The Circular Economy

Winstone Wallboards uses circular economy to reduce carbon emissions in plasterboard

-thinkstep-anz Circular economy thinking is helping Winstone Wallboards (WWB) reduce carbon in Aotearoa New Zealand’s built environment. Around 15% of our country’s greenhouse gas (carbon) emissions relate to our buildings. Knowing that construction waste contributes heavily to these emissions, WWB set itself a challenge. WWB manufactures plasterboard under the GIB® brand. It is New Zealand’s only manufacturer of this product. The company wanted to reduce plasterboard wasted in construction across New Zealand by 30% without changing the design of its product. Its Designing out Waste programme (supported by the Ministry for the Environment, Canterbury Joint Waste Committee, Auckland Council, WasteMINZ, AUT and BRANZ) and circular economy practices have helped WWB reduce waste, emissions, costs and business risks and build relationships and the resilience in the industry. The circular economy The circular economy changes how we produce and consume goods. It designs out waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use, and regenerates natural systems. In a circular economy, sending construction waste to landfill is a ‘leakage’ from the product’s ‘system’ (the processes involved in converting inputs to outputs). Identifying five carbon ‘hotspots’ in plasterboard Our thinkstep-anz team helped WWB identify five ‘hotspots’ of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) for construction waste across their product’s lifecycle. The diagram below shows the emissions created when the manufacturer makes and transports its product to its customers, and when its customers use and dispose of the plasterboard. The emissions these activities release are examples of ‘embodied carbon’ in building products. The link between all these sources of emissions? Waste. Circular economy: designing out waste on building sites On an average residential building site, around 23% of all materials, including 700kg of plasterboard waste, end up in a skip bound for landfill (source: Wastage Rate Report (Construction Resources and Waste Platform), REBRI – BRANZ). Much […]

NanoLayr’s sustainability roadmap charts the way

Article from Dr.Barbara Nebel,CEO, thinkstep-anz www.thinkstep-anz.com Want to make your manufacturing business more environmentally and socially sustainable? When you’re a busy manufacturer, investing in a sustainability roadmap can be the difference between talking about sustainability and making it happen. In this article we explain what a sustainability roadmap is and why your business needs one. We also talk with Auckland-based functional textile manufacturer NanoLayr about the benefits it’s seeing from theirs. What is a sustainability roadmap? A sustainability roadmap charts the course your business plans to take to become more environmentally and socially sustainable. Think of it like a Google map. Plug in your destination (a more sustainable manufacturing business) and Google offers up a host of ideas to help you with your journey. Street names and directions? These are the high-level sustainability actions you need to take to reach your destination. In a manufacturing business they may include sourcing renewable materials or tackling waste in your packaging. Alternative routes? Think of these as your options and trade-offs. There are many ways to become more sustainable. You’ll need to assess different projects and prioritise them. Distances and different modes of transport? These are the resources you’ll need to commit and the people you’ll need to involve: team members with clear responsibilities, external stakeholders such as suppliers, and (probably) some budget. Journey times? They’re the high-level timelines you’ll work to. Map your sustainability actions into blocks of time. You may be able to complete some within six months to a year. Other activities will take longer. Assign them over the medium term (say one to two years) and longer term (say two years plus). Bring this ‘journey’ information together and you have your sustainability roadmap: a summary of your sustainability goals and the projects, resources and timetable that will help […]

igus advances circular economy with e-chain made of recycled material

In the picture:More sustainability with consistent quality: The new world first cradle-chain made of recycled material conserves resources and drives the circular economy forward. Conserving resources and extending the product life cycle – this is the goal igus is pursuing with the new E2.1.CG cradle-chain from Treotham. Cradle-to-cradle: This is the principle of the circular economy, which is abased on nature. The aim: to return consumer goods to the biological or technical cycle in order to conserve valuable resources and raw materials. The motion plastics specialist igus is also pursuing this goal and has now developed the world’s first energy chain made from recycled material on the basis of its own “chainge” e-chain recycling program. From extreme weather and natural hazards to marine pollution, the climate crisis is getting worse and more and more people are becoming aware of it. “Even the purchasing decisions of our customers are increasingly being shaped by ecological considerations. That is why we have put a lot of effort into product development in order to be able to produce more resource-efficiently – without sacrificing product quality,” explains Jörg Ottersbach, Head of the igus e-chains Business Unit. The result: the E2.1.CG cradle-chain – a complete range of e-chains made from the new igumid CG material. Numerous laboratory tests show that the new e-chain has almost the same technical properties and load limits as an energy chain made from the standard igumid G material. The new range is available from Treotham in five series and 28 chain types. From discarded e-chain to recycled material The cradle-chain uses, among other things, recycled material from the “chainge” recycling program. As part of this program, igus has been collecting used energy chains from customers since 2019 so they do not end up in industrial waste. This service is offered […]

IoT helps glass manufacturer disrupt industry with four-day supply delivery

New Zealand glass manufacturer, Architectural Glass Products (AGP), has deployed Internet of Things (IoT) technology from Pollin8 and Thinxtra for around-the-clock tracking of its products and delivery trolleys, ensuring it avoids losing assets, and bolstering its industry leading customer service. AGP was founded in response to market demand for high quality glass that can be manufactured and delivered in short timeframes. Established in 2019, the company has become the nation’s largest manufacturer of insulated glass units (IGUs). It currently operates a four-hectare, highly automated factory in Hautapu on the North Island. AGP owns over 1,750 purpose-built delivery trolleys, worth NZ$3,000 each, to transport its fragile, high-value glass products. To reduce the risk of these assets going missing and ensure their efficient return to the facility, AGP installed low-cost IoT tracking devices from NZ’s Pollin8, which communicate over Thinxtra’s 0G Network. This allows the manufacturer to track assets in real-time so they can be retrieved efficiently to maintain its four-day order-to-delivery service. “Before AGP came to market, the time from ordering the glass to delivery was unpredictable, and customers never quite knew specifically when their products would arrive. We have completely disrupted the market by delivering in four days,” said Gene Sanford at AGP. “Having Pollin8 and Thinxtra’s joint IoT solution in place from the start has proved central to our ability to deliver this level of service. Rather than resorting to the time consuming task of counting assets on a map with a basic GPS solution, we have a dashboard and data that inform us which customer has the trolleys and how long they have had them, enabling us to quickly take action to maintain our high service levels. “Our customers’ cash flow can be improved significantly knowing their supply will be delivered on time; getting our assets back quickly […]

Power your future with clean, renewable energy

-Barbara Nebel, CEO thinkstep-anz Every manufacturer needs reliable, affordable energy. The electricity you use, the thermal energy or coal that powers your boilers, the liquid fuels that run your vehicles – energy is one of your business’ most important resources. So, let’s take your energy requirements a step further. Adding ‘clean, renewable energy’ to the list will make your manufacturing operations less dependent on fossil fuels and help avert climate catastrophe. Include a ‘resilient source of energy’ and you’ll help your business withstand potential energy shocks as geo-political tensions grow. Reliable. Affordable. Clean. Renewable. Resilient. That’s a lot to ask of an energy source! Or is it? In this article we show you how to get started – and where to look as you become more ambitious. 1. Start with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The 17 SDGs aim to end poverty, protect the planet, promote prosperity, and ensure peace for all. All 193 UN member states, including New Zealand, have adopted the goals. Based on our thinkstep-anz research, the Climate Change goal (SDG 13) is the top sustainability priority for companies in New Zealand and Australia – and maybe for your manufacturing business too. For many manufacturers, SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) will be another critical goal. SDG 7 and SDG 13 share some common targets: encouraging energy resilience, moving away from fossil fuels, and improving access to clean energy. Tackling either goal is a win for your business, our planet and its people. Operational efficiency + sustainable action together! Windmill on grass field during golden hour. Photo credit: Karsten Würth on Unsplash. 2. Understand your energy consumption 100% renewable energy is SDG 7’s holy grail. The share of renewables in New Zealand’s total primary energy supply is currently around 40% (MBIE, 2020). We’re not where we […]

Six tips for going circular (from manufacturers who are doing it)

-Jim Goddin, thinkstep-anz Every expert was once a beginner – and that includes the three New Zealand and Australian manufacturers who share their circular economy (CE) expertise here. Ged Finch, Jason Graham-Nye and David Bell run or work in manufacturing businesses based on CE principles. Ged is R&D Manager at XFrame, a business which designs and manufactures reusable prefabricated structural framing. Jason co-founded gDiapers which designs and makes compostable nappies. David is Manager Sustainability and Insight at steel recycler, manufacturer and distributor InfraBuild. Our three experts have learned a lot about CE since they started out. In a recent thinkstep-anz webinar, they shared their tips for taking a manufacturing business circular. Their advice is relevant for businesses that design and manufacture their own products and for contract manufacturers too. Before we hear from our experts, here’s a look at CE and how it can add value to your manufacturing business. Circular economy in a nutshell CE is often confused with recycling. It’s much (much!) more. CE is based on three principles. Here’s how they play out in the real world of product design and manufacturing at XFrame, gDiapers and InfraBuild. Principle 1: designing out waste and pollution XFrame estimates that their reusable framing can reduce construction waste from a single home by up to 5 tonnes. gDiapers’ products eliminate waste from disposable nappies. InfraBuild recycled 1.4 m tonnes of scrap metal in Australia in 2021. Principle 2: keeping products and materials in use More than 95% of the materials in an X-Frame building can be recovered and reused, many times. The materials in gDiapers’ nappies can be composted and put back into the soil. InfraBuild keep materials in use by feeding their electric arc furnaces with 100% scrap metal wherever possible. Principle 3: regenerating natural systems The timber XFrame use to manufacture […]

What does a circular economy look like?

Part 2 of 2 of thinkstep-anz’s circular economy series By Dr. Jim Goddin In last month’s issue we introduced the circular economy’s inner and outer ‘loops’. Unlike the outermost loops, which focus on avoiding waste and recycling, the inner loops focus on recovering the significant value (manufacturing, intellectual property, branding, advertising, and services) that is lost when products are recycled. We called for greater ambition from New Zealand businesses and the Government to tackle these inner loops and set out the circular and economic advantages of doing this. Here we share local and international examples of companies tackling the inner loops – through their products, supply chains and business models. Designing products and systems with circularity in mind Reusabowl: circular products and systems Reusabowl provides a solution for waste created by single-use takeaway containers. The reusable food container goes far beyond recycling. The Wellington-based company has a reuse network that consists of many of the city’s eateries, making it easy for customers to pick up and drop off bowls at various locations. Reusabowl has also designed the systems around their product with circularity in mind. The Reusabowl container is made with a by-product of the rice-making process that would otherwise go to waste. At the end of their useful life, the bowls are collected and commercially composted. Lids for their containers are made of food-grade silicone and get recycled into headphones at the end of their life. XFrame: circular design tackling waste in the building industry Another example is XFrame, a structural wall framing system that allows walls to be deconstructed and reused many times. XFrame’s circular design tackles the source of New Zealand’s single largest contributor to landfills: the building industry. The Sustainable Business Network notes that construction projects using XFrame reduce the quantity of waste sent to landfills […]

The value of materials and manufacturing in a circular economy

Part 1 of 2 of thinkstep-anz’s circular economy series By Dr. Jim Goddin Circular products are built to last. The materials that make them up stay in use for as long as possible. When they can no longer be used in their original form, they contribute to other products. A circular economy is based on three principles: designing out waste, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. Circular economy thinking is gaining traction in New Zealand and Australia but focuses predominantly on avoiding or minimising waste through recycling. In New Zealand, waste — especially single-use packaging and plastic waste — has enjoyed the spotlight as a high-priority environmental issue for quite some time. In the latest Better Futures report by Colmar Brunton, two of the top ten concerns for New Zealanders were not enough waste being recycled and, overpackaging, non-recyclable packaging and the amount of waste going to landfill. Yet, waste remains a stubborn issue to tackle. Waste avoidance through recycling is a prominent component of the circular economy and is, from a practical perspective, where most products will need to end up. Recycling is, however, the outermost ‘loop’ in the circular economy model, with materials typically representing a tiny portion of the economic value of products. Recovering the more substantial value added to materials through manufacturing is a more significant portion of the prize at stake. The inner loops of the circular economy model Dig a little deeper into the circular economy model and you get to the inner ‘loops’ where the systems-level change happens. Strategies in the inner loops of the circular economy include product life extension, enhanced product utilisation (through leasing models for example), reuse, repair and remanufacturing. The inner loops address the root causes of waste: overproduction and overconsumption. A key economic advantage […]

EECA building energy use picture amongst NZ food and beverage businesses

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) is building a picture of energy use in the NZ Food and Beverage sector (not including dairy, meat and seafood). Importantly, the findings of this project will help EECA to design effective programmes to support energy efficiency and decarbonisation for the Food and Beverage sector. To participate in the study – a simple survey, which is due in by the end of October – should take 15-20 minutes and can be completed online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MTPVXPP

Good as gold: Waste in a circular economy

By Barbara Nebel and Femi Perumbally https://www.thinkstep-anz.com/ There is no waste in a circular economy, only resources and opportunities to use them to their full potential. Unlike a linear economy, a circular economy or ōhanga āmiomio, proposes a model in which economic growth is not connected to an increased use of limited, natural resources. Instead, growth in a circular economy relies on designing products and systems for longevity in their first life and recyclability and reusability for consequent lives. Therefore, we can keep resources in use for as long as possible and reduce the demand for raw (virgin) material — getting the most value out of existing materials and reducing the costs of material extraction methods in the process. However, we currently live in a linear economy with a take-make-dispose model in which waste is inevitable. While there is still a way to go before we reach a truly circular economy, some businesses are leading the transition with innovative approaches to create value with waste-based products. From galvanising to paint to IT equipment waste, we look at some of the local businesses creating golden opportunities with waste. Zincovery — Creating a waste free industry The galvanised steel industry produces a waste acid with a high concentration of zinc — an eco-toxin that is essential for humans in trace amounts but toxic to aquatic life. Generally, this is disposed of via wastewater and landfill after treatment. However, this results in the loss of zinc, a useful mineral, and its incomplete removal from wastewater degrades most sewage treatment processes and causes environmental damage to waterways. Zincovery tackles these issues by taking the waste acid and recycling it while also recovering zinc. While extracting valuable materials from waste is certainly circular economy friendly, it does not necessarily have to be climate friendly. Zincovery […]

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The Circular Economy