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In our current economy we take materials from the earth, make products from them, and eventually throw them away as waste.

The process is mostly one-way and it operates as though:

• there is an infinite supply of resources
• the earth has infinite capacity to deal with our waste 

However this is not the case.

How a circular economy works

A circular economy is about reducing the amount of waste being produced in the first place. It is a model in which we:

• rethink and reduce our use of finite resources
• switch to renewing resources
• minimise waste
• maintain the value of products and materials for as long as possible

By designing out waste from concept to production and use, by-products and end-of-use waste can be a resource, and a valuable secondary raw material.

Becoming a circular economy requires all levels of society - government, businesses, innovators, investors, entrepreneurs and consumers - to play their part in the process and work together to minimise disruption.

How to become a circular business

A circular business maximises benefits from all its resources, while reducing negative environmental impacts from their use.

Innovation is central to achieving greater outputs through more efficient use of resources. By doing things differently businesses can create value which is essential for driving productivity and competitiveness.

Circular use of materials in your business may need new process improvements, data and analytics, emerging technology, skills and more agile thinking to increase productivity.

You may be able to reuse materials and equipment in your own business or another organisation may be able to reuse your unwanted and wasted resources.

Reusing resources can reduce the costs of buying raw materials or having to pay for disposal. You may also be able to generate income from materials and goods that are valuable to another business.

Reusing wasted resources within your business

The goods and materials you can reuse will depend on your type of business. Office-based businesses, for example, can:

• refill toner and ink-jet cartridges
• use waste paper as notepaper
• use durable cups, mugs, glasses and cutlery rather than disposable alternatives
• reuse envelopes and other packaging
• donate used equipment and furniture to charities
• use greywater recycling systems for your toilets

Manufacturing businesses, for example, may be able to reuse packaging and off-cuts, and capture waste heat generated by manufacturing processes for heating or reuse elsewhere in production.

You should speak to your staff and ask them to 'think before they throw' as someone else may want to use their waste.

Reuse by other organisations

You can offer unwanted materials to other organisations which can use them without alteration, such as:

• production by-products
• second-hand products
• end-of-line products
• obsolete equipment

Industrial symbiosis encourages resource matching between businesses - you can find out more about the advantages and disadvanges of trading waste and what resource matching is.

You could try business-to-business online waste exchanges which trade a wide range of used industrial materials and equipment. You may also be able to sell goods and materials on online auction sites.

Donating goods and materials can improve the image of your business and demonstrate your corporate social responsibility.

Whichever way you choose to deal with your wasted resources, you are responsible for making sure you comply with your duty of care for business waste.

Resource matching is the transferring of unwanted materials from one business or organisation to be reused, recycled, reprocessed and repackaged by another.

Agreeing to receive wasted resources can be on the basis of:

• being paid for waste
• paying nothing for its removal
• paying less than the cost for its disposal

Invest NI has a free Industrial Symbiosis Service that provides guidance and introductions on how to achieve resource matching specific to your business needs. The Industrial Symbiosis Service can introduce you to a broad range of solutions and partners including businesses, social enterprises, charities, and other third sector organisations.

Examples of successful resource matching

Wasted materials which can be successfully matched come from a variety of sources and processes. Here are some recent examples of different types of resource matching which have been successfully 91香蕉黄色视频ed by Invest NI's Industrial Symbiosis Service:

Redundant raw materials

• Problem: unopened bags of sodium chloride that no longer met production guidelines now surplus to requirements.
• Solution: another industry sector can use that material for boiler water treatment.
• Benefits: avoided disposal costs as a chemical waste, accessed a cheaper source of new product for boiler water treatment processes.

Improving operating costs and productivity

• Problem: pulverising blades costing a manufacturer significant downtime and sharpening costs.
• Solutions: introduced to a local company that applied their design and special purpose machine skills and production capacity to produce a machine to sharpen blades on site.
• Benefits: reduced shipping and transportation costs, reduced production downtime, improved blade quality, improved product specification.

Waste packaging

• Problem: over 100 hessian sacks a week destined for landfill accumulating at a coffee roasting company.
• Solutions: used for set and stage decoration at music festivals and multi-use venues; environmentally friendly alternative for floating paths in vulnerable peaty ground in mountainous areas, beekeeping functions.
• Benefits: improved land management and conservation work, cost savings on new materials for set and stage decoration, avoided landfill disposal.

Cross-sectoral resource matching

• Problem: sole trader with niche production requirements needed to source sustainable and ethical materials to handcraft yoga bags.
• Solution: PVC truck tarpaulins destined for landfill met the product specifications including colour, texture and durability.
• Benefits: removed waste management costs, reuse of materials for new product development.

If you have a wasted resource, or a niche material need that could be fulfilled by other businesses' waste, .

Finding reuse and recycling solutions helps businesses reduce waste management producers, while helping potential users reduce raw material costs.

It also fosters the development of partnerships between businesses, and offers networking and collaborative opportunities to small firms.

A business improvement technique called resource matching or industrial symbiosis provides businesses with the opportunity to match an excess of any resource such as waste, transport, storage, skills, capacity, energy, with other businesses that could use that resource.

Invest Northern Ireland's Resource Matching service works directly with businesses of all sizes and from all sectors. Experienced industrial symbiosis practitioners provide .

Resource Matching Workshops are a key element of the service and facilitate businesses in resource efficiency and industrial symbiosis.

The Resource Matching Service also partners with trade organisations and research organisations to bring innovative and specific solutions to businesses.

Resource matching activities can include:

• advisory visits to review business production from raw material input to final product and wasted resources generated
• quick win workshops
• cross-sectoral networking
• identification of potential matches between business participants
• follow-up visits with businesses to progress synergies
• referrals to other Invest NI 91香蕉黄色视频

Relevant businesses can receive details of available resources and activities through emails, phone calls, visits and referrals to Invest NI.

The Resource Matching service can introduce you to a broad range of solutions including social enterprises, charities, and other third sector organisations.

Before you get involved in a waste exchange programme you should be aware of certain key issues:

• the type of waste you produce or the type of waste you can use
• the waste exchange method and associated costs
• legal and contractual responsibilities such as terms of payment, obligations, material specifications, legal compliance and duty of care

Finding waste streams with exchange potential is becoming easier with the development of web-based exchanges. These enable you to identify potential exchange partners.

To exchange waste legally and safely you must ensure that the business to which you sell your waste is licensed to receive it. You are responsible for the waste until the exchange partner receives it, and are therefore accountable throughout the handling and transport stages.

Finding reliable exchange partners and waste carrier services is a vital part of the waste exchange process.

It is important to have an official contract between yourself and the waste exchange partner, both for those supplying waste or those collecting waste from you.

Some wasted resources can retain enough value to allow your business to put a price on them. There are a number of factors which can determine if it's worth your while.

Pricing your wasted resources depends on its nature, quantity and quality, and the demand within the market. Setting a competitive price can help you can trade successfully with a number of partners.

You need to account for the administrative and logistical activities involved in trading your waste. These may include:

• filling in paperwork
• collecting and delivering materials
• transporting and storing materials
• reprocessing materials if necessary

In some cases, where the resource can be reused without additional processing, it may be more beneficial to donate the materials rather than set a price.

It is important to keep up to date with the current value of the waste materials with which you are dealing. This will help you to offer competitive prices, and to understand the commercial value of the waste you are buying and/or selling -  (registration required).