Top 10: Brands Embracing the Circular Economy
Off the top of my head, a brand I could think of that somewhat engages in the circular economy would be Fresh Thyme. This is because people can bring their own containers and fill those up instead of buying more plastic bags. However, I was curious if there were other brands that have circular models.
Sustainability Magazine has this to say about their top 10 circular brands:
1. Patagonia
"The apparel brand aims to reduce its environmental impact through a number of different initiatives, including The Worn Wear program, which encourages customers to repair, reuse, and recycle their garments. The program offers a repair service that addresses any damages to the clothing, as well as a trade-in option where customers are provided with store credits for used Patagonia clothing" (Buckholz, 2023).
2. IKEA
"Firstly, the Take-Back program allows IKEA customers to return their furniture to be either repurposed or recycled, helping to promote a circular economy. The company also allows customers to rent items or buy refurbished furniture to promote the reuse of products and encourage customers to practise sustainable shopping habits" (Buckholz, 2023).
3. Unilever
"For example, all products use sustainable ingredients, such as ethically-sourced palm oil, to mitigate their environmental impact. The company has also pledged to reduce packaging waste by 2025, while also establishing a recycling program to increase education and enhance recycling rates" (Buckholz, 2023).
4. Accenture
"Accenture is a company that utilizes advanced technologies and partners with leading organizations like Mastercard, Amazon Web Services, Everledger, and Mercy Corps to advance its circular supply chain capability" (Buckholz, 2023).
5. H&M
"One of these initiatives is its garment collection program, which enables customers to return used clothing for recycling or repurposing" (Buckholz, 2023).
6. Adidas
"The sportswear giant launched the ‘Three Loop Strategy’ consisting of three interrelated initiatives. The first loop involves recycling plastic waste, the second involves designing shoes that can be remade and the third loop focuses on regeneration, where Adidas aims to use biodegradable materials that will disintegrate naturally into their surroundings" (Buckholz, 2023).
7. Interface
"One of their significant approaches is adopting a closed-loop manufacturing process, using recycled materials to make their carpet tiles. When tiles have reached the end of their life, they are collected and recycled into new products, reducing waste and fostering a circular economy" (Buckholz, 2023).
8. HP
"HP has been incorporating circular practices into its operations for nearly two decades by collecting used ink cartridges. In recent years, the company has further intensified its recycling efforts, by launching the world's first monitor and an entire PC made from ocean-bound plastics" (Buckholz, 2023).
9. TrusTrace
"With its cutting-edge digital platform, the company aims to raise awareness about individual responsibilities and promote best practices, having already attracted over 10,000 users" (Buckholz, 2023).
10. Mud Jean
"Mud Jean uses recycled denim to make new pairs of jeans, which customers can lease for just under €10 per month. This initiative allows customers to avoid buying jeans they will rarely wear, thus contributing to a closed-material loop" (Buckholz, 2023).
Can you imagine having to pay $10 to rent a pair of jeans for the month? Crazy. It's like a combo of subscriptionitis and sustainability. H&M’s recycling program also doesn’t seem good enough. They say that 68% of the clothes dropped off to be recycled ends up at second-hand stores but they don’t say where or what happens to the clothes that aren’t bought again.
The only company that stood out to me was Interface. From the company website, they have carbon-negative tiles that are made from the raw material of captured carbon emissions. It is their goal to be carbon negative by 2040 (Carbon negative innovations). This business model actually feels circular because it not only uses recycled carpets to make new ones, but they get to the root problem of carbon emissions. It can’t just be about minimizing the amount of products being thrown away. It must also be about finding a way to turn what's already been thrown away into something new.
No generative artificial intelligence (AI) was used in the writing of this work.
References
Buckholz, L. (2023, April 19). Top 10: Brands embracing the circular economy. Sustainability Magazine. https://sustainabilitymag.com/top10/top-10-brands-embracing-the-circular-economy-in-2023
Carbon negative innovations. Carbon Negative Flooring Innovations From Interface. (n.d.). https://www.interface.com/US/en-US/sustainability/carbon-negative.html
