There’s an unspoken agreement to pretend that everything is going swimmingly on social media, but we’re not feeling very positive going into 2024.
There’s a discernible slow down in Ireland’s progression towards the circular economy. Last year there was so much activity with glimmers of hope for real change on the ground. That’s all dissipated now and we seem to have fallen back to rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.
Sorry for the doom and gloom, but really it’s delusions of progress that have us in the mess we’re in.
Evolution is fragile and needs nurturing to succeed. We’d best remember that when planning for 2024.
And here is the last bit of circular economy news and design for 2023. Have a good Christmas.
Food
R-Leaf turns air pollution into plant food at scale.
Scottish University develops a replacement for palm oil that is healthy and environmentally friendly.
Irish start-up Silicate is spreading surplus concrete on farmland to improve soil heath.
Delmonte are now using reusable crates to ship its bananas.
Unilever are giving the dairy industry free use of patents on ice cream that remains stable at -12C rather than the industry standard -18C, saving a potential 25% of the energy used in ice cream retail freezers.
Nice Rice is a UK brand of rice that has 49% lower CO2-eq emissions than the conventional alternative.
Buildings
Dutch use heat from sewage to heat buildings.
Airport store decorated with 3D printed façade made from salvaged fishing nets (see photo).
Furniture, Fittings & Equipment
The Office Furniture Remanufacturing Association (OFRA) in the UK has released its free-to-use Remanufactured mark.
Skinflint is a UK based B-corp that salvages lamps from the 1920s to the 1970s, restores them to modern safety standards and then offers a lifetime guarantee, repair service and buy-back scheme.
Danish furniture company Takt’s Spoke Sofa can be fully disassembled and have its parts replaced and recycled.
The Finnish Design Shop has unveiled it’s Product Sustainability Framework.
Ikea UK subsidises mattress recycling with voucher.
Uh-Oh
According to scientists, 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record
According to a recent study the climate crisis costing $16m an hour in extreme weather damage.
Circular Business Models
Greendice is an innovative company in Estonia that provides IT equipment and support to consumers for a monthly subscription.
WHSmith launches buy back scheme.
Research reports that 71% of consumers bought or sold used goods in past year.
Legislation
California has passed a new law that requires manufacturers to provide independent repair shops and consumers with repair manuals, tools, and spare parts.
EPA has published new criteria for recycled construction waste, which allows for the reuse of soil and stone, concrete, bricks and ceramics, instead of the extraction of new ones.
Ecocide-level crimes will finally be sanctioned in the EU!
EU agrees to ban exports of waste plastic to poor countries.
In a game changing piece of legislation California will mandate firms, including those privately held, to report on emissions (including scope 3 from 2027) if they operate in the state and have a minimum revenue of US$1 billion (£800 million). This will probably apply to big names like Apple and Chevron.
Packaging
Aldi in the UK trials blister pack recycling scheme in “supermarket first”.
New study finds that while 77% of European consumers hold a positive view on reusable packaging, 78% express concerns about packaging cleanliness and only 30% fully understand the concept.
The Australian start-up Refilled is eliminating the waste caused by vending machines.
Nestlé loans £7m to flexible plastic recycling facility in Durham, which uses the Baffled Oscillation Separation System (BOSS) to sort plastics with different densities by spinning them in water.
Returnable plastic packaging could reduce GHG emissions by 35 to 70%.
Clothing
The easy-to-use circular platform connects buyers and sellers of fabric.
Aoife McNamara has become Ireland’s first fashion brand accredited B Corp.
A new WRAP report says a 12% reduction in the carbon impact of clothing has been negated by a 13% rise in the volume of textiles produced and sold.
We now have the world’s first certified biodegradable polyester fibre which composts by 95.4% in 179 days.
Revolutionary metal-less and chipless RFID tags made from paper are launched.
Charity NSPCC have teamed up with the German supermarket so that Lidl customers can now rent Xmas jumpers.
Patacel is a recyclable, biodegradable fibre made from potato harvest waste.
Energy
Modvion is a company that builds wind turbine towers out of wood.
Transport
Stockholm to ban petrol and diesel cars from centre from 2025
The Orkney Islands in Scotland are going to trial electric ferries for three years, starting in 2024.
Australian student invents affordable electric car conversion kit.
Iceland Foods delivery drivers are rewarded for driving in more eco-efficient ways.
Eco Repair Score will give you the environmental score for repairs to vehicles, helping you decide if it’s worth it!
Further Reading
Excellent article on the hidden barriers to sustainability in companies.
Here are the 2023 wildlife photographer of the year winners.
If you’d like to discuss any of these issues feel free to get in touch via our contact page.
To read previous newsletters click here.
Elaine
Circular Design Institute 