Climate change and pollution are key issues in today's society, with many trying to do their part to lessen or stop the methods that are contributing to them. One model that is helping to tackle issues such as biodiversity loss, waste, pollution and climate change is the model of a circular economy.
But what is a circular economy? And how can it help? Read on to discover more in this helpful guide from the team here at Highlander Security Shredding.
What Is A Circular Economy?
In the most basic terms, a circular economy is a system where materials never become waste. As nothing becomes waste, nature begins to heal as we are not using natural resources unless truly necessary. There are three main principles of a circular economy.
1. Eliminate Waste & Pollution
The first principle is to eliminate waste and pollution. At the moment we take too many raw materials from the earth and eventually dispose of them as waste which ends up in landfills or incinerators. A key way of doing this is designing products that can be further recycled instead of simply ending up as waste.
2. Circulate Products & Materials
The second principle is to circulate products and materials at their highest values. This involves keeping products and materials in use as long as possible. So products that can be recycled and used again are passed on, or if they can no longer be used, recycling these materials into other components and raw materials.
3. Regenerate Nature
The third and final principle of a circular economy is to regenerate nature. By adhering to the two previous principles, nature can begin to heal. Instead of taking natural resources, we can focus on giving back to nature instead, such as increasing biodiversity and returning natural materials to the earth.
Waste Paper & Cardboard Recycling In Scotland
Here at Highlander Security Shredding, we have embraced the ideas of circular economy and have used it as a principle of our operations for many years. A clear example of this is through our transport systems, making sure that we make every journey count, by delivering pallets to customers in one leg of the journey and returning with waste paper to recycle in the second leg.
We also have a repair shop for broken pallets, which instead of recycling we give a second lease of life by repairing and refurbishing parts of them. We are proud to say we have a carbon reduction plan in place, hoping to reduce our footprint year after year until we ultimately become carbon-zero by 2030.
If you’d like to discover more about how our environmentally friendly shredding and recycling services work, or wish to book our services, contact us today.
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