The circular economy is a model that involves sharing, lending, reusing, repairing, reconditioning and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible.
The desire of consumers to be able to reduce their environmental impact even in their everyday shopping must be supported by retailers who, within their stores, should choose fittings that comply with certain sustainability criteria.
This is made possible by favouring in the procurement of supplies only companies that are able to produce durable, recyclable and/or recycled products. It is precisely here that we speak of a circular economy, when we decide to choose products that at the end of their life do not become waste but, if reused, can have hypothetically infinite new life cycles.
The companies themselves in a supply cycle should, with the help of certifications, be able to guarantee the lowest possible environmental impact.
This is possible through the reduction or total absence of disposable packaging, the choice of certified recycled and 100% recyclable materials, the reuse of production waste and end-of-life products, thus substantially reducing the amount of waste, and optimisation during design and production, guaranteeing products as durable as possible.
This is achieved through the reduction or total absence of single-use packaging, the choice of certified recycled and 100% recyclable materials, the reuse of production waste and end-of-life products, thus substantially reducing the amount of waste, and optimisation during design and production, ensuring products are as durable as possible.
Some of the environmental sustainability indicators that a company should keep track of are:
● Amount of water consumed
● Product life cycle
● Raw material used
● Carbon footprint
● Carbon dioxide emissions during transport
Retailers should make sure that the selected companies within their supply chain respect the above-mentioned milestones. This is part of a journey to meet the needs of an increasingly educated and environmentally sustainable customer base.