🍃 Sorry to say... but recycling isn’t enough anymore.

Did you know?

Recycling, the thing many of us feel good about doing, isn’t the silver bullet we think it is.

It might feel like progress, but in reality, it still ends with waste.

What do I mean by that?

Well, most businesses are still operating within a linear economy model:

Take → Make → Use → Waste.

Even when recycling is introduced, it’s often just an extra step before things end up in landfill:

Take → Make → Use → Recycle → Waste.

The output might take a little longer to reach the bin, but it’s still headed there eventually.

And in 2025, that’s no longer sustainable… economically or environmentally.

The reality is resources are becoming more limited.

Regulations are tightening.

And customers are demanding more accountability and action from the brands they support.

So what’s the alternative?

The circular economy.

The big idea:

Unlike the linear model, the circular economy is built on the idea that products and materials should have multiple lives, not just one.

It looks more like this:

Take → Make → Use → Reuse → Repair → Return → Recycle.

At every stage, there are opportunities to extend the life of a product, keep materials in use for longer, and reduce the need for virgin resources.

It’s not just better for the planet, it’s a smarter way to run a business.

So, what’s in it for you?

Transitioning to a circular model is a genuine opportunity to strengthen your business in several key ways:

→ Lower costs: By designing out waste and using fewer raw materials, businesses often find themselves saving money.

→ Increased customer loyalty: Repair, reuse, and return programmes offer additional contact points to your customers, just like your customer reward programs.

→ Reduced risk: With stricter environmental regulations on the horizon, and rising uncertainty in supply chains, a circular approach helps you stay compliant and proactive.

→ New revenue streams: Waste can often be repurposed, sold, or turned into entirely new products, creating opportunities that didn’t exist in the linear model.

Tip of the week:

Start by identifying the waste hotspots in your business.

Ask your team (and yourself):

1. What materials or products do we throw away most often? And what does it cost you?

2. Are there any byproducts from production that could be reused or sold? And what could that be worth to you?

3. How quickly do customers dispose of our products and could we change that? And what would it do to their experience of the value of your product?

4. Could we design waste out of our system entirely? And what would that be worth to you?

This kind of audit doesn’t just uncover problems, it reveals potential.

The truth is, we don’t just need to reduce harm anymore.
We need to redesign how we work.

The circular economy offers a way to create real value while using fewer resources, generating less waste, and building a stronger relationship with customers and the planet.

And if you're wondering where to start, I'm happy to help.

Interested in continuing this conversation? Send me a DM on LinkedIn or reply to this email.

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Every step we take together makes a bigger impact tomorrow!

Best,
Jasper