Give us credit: we’re always trying to cover organisations who are trying to make a difference to the enormous toxic mountain of stuff that everyone throws away every day. We’ve no ideological bias- we’ve lauded the efforts of governments, charities and universities down the years. One thing though: we’ve always had a soft spot for is start-up companies, because they are often where the best and the brightest are to be found. Over the years we’ve looked for them in places as diverse as Nigeria (LSS 23 12 25) Australia (LSS 13 11 25) and the UK (19 9 23;3 3 25) A tiny sample of what’s out there, but we know it gives you all hope. And if you want more hope, we have discovered an amazing place to look: The Ellen Macarthur Foundation.
Because their website [1] is a cornucopia of good news about companies, initiatives, and projects all designed to create a circular economy, which is, in their words:
a system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated……. products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling, and composting. The circular economy tackles climate change and other global challenges, like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources.
And there is a truly encyclopaedic guide to the vast range organisations they work with to achieve this laudable end Click for yourself, it’s so far up our LSS street we could put our brass plate on one of the doors. It’s always unfair to pick examples: but we could not resist telling you about Arda Biomaterials of the UK who are transforming waste barley grains from the drinks industry into new types of fabric. And a Spanish outfit called AOS who build advanced insect bioconversion plants using larvae to recycle food waste and by‑products into organic fertilisers and animal feed ingredients.
It’s funny where people get their hope from, isn’t it? Some from a bottle, some from various white and brown vegetable products. Ours comes from knowing there are still many intelligent and rational people labouring their utmost to overcome this sorry mess which the ignorance and greed of others has landed us all into. And the Ellen Macarthur foundation is a big part of the solution.
[1] Leading the Transition to a Circular Economy | Ellen MacArthur Foundation
#circular economy #recycling #sustainability #waste #commerce #business #green economy #The Ellen Macarthur Foundation
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