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Circular Economy

The constant stream of new models, products and processes that are helping organizations extend the useful life of resources and materials while reducing, repurposing and ultimately eliminating waste in all its forms

Trending: Retailers Embrace Reuse, Credits in Ongoing Fight Against Plastic Waste

rePurpose Global helps Thrive Market achieve plastic neutrality for its own-brand products, while The Body Shop expands its refillable offerings in the US. Read More...

New Beer Made from Treated Wastewater Highlights Potential of Water Reuse

The San Francisco Bay Area-based pilot project reallocated 2,000 gallons of treated water from a residential high-rise to become more than 7,000 cans of beer. Read More...

The Problem with Recycling, Part 3: Reducing Confusion and Boosting Consumer Confidence

This is the third in a three-part series covering key opportunities to turn 'the plastic-recycling problem' into a sustainable, circular plastic economy. Read More...

New Study Uses Norway as Test Case for Achieving Circularity, Net Zero by 2040

Norway is the first country to scrutinize such a comprehensive scope of plastic sectors, making this study one of the most holistic views of a national plastic system ever presented. Read More...

Mixed-Income, Net-Zero Community Under Development in Michigan

THRIVE Collaborative designed Veridian from an honest look at what is actually required for a housing community to achieve net-zero goals. Read More...

Alarming IPCC Report Makes It Clear: We Can’t Wait to Invest in Nature

Nature-based solutions aren’t a silver-bullet climate solution, but neither is placing all bets on future technologies. If we don't invest in nature now, we can soon expect to spend far more on climate damage with far fewer paths forward. Read More...

First Liquid-Heat Engine Can Upcycle 70% of the World’s Waste Heat Into Clean Energy

Luminescent’s circular solution uses isothermal processes to capture and store waste heat, transforming a previously inaccessible resource into zero-waste power. Read More...

New Guide Details Tangible Solutions for Retailers to Move ‘Beyond the Bag’

Playbook highlights solutions from the Consortium to Reinvent the Retail Bag that drive near-term, positive environmental impact and cost savings from eliminating single-use plastic bags. Read More...

Recenter and Accelerate: Japanese Brands Discuss Future-Proofing the Country’s Economy

“How is the world transforming itself, and how is that going to be linked to corporate activities? We need to achieve symbiosis with that.” — Akihiro Inatsugi, Bridgestone Read More...

The Problem with Recycling, Part 2: Increasing Recycled Content in New Products

This is the second in a three-part series covering key opportunities to turn “the plastic recycling problem” into a circular economy for plastics. Read More...

Not Their Waste, But Still Their Problem: How Alaska Is Managing an Influx of Global Marine Debris

A multi-stakeholder, community-based collaboration and an innovative model of plastic-waste recovery are helping to clean up the Gulf of Alaska. Read More...

McKinsey: Circular Economy for Cement Could Be Worth €110B by 2050

The concrete industry is responsible for 8% of all global carbon emissions; and 30-40% of today’s solid waste is created through the construction and maintenance of the built environment. Read More...

Investor Coalition to Engage Seafood Sector on Key Nature Risks, Impacts

New WWF research shows some banks and investors recognize the potential for ESG risks in seafood but most lack robust or actionable policies. Read More...

How Costa Rica’s Decarbonization Plans Aim to Protect ‘Pura Vida’

Costa Rica is highly exposed to climate-change risks. But the tiny, lush, Central American country is leading a quiet revolution in how it both adapts to such changes and mitigates its own GHGs. Read More...

Linked Climate Variability Between Distant Regions Highlights Interconnectivity of Global Climate Change

A new report on teleconnections between the Amazon rainforest and the Tibetan Plateau creates new understanding of interconnected tipping elements and their perilously close tipping points: “The major lesson here is that it’s a small world.” Read More...

Truly Closing the Loop: The ‘Recyclable’ vs ‘Circular’ Distinction

The term 'recycling' has become ubiquitous in our daily lives, but the nuances between ‘recyclable’ and ‘circular’ are often misunderstood. Understanding the distinction between the two is crucial in achieving a sustainable future. Read More...

What Would the Naturalist President, Teddy Roosevelt, Make of the Business-Nature Relationship in 2023?

In his assessment, Roosevelt might consider three fundamental, ongoing developments — as the business world finally begins to recognize the role of healthy ecosystems in a healthy economy. Read More...

The Ugly Company Raises $9M to Grow Market, Capacity for Upcycled Fruit Empire

The dried fruit snack maker is on a mission to put a dent in the massive produce waste issue on farms in California’s Central Valley, while teaching consumers the value in ‘food waste.’ Read More...

The Problem with Recycling, Part 1: How Can We Fix the Broken Plastic-Recycling System?

This is the first in a three-part series in which we break down key barriers and opportunities to turn ‘the plastic recycling problem’ into a circular plastics economy. Read More...

3 Energy and Sustainability Trends to Watch in 2023

With the year in full swing, we expect to see further innovations to increase energy efficiency, reduce water consumption; and overall, advance sustainability in the energy industry. Read More...

Upcoming Events

October 14-17, 2024
SB'24 San Diego
US Event
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December 11-12, 2024
SB Member Network: Shifting Customer Behavior and Demand December Member Meeting
Member Event
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March 18-19, 2025
SB'25 Tokyo Marunouchi
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