The transition to a circular economy aims at closing material loops in order to reduce waste, use resources more efficiently and minimize the environmental impacts. But what are the strategies that the companies can establish to achieve this? In this respect, Potting et al. (2017) apply a useful framework (Fig.1) that defines 9 R-strategies, group them in three main circularity…
Reuse and recycling are the two key strategies to move towards circularity, as reported last month. But several issues arise when assessing the environmental impacts or benefits of applying these strategies. How do these burdens or benefits can be shared between the product being recycled and the next product that will use the recycled material for its manufacturing? What is…
Plastic is a synthetic material, made from organic polymers, that has become essential in current supply chains due to its beneficial properties – light weight, durable and easily shaped – and low cost. Since the 1960s, plastic production has increased by 20 times, with a global manufacture of 360 million tonnes in 2018, 40% of which were used for packaging…