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Rethink 

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Business case

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Producing agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Producing and providing leisure and personal products and services for consumers, such as cleaning products, sports equipment and toys, personal and beauty care products, as well as domestic and personal services such as caretaking, cleaning, hairdressing and other beauty treatment, funeral and related activities

Personal Products and Services

Processing and producing food and beverages for consumption

Food and Beverage

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Utilise bio-based, reusable, non-toxic and non-critical materials

Regenerative materials

Using bio-based materials such as bioplastics, mushroom-based materials, etc.

Alternative bio-based materials and inputs

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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 Xampla has created the world’s first plant protein material for commercial use. Our next generation material performs like synthetic polymers, but decomposes naturally and fully, without harming the environment. Our mission is to replace the everyday single-use plastics you see all around, like sachets and flexible packaging films. And the less obvious, such as microplastics within liquids and lotions. How to pronounce Xampla [‘Zam-pluh’] 
THE HIDDEN PLASTICS PROBLEM
 Microplastics are commonly added to fabric softeners, shampoos and cosmetics, agricultural and industrial products. Many end up end up in the ocean, where they are ingested by marine life, blocking digestion, affecting nutrition and working their way up the food chain, potentially to humans. Every year, Europe alone releases a bulk amount of microplastics into the environment equivalent to 10bn plastic bottles. See how we are helping manufacturers make the transition from traditional plastics to a high performance, non-synthetic alternative: 

The hidden plastic inside products – and us our products and services Supramolecular Engineered Protein Xampla offers a natural solution to industry partners. Xampla has created the world’s first replacements for plastic made from plant protein, the highest performing natural polymer. Our technology is adaptable and flexible in application, and we work with clients to deliver bespoke solutions to replace plastics in their products, whilst ensuring no compromise on performance or customer experience. Xampla develops protein materials to provide solutions to meet industry’s needs. See how our revolutionary new Supramolecular Engineered Protein is leveraging plant protein’s natural ability to self-assemble into strong and flexible replacements for single-use plastic. 

Plant protein material: How we create it A White Paper on Xampla’s science is available on request for partners and customers, and Xampla’s academic founder Professor Tuomas Knowles introduces the science behind the company here. Updates Read our recent updates  UK technology company Xampla has launched its breakthrough vitamin microcapsule product to market, enabling brands to micropackage vitamins within beverages ...Read More
 Creator of natural alternatives to single-use plastic, Xampla, has been named among the top-50 green tech companies in Britain.  Following ...Read More
 Creator of natural alternatives to single-use plastic, Xampla, this week welcomes Sabina Burmester as Head of Engineering and Scott Thompson ...Read More
 Writing on environmental news website, Business Green, Xampla CEO Simon Hombersley argues that the UN process for developing a global ...Read More about us Xampla is a spin-out from the University of Cambridge.  Xampla’s team combines industry experience and scientific excellence.  The company is led by Executive Chair, Pete Hutton, and co-founder Dr Marc Rodriguez Garcia (CTO). Details of our full team and non-exec directors are here contact If you have any questions about our products you can either email us directly at info@xampla.com or give us a call on +44 (0)1223 827 140 to arrange a meeting. We’re located at the BioInnovation Centre, 25 Cambridge Science Park Road, Cambridge CB4 0FW 
 For media enquiries please contact media@xampla.com. To keep updated with what’s happening at Xampla, subscribe to our updates. By subscribing you agree to Xampla’s use of your contact details to send you newsletters and other marketing information. Your personal data will be treated in accordance with our privacy policy.  

Xampla's plastic-free products are made from pea protein and are completely biodegradable. Xampla has engineered a new class of biodegradable and biocompatible material made entirely from plant protein, which can in many cases replace synthetic materials and polymers used by industry. It's aim is to eradicate the need for single-use plastics.
The company was spun out from research in the lab of Professor Tuomas Knowles, who is now Scientific Adviser to the company. Dr Marc Rodriguez Garcia, who is a former postdoctoral researcher in the Knowles group, is Head of Research. Xampla was on the RSC ERC emerging technology shortlist in 2019.
In October 2020 the former Unilever chief sustainability officer and White House climate change adviser Jeff Seabright became chair of Xampla. Seabright says: “Xampla is the most exciting innovation I have worked on. It has potential to have a positive impact on a global scale and is a ground breaking solution for industries in desperate need of natural alternatives to plastic. I am very pleased to be joining as chair at this critical time.” 
Developed over 15 years with the help of Cambridge Enterprise, Xampla’s mission is to replace everyday plastics including bags, sachets, flexible packaging films, edible labels and microplastics used in homecare and personal products. It has raised over £7M in funding, and its first range of products will be launched later in 2021.

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Xampla

<p>Co-founded by Marc Rodriquez Garcia in 2018 Xampla offers the world’s first plant protein material for commercial use. A spin-out from the University of Cambridge, its natural polymer resin performs like synthetic polymers, but decomposes naturally and fully, without harming the environment. The company aims to replace the everyday single-use plastics, like sachets and flexible packaging films. And the less obvious, such as microplastics within liquids and lotions. Xampla is working with multi-national companies, including Britvic, Gousto and Croda on new technologies.</p>