Call2Recycle, Inc. released a white paper with guidance on how organizations can embrace the circular economy.
Recycling can be seen as the defining strategy to reducing waste and minimizing the environmental impact, however, optimal solutions for waste management are far more subtle and complex. Behind the word “recycling” lie myriad issues that present an important challenge to organizations that have a stake in the responsible management of the end-of-life products. From adopting different metrics to measuring the success of recycling programs to an increasing demand for tailored solutions, recycling should not be looked at in a vacuum but as part of a larger system where costs and the release of greenhouse gases and toxics, among others, inhabit.
Call2Recycle, Inc., North America’s first and largest consumer battery stewardship organization, today released: “Shifting the Focus from End-of-Life Recycling to Continuous Product Lifecycles,” a white paper on how embracing the concepts of a circular economy can be a much more powerful way to address the issue of waste.
Recent market insights indicate that recycling cannot be the universal solution for managing waste. For certain products, recycling can have even a worse environmental impact than landfilling. The white paper looks at more holistic concepts for managing materials throughout the lifecycle of the product. Among these concepts is “the circular economy,” an idea popularized by the MacArthur Foundation’s work on the subject, which seeks to address environmental issues starting with the initial design of a product, among other considerations.
“It is important that we promote the conversation of how organizations pursue the tenets of a circular economy. Through this white paper we seek to elevate the conversation beyond recycling,” said Carl Smith, CEO and President of Call2Recycle, Inc. “For instance, while recycling batteries is one way to address the challenges presented by today’s increased use of mobile electronic products, choosing the right evaluation approach to how batteries are recycled is key to ensuring that we are part of the solution.”
Some of the ideas discussed on the white paper were discussed in an hour-long webcast organized jointly by GreenBiz and Call2Recycle. The webcast featured Call2Recycle’s president and CEO, Carl Smith, along with Energizer’s Director of Regulatory and Government Affairs, Marcus Boolish, and Betsy Dorn, Reclay Steward Edge’s (RSE USA) Recycling Expert and co-author of a new white paper. Click here to download the white paper.
