As the circular economy continues to grow, numerous promising projects are emerging, both here at home and around the world, offering hope for the environment. By adopting a circular economy approach, these initiatives demonstrate how we can reduce our reliance on natural resources and rethink how we produce and consume.
Since environmental news isn’t always uplifting, we wanted to share five initiatives that have recently caught our attention and inspired us.
Reminder: What Is the Circular Economy?
The circular economy is an economic model, different from the linear economy, that aims to produce goods and services while reducing the reliance on finite resources, residual materials, and waste production.
As its name suggests, the circular economy applies a circular approach to optimize both the production and product life cycles, enabling the reuse of resources—this concept is central to circular economy principles. By relying on economic actions such as reduction, reuse, recycling, and recovery (the 3Rs + recovery), and incorporating recycled materials, the circular economy creates economic opportunity while maximizing efficiency and sustainability.
5 Circular Economy Initiatives in 2024
1- Paving the Way with Roads Made from Recycled Plastic
Around the globe, roads made with melted plastic waste mixed into paving materials are becoming more common. By replacing 4% to 10% of the bitumen with recycled plastic, this approach introduces innovative solutions to address plastic pollution while advancing construction materials. These roads are a practical example of how circular products can reduce waste and support the circular economy transition.
In countries like India, Ghana, the UK, Asia, Europe, South Africa, Mexico, and now the United States, these new roads are preventing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of plastic from ending up in transfer stations or landfills.
The best part? Studies show that these roads not only reduce waste but also create economic activity by producing longer-lasting roads that can withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, water damage—and even potholes!
The PlasticRoad project (now known as CirculinQ) in the Netherlands has taken this even further by incorporating circular economy principles to create prefabricated road structures made from 70% single-use plastic waste. These LEGO-like road panels work in harmony with natural systems, enduring temperatures as low as -40°C (hello, Canadian winters!) and resisting corrosion.
Could this be the end of asphalt? Only time will tell.
2- A Second Life for Electric Vehicle Batteries
While electric vehicles are often seen as the future of road transportation, recycling and recovering their batteries remains a major challenge. How can we prevent these batteries from contributing to the growing issue of electronic waste? The German start-up Voltfang has found a circular solution: giving used EV batteries a second life by transforming them into devices that store renewable energy. This approach not only improves resource efficiency but also opens up new business opportunities by promoting renewable resources.
These storage devices allow businesses and industries to access energy during peak activity periods while preventing overloading of the power grid. By focusing on recyclable materials and aligning with circular economy principles, this innovation supports sustainable consumption and energy production. Reducing waste while enabling cleaner energy—now that’s a forward-thinking solution.
3- Mushrooms: A New Kind of Building Material
Beyond growing in forests and appearing on your plate, mushrooms might soon insulate your walls! That’s the idea behind the Mycomaterials project by the Quebec-based company Mycelium Remedium Mycotechnologies. This innovative project aligns with the circular economy concept by developing thermal and acoustic insulation panels made from organic residues, such as agri-food, textile, and construction waste, combined with mushroom roots to replace traditional raw materials.
In addition to producing 67% fewer carbon emissions and costing 80% less than conventional materials, mycomaterials are made from biodegradable materials, have a low energy cost, and support circular systems that reduce reliance on non-renewable resources.
This focus on durable products and sustainable business models earned Mycomaterials a spot on the 2023 Circular Initiatives Awards list (proudly supported by Cascades Fluff & Tuff®!), which recognizes the best industrial environmental initiatives in Quebec, highlighting the durability of these products.
4- LOOPing Agri-Food into the Circular Economy
In March 2024, Quebec-based company LOOP Mission received $1.5 million in financial support from the Government of Canada after winning the Food Waste Reduction Challenge. The funding will help expand one of its initiatives, Loop Synergies, which plays a crucial role in advancing circular economy strategies by enabling other industry players to join the movement to reduce food waste and improve materials management.
Each year, about 58% of the food produced in Canada ends up in the garbage, highlighting the urgent need to rethink consumption patterns. So, what can be done to avoid all this waste?
Quebec’s LOOP Mission has taken matters into its own hands by creating an economy for food that transforms imperfect but perfectly edible foods into delicious new products.
Cold-pressed juices, gin, soda, and soap are all made from surplus produce rejected by supermarkets and wholesalers.
In 2024, the company is repurposing 130 tonnes of fruits and vegetables every week—and this is just the beginning of what’s possible with circular economy strategies!
5- A Roadmap to Foster the Circular Economy in Quebec
With Quebec’s circular economy rate currently at 3.5% (compared to the global average of 8.6%), the Government of Quebec rolled up its sleeves and, this past April, introduced a roadmap to boost the province’s performance in this area.
The plan aims to mobilize ministries and government organizations by implementing circular economy in action through strategies focused on five key sectors crucial to sustainable development: agri-food, construction, manufacturing, mining, and energy. These sectors are essential for reducing reliance on raw materials while tackling issues like plastic pollution and improving resource recovery.
Many municipalities and regions have also joined the effort, adopting circular models that encourage circular businesses and drive the global transition to sustainability—a critical step for future generations.
In Summary…
The circular economy is just getting started in Quebec, paving the way for countless opportunities to implement circular business models and create a more sustainable future.
There’s still a lot of work to do to protect our planet, and the circular transition requires everyone to pitch in—including us. By adopting circular economy solutions, we can ensure that valuable materials are reused to create sustainable products that benefit both people and the environment.
(If you haven’t already, we invite you to learn more about our approach to sustainable development!)
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