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Innovation, circular economy in the business model for sustainable development
According to the EC objectives presented on December 2, 2015, regarding the construction of a circular economy, by 2030 it is planned to achieve the level of 65% in the field of recycling of municipal waste and 75% in the field of recycling of packaging waste. The stream of waste intended for landfilling is to be up to 10% by 2030. There will also be a ban on the storage of segregated waste. Due to this, more and more companies are looking for the most innovative solutions for rational waste management.
The key to success and sustainable competitive advantage in this field is the “intelligent” use of recycled materials for waste, if it is generated at all, to gain a completely new rank, becoming a raw material of the 21st century. Huge investments of companies in new technologies and non-standard solutions would result in the complete elimination of the concept of “end of product life”. An apparently used product can get a second life, receiving a new and practically any purpose. Therefore, one of the key assumptions of the circular economy should be to look for such recycling methods that give the company the most processing opportunities in response to the diverse needs and capabilities of the company – 100% integrated with the company’s strategy and goals [10].
Circular economy forces changes not only in action and approach, but above all in thinking about own activities and initiatives taken within the supply chain. At the level of the economies of countries or regions, the topic of circular economy is largely associated with the need to define approaches, assumptions, strategies and policies. The real challenge lies with enterprises that are obliged by new trends and consumer expectations to show specific solutions, models and paths of action.
The most flexible way to process waste with subsequent use for specific company goals is upcycling, downcycling, and finally brand upcycling.
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Upcycling is currently one of the most inspiring methods for managing waste generated by companies. It is a process of creative recycling, which consists in adding a higher value to seemingly used objects and materials, turning them into aesthetic, functional and fully valuable products.
In the linear economy, any product that has lost its original attractiveness and functionality becomes obsolete and useless despite the fact that it is still usable. Upcycling changes that. Thanks to activities such as its rebuilding, deconstruction, i.e. deconstruction into elements, and then processing it, i.e. redesigning it in order to give it a new, aesthetic and functional form. Upcycling is a form of artistic expression. The processed waste not only gains value, but also becomes unique and unique. With a little imagination, you can make almost anything out of rubbish – interior decoration items, furniture, clothes or everyday objects. A perfect example of upcycling will be, for example, the conversion of Euro-pallets into furniture. It is sometimes called recycling 2.0. [11]
Almost anything can be created this way. We are limited only by our imagination. Product upcycling is an example of this, where seemingly useless materials are used to create beautiful elements of office interior design, company promotional materials and conference gadgets, prizes in competitions organized by the company, gifts for employees and clients of the company, or even fair booth displays or eco zones at company events. The upcycling process has undoubted campaigning potential. It engages consumers, to whom it is very close, in activities initiated by companies to improve the environment [12].
The examples of products produced with use of upcycling you can find on the Internet.
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The creator of the Dekoeko brand has developed a methodology called Brand Upcycling. It is about adding a higher value to the brand by activating the company’s ecological upcycling in its various departments. The benefits of using this type of solution are numerous. First of all, the company is entering the circular economy path based on what it already has, i.e. the waste it generates. In addition, by creating products based on them, it reduces the dependence on increasingly shrinking natural resources, using only available resources. At the same time, the value of the product increases and its life cycle is much longer. By creating new upcycling products, the company definitely expands the scale of its operations by reaching and attracting a new category of consumers who pay attention to environmental issues, entering previously unavailable market niches, and creating new business solutions that are more optimal in terms of waste recovery in various areas of the company.
The complete opposite of upcycling is the aforementioned downcycling. It occurs when, while processing the material, we get something of less value. In fact, almost any type of industrial recycling is downcycling. Few things can be processed endlessly without losing their value. Take paper recycling as an example. Even if you throw away the highest-quality paper in the trash, after processing it from waste paper to another paper up to 8 times, the cellulose fibers will be short enough that it can be made of cardboard at most. It is similar with plastic, and the worst quality plastic can only be processed once! Are there any examples of materials that can be recycled endlessly? They are – such material is aluminum and other metals.
Therefore, despite the fact that recycling is a very good form of improving the ecological situation in the world, you should look for and apply methods that will further help reduce the amount of waste and at the same time help the environment. Upcycling is such a method.
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Another method that allows for the free introduction of a circular economy in companies is the innovative RotoSTERIL mechanical-thermal processing technology, developed by Bioelektra Group S.A. It allows you to reuse as much as 96% of mixed municipal waste. The technology is implemented in processing plants. It is based on a combination of sterilization and mechanical sorting and does not require the use of complicated segregation systems as in the case of recycling, where only about 20% of all waste is treated.
Here, the results are achieved even with the simplest waste collection, in one basket. The mixed waste is transformed into raw materials thanks to automatic and very precise segregation of sterilized, dry waste. In this way, the technology is able to minimize the landfilling of waste, and most of the material – even 96% – can be reused in the economy.
The RotoSTERIL technology is characterized by high economic efficiency. Revenues are obtained from the sale of separated raw material fractions and biomass. At the same time, the costs of waste disposal are eliminated. The innovation of this solution lies behind the following parameters: recycling at the level of 65% (various secondary raw materials are recovered: glass, plastics, ferrous metals, aluminum, biomass used as a substrate for building materials or a soil improving agent), no odors, minimal landfilling ( at 4%), simple waste collection.
The resulting environmental benefits are enormous: no emissions to the environment – no harmful substances are discharged to water, soil or air, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, no odors from waste treatment, which minimizes the risk of conflict with communities living in the vicinity of the plant, and almost no waste storage (storage of up to 4% of safe post-process waste) and return to the economy of over 65% of waste as raw materials.
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Innovative activities in the circular economy more and more often start to focus on developing methods of recovering individual, highly narrowed types of raw materials such as cellulose, biogas or phosphorus.
Activities related to cellulose recovery are currently one of the main activities related to this topic. In wastewater treatment, paper fibers are separated and reused, mainly in construction. Recycled toilet paper granules can be processed, properly cured and, as a result, obtain a raw material that works well, for example, on roads.
This description is not only a theoretical, practicable use of recovered cellulose fiber. Recycled paper paths can be found successfully in the province of Friesland. There is also paved parking at the local zoo for children.
Generally, the disposal of cellulose-containing impurities is very expensive. The method of reusing it as a raw material in the construction industry allows to significantly reduce this cost, thanks to the possibility of implementing savings in other areas, on other materials. The planet also gains – thanks to an absolutely ecological approach to the problem. This method is popular in the Netherlands.
Natural gas is a raw material whose resources are currently exhausted. Therefore, other substances are currently being sought that can replace it, while maintaining all the necessary properties. That “something” could be biogas from wastewater treatment.
This solution is used, among others, in the USA and Germany. The original BioCat concept allows for the transformation of residues from water treatment into biogas, from which hydrogen and water are separated in the process of electrolysis. In this way, we obtain ecological energy that can be effectively used for other purposes.
On the occasion of electrolysis, another useful element can also be obtained – heat. During the biomethanization process in order to decompose biogas, heated air is generated, which can be used, for example, to heat the sludge in the initial stages of fermentation.
The elimination of phosphorus from the water, which is considered a pollutant for reservoirs, also turns out to be beneficial in the circular economy. It is a great material for fertilizing plants. Contrary to appearances, it is he who is responsible for reducing the flow of pollutants into the water. In addition, it has a positive effect on increasing yields.
