for over 200 years and has moved on from the production of the...