What are the first steps towards circular production in a business

You could start by showing them a list of all the places where waste is created in an organization. (A template always works better than a blank piece of paper.)

Provide room in the list for them to add their unique waste, and allow them to strikethrough waste they don't generate.

Now they have 'their' list of waste sources.

List examples of how others have transformed waste sources - either by stopping/reducing the output and/or finding a way for it to become the input into another product. 

Provide an example of the value of the changes, comparing the 'full waste' scenario with a 'no waste' scenario. Without financial justification, few leaders will step forward. With it, they address their need to be financially responsible.

Hi Tatiana,

At first place I would suggest to define the sectors you are targeting to educate and convert - the less the better, because that will make the message to them much more effective. If sectors are more, than better prepare separate educational campaigns. From my experience simple videos or animations that explains the benefits from circular economy works perfect. 

To boost the awareness you can create case studies from each industry so the other businesses will read it easily.

Once you have somebody interested, you can go into more details:

• define type of waste, way of disposal by type, source and composition, volumes per period.
• as soon as you as NGO understand what kind of waste they have, it comes to your professional expertise to consult them how they can benefit from that. I agree with Michael that business reed numbers and in order a zero-waste project to have a "green light", they will need clear financial validation. In other words help them to calculate the numbers - suggest different technologies, vendors, consultants, etc. - anything that may put the idea into a step-by-step plan.

Hope that will help you.

Best, 

Mihail

Circular economy is inspired by the living system, meaning there is no such notion as waste. One species’ waste is another’s food, and accordingly, every waste piece should be a resource for the next production step. Recovering and reusing as many products and materials, on the one hand, and development of the product design that considers future material recovery, on the other hand, are essential for the circular business models. This mindset opposes to the traditional linear “take, make, dispose” system, introducing instead “make/remake, use/reuse” economy.

ask them to be vegan

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end of. 

;-) 

In the modern economy there are many service-based industries and companies with little (or even zero) materials processing - and therefore no waste to deal with. Has your NGO considered how they can still actively contribute to this great benevolent cause?

Financial markets are a great mechanism for value migration and nowadays in the world of investments and asset management there is an increasingly popular concept of ESG (for Environmental-Social-Governance) securities (stocks/shares and funds). So if someone cannot be a zero-waste business, they can invest in one.

Most large fund and asset managers have ESG strategies and offerings, but also millions of people worldwide are already insisting that their savings and retirement investments (pension funds) are invested in ESG-rated or compliant companies, and many actively discourage their fund managers to invest in polluting, climate-damaging or otherwise irresponsible businesses.

While looking inside an organisation to optimise resource usage and minimise waste remains viable (and a priority for manufacturing and other materials-intensive sectors), I would suggest that you also consider including the financial concept of ESG for those with little waste reduction potential.

You can start with education, dissemination of regulatory info and best practices, promoting ESG financial services and referring corporate and individual investors to providers who already have ESG offerings.

Just my $ 0.05 of an idea (no tax added) ????