  3 min

Refuse

prevent usage

Reuse

use materials again

Reduce

use materials again

Redesign

redesign with circularity in mind

Refurbish

restore products for reuse

Repair

maintain and reuse materials

Recycle

process and reuse materials

Remanufacture

make new products from old products

Repurpose

use products for completely different applications

Recover

retrieve energy from the materials

10 R’s of circularity

Source: Nederland Circulair

#1

Circularity is not the same as sustainability. Circular enterprise requires a sometimes radically different mindset, which takes account of the entire chain.

#2

Keep the chain short. A shorter chain enables better oversight and more efficient management. Consumers prefer the story behind what’s on their plate to be close to home.

#3

Partnerships are essential. Having close links with suppliers and producers is becoming the new norm. The problem is too big to solve in your own, so don’t try to.

#4

Disparate disciplines are becoming more interconnected than ever. Design and architecture are just as essential as ingredients and waste processing. In a circular system everything is interconnected and nothing functions separately from anything else. 

#5

It’s time for radical transparency. Not only partners, but also consumers expect complete transparency about a company’s circular aspects. So it’s important for companies to be able to give an account of their activities.

#6

Value creation is key. Every aspect of a successful circular concept must have a destination. We have to extract the maximum possible from every component, both financially and ecologically.

#7

‘No waste’ is becoming the new normal. Trash is no longer acceptable. Managing residue flows responsibly is not just good for the planet but also for the bottom line too.

#8

Technological innovation is going to create entire new markets and radically alter existing ones. Waste processing will become more important than ever and no enterprise will be able to do without material flow analysis.

#9

Measuring is knowing. Modern information technology allows us to map out the entire chain. Which is necessary, because problems can only be solved through careful analysis.

#10

However, value is not always quantifiable. Economic and ecological impacts are certainly important, but enterprises should also look at the intangible value they add to society. Within the circular framework, social, esthetic, and emotional impacts are equally essential.

#11

Idealism is great, but realism remains a prerequisite. An enterprise that strives for 100% circularity and goes under, has a smaller impact than an enterprise that starts out with 70% circularity and innovates further from that position.

#12

Circularity is essentially hopeful and optimistic. Enterprises whose work focuses on solutions and who take a slightly idealistic approach, will be more highly appreciated than companies that emphasize the severity of the problem. Once solutions are found, we should celebrate that and get on with implementing them.