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This collection features a selection of inspiring examples of the circular economy, compiled in the context of the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains programme (SWITCH).

Launched in 2020, SWITCH is a five-year initiative that assists EU multinational companies and their suppliers from developing countries to switch to more circular economy approaches and practices in three selected value chains: [Plastic Packaging](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=111), [Textile & Garments](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=99), and ICT and Electronics.

The overall objective of SWITCH is to support the “transformation towards a circular economy”, and to contribute to sustainable growth, low carbon and climate resilient development, decent jobs creation, and a safer, healthier and pollution-free environment.

SWITCH is co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, and implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with Chatham House, Circle Economy, and the European Investment Bank.
Learn more at www.switchtocircular.eu

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Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains

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This collection is being created to regroup all case studies related to the packaging industry (CAT purpose)

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Packaging collection

Business case

Designing products to be reused for the same or different purposes in multiple lifecycles

Design for reuse

Reduced use of virgin materials and/or an increase of the use of secondary and bio-based materials

Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)

Refining and processing ores and producing ferrous and non-ferrous metal and glass products, including packaging

Metal and Glass

Providing goods on the Internet, through mail order, or television, or providing goods in stores, including apparel, electronics, furniture, food and drug, etc.

Retail

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)

Selling parts of modular products that can be refilled

Sale of refillable parts

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

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

Using materials that can be easily reused or recycled after use

Reusable, recyclable materials and inputs

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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 A closed-loop cooling system is a water- and energy-saving alternative to traditional cooling towers.
An effective cooling process is vital to production, and nothing is more critical to this process than its efficient use of water. This means utilizing the best auxiliary products and systems available to most cost-effectively control water use, reuse and waste. Mastering this capability not only will boost profitability, but, ecologically speaking, it also can greatly reduce water and energy waste, minimizing the use of chemicals during the process.
The closed-loop cooling process is gaining momentum throughout the industry because it works, providing effective water reduction solutions for plastics processors everywhere. This article reviews the benefits of closing the loop within a process cooling system and what to look for in a system.
Closed-loop systems: a refresher
Frigel’s Ecodry closed-loop process cooling systems feature modular central coolers that can be added in order to satisfy the need for more process cooling capacity associated with plant expansions.
A closed-loop process cooling system uses ambient air to cool process water. The technology is a water- and energy-saving alternative to traditional cooling towers, which many US companies use for process cooling.
The operation of closed-loop systems is straightforward. The system features a central cooler that provides clean water at the right temperature to processes year-round. It uses heat exchangers and an internationally patented adiabatic chamber to cool water circulated to it from process machines.
In the adiabatic chamber, a fine mist of water is pulsed into the incoming airstream during high ambient temperature conditions. The mist evaporates instantly, cooling the air before it impinges on the cooling coils that carry the process water. The process drops the temperature at or below the setpoint. Cooled water then is recirculated to a facility’s process machines. A microprocessor-based controller automatically maintains targeted cooling temperatures.
Efficiency advantages of closing the loop
The biggest and most obvious benefit of the closed loop? Resource efficiency – particularly in the form of water savings. A closed-loop system is an attractive alternative to cooling towers because it reuses water, often translating into water savings of up to 98 percent, which results in cost savings. A cooling tower, conversely, is an open-loop system that does not reuse water. The result is water waste in the form of evaporation.
Cooling tower systems leave the water exposed to outside elements, requiring costly chemical treatment and disposal. Closed-loop systems, however, minimize these issues and all of the related maintenance costs.
Adapting the system for climate
Instead of the “one-temperature-fits-all” approach of a typical cooling tower/central chiller system, the closed-loop system can be configured to provide precise process water at each machine by pairing with machine-side chillers. This configuration not only improves part quality and cycle time, but also saves energy overall because the entire system can maintain a water temperature that’s higher than required at individual machines.
This capability is just one way the closed-loop system is more flexible in terms of energy use than a traditional cooling system. In fact, the system’s central cooler offers four different stages with varying levels of energy use, depending on ambient conditions and setpoint requirements.

Dry cooling. In moderate temperatures, the central cooler continuously routes water returning from the process through heat exchangers. Exhaust fans at the top of the central cooler ensure a steady stream of incoming cool air and outgoing heated air. The heat exchangers and exhaust fans together are all that’s needed to cool process water.
Adiabatic cooling. This function only activates in hot weather as needed to meet cooling needs.
Increased adiabatic cooling. A patent-pending “adiabatic booster system” enables the unit to deliver even lower process cooling water temperatures in the hottest climates, still without the use of central chiller.
“Free cooling.” The system automatically shuts down any chillers and lets the central cooler provide all the cool process water needed via ambient air flow.

Taken together, these capabilities mean that a closed-loop adiabatic process cooling system can reduce energy consumption for process cooling by as much as 50 percent as compared to a conventional cooling tower/central chiller system.
System design 101
A range of factors influences the design of a closed-loop system and its performance. When planning, consider the following:

System sizing. It requires an analysis of the cooling load required, as well as the process temperature to be maintained. A rule of thumb is for the system to provide 20 percent to 30 percent more capacity than needed. The calculation also should account for unclean cooling water because it can limit system performance.
Plant location. System performance is dependent on ambient conditions. All things being equal, a system in New Orleans typically will call for more cooling capacity than a system in Chicago.
Future plans. Whether a plant expansion is imminent or a remote possibility, the system design should support the potential need for more cooling capacity down the road.
Available footprint. Even though it can be located on the roof or the side of the facility, consider available space for the system. Also account for acceptable noise levels and other details, such as requirements for UL-listed electrical panels.

Equipment considerations
As the popularity of closed-loop systems grows, so does the number of equipment choices. A checklist of key considerations should include the following:
Modularity of auxiliary components. Some systems require more time to expand due to the need to connect manifolds, reservoirs and piping in the field, whereas a self-contained modular system expedites installation. Also eliminated with a modular “package” is the need to drain water from the system. The net result is less worry about plant downtime during an upgrade or expansion.
Cooling in unique conditions. Systems differ in how they cool process water in the hottest climates when high ambient temperatures routinely prevent water from reaching 90-95 degrees F (32-35 degrees C), or in situations when the application requires water temperature in the 85 degrees F range (30 degrees C). Some systems spray extra water directly on the heat exchanger, which can lead to exchanger pitting and premature maintenance. Conversely, a system that temporarily floods heat exchanger surfaces and also drains (and reuses) the excess water reduces the potential for pitting for system longevity.
Friendliness of programmable controls. The microprocessor-based control should be intuitive since it controls all functions. They also make it easier to optimize system performance and plan for routine maintenance. Check to see if the supplier provides remote Internet monitoring services if a higher level of support is the goal.
Use of protective materials. The materials used to construct system components vary by supplier. The shell of a central cooler, for example, might be built with galvanized steel, which doesn’t provide the same level of protection against the elements as stainless steel. Or, the heat exchangers might call for a more-resistive acrylic coating (standard on some brands) for use in harsh environments. Understanding the options and investing in protective materials often saves in the long run.
Functionality in tight spaces. A system might need to fit in a tight space, which is fine as long as airflow is unrestricted. Ensure the system is available with space-saving options such as roof panels that allow multiple central cooling units to be positioned more closely together. Another example is extended legs that support the cooler to provide ample airflow in smaller confines, sometimes even side-by-side.
Putting the needs of the operation first
Closed-loop cooling is a great way for plastics processors to enhance processes and achieve cost and resource efficiency. Selecting the right closed-loop process cooling system for a new or existing facility requires careful planning, expert advice and support. Partner with a proven supplier that not only has experience with cooling technologies, but also understands both the manufacturing processes involved and the overall goals of the operation.
Al Fosco is the global marketing manager for Frigel North America. Prior to joining Frigel in 2009, Fosco spent the 16 previous years with Conair’s Water Products Division, holding sales and engineering management positions, including vice president of sales and marketing and general manager of engineering. Prior to that, he spent 14 years in engineering and sales management at AEC. He has a master’s degree in Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics Engineering from the University of Illinois. 

         High multi-zone controlled cooling performance.Reduction of cycle time without waste   Minimum cooling time with maximum stability.Efficient and economical production   Special solutions for ultra-rapid cycles in multi-cavity molds.Productivity at the highest levels   Reduction of the cycle time with no sweating on the molds.Increase in production performance      Increased productivity in the packaging industry Ecodry System 4.0  Process-Synchronized Cooling Designed for increasing productivity in injection and blow molding of plastic packaging, thanks to the significant reduction in cooling time. It guarantees perfect stability, as well as considerable savings in operating costs and a reduction in environmental impact. Click on Hotspot ()and discover all the advantages of our solutions:                               

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Our story started in 1976. It began with our founder, Anita Roddick, opening a little green shop in Brighton with a belief in something revolutionary: that business could be a force for good. We’ve never been your average cosmetics company, with over 40 years of campaigning, change-making and smashing beauty industry standards – and we’re still going strong. Welcome to The Body Shop. Part of the Natura & Co group.

The Body Shop

<p>In order to reduce its plastic use, The Body Shop&nbsp;rolled out refill stations across 400 of its stores globally throughout 2021 and it is launching a further 400 in 2022.</p>

The Body Shop - refill program 

Initiatives with disadvantaged communities, minorities, people distanced from the labour market

Give-back programmes

Using waste materials that have been processed and recycled to produce new products within other industries

Using open loop recycled materials

Producing basic and specialty chemicals, inks, agricultural chemical such as fertilisers and pesticides, plastics including packaging, and rubber

Chemical and Plastic

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Working together with stakeholders and parties in other unrelated industries to implement circular economy strategies and opportunities

Cross-industry projects, pilots

  



 The NaturALL Bottle Alliance is a research consortium formed in 2017 by Danone, Nestlé Waters and bio-based materials development company Origin Materials to accelerate the development of innovative packaging solutions made with 100% sustainable and renewable resources. Today it announced that PepsiCo, Inc. has joined the Alliance to advance the shared goal of creating beverage containers with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The Alliance also provided a progress report in its goal of developing and launching a PET plastic bottle made from bio-based material. Launched in March 2017, the Alliance uses biomass feedstocks, such as previously used cardboard and sawdust, so it does not divert resources or land from food production for human or animal consumption. The technology being explored by the Alliance represents a scientific breakthrough for the sector, and the Alliance aims to make it available to the entire food and beverage industry. Read the full press release  

The NaturALL Bottle Alliance is a research consortium formed in 2017 by Danone, Nestlé Waters, and bio-based materials development company Origin Materials  to accelerate the development of innovative packaging solutions made with 100% sustainable and renewable resources. On Sept. 11, NaturALL announced that PepsiCo, Inc. has joined the alliance to advance the shared goal of creating beverage containers with a significantly reduced carbon footprint. The alliance also provided a progress report in its goal of developing and launching a PET bottle made from bio-based material. Launched a year ago in March, the alliance uses biomass feedstocks, such as previously used cardboard and sawdust, so it does not divert resources or land from food production for human or animal consumption. The alliance says the technology it is exploring represents a scientific breakthrough for the sector, which it aims to make available to the entire food and beverage industry. “Creating more sustainable packaging requires innovation through the value chain. Producing PET from sustainable bio-based sources that do not diminish food resources and are fully recyclable is a great example of such innovation and an important contributor to PepsiCo’s sustainable packaging program,” says Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo Vice Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer. “Through our Performance with Purpose agenda, PepsiCo is committed to reducing the carbon impact of packaging in line with our goal to reduce absolute emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 percent by 2030; bio-based PET has the potential to reduce significantly the carbon footprint of our PET bottles, a huge contribution to our efforts in this area. We are excited to add PepsiCo’s R&D capabilities to the alliance and look forward to seeing what the combined efforts of the alliance members can achieve.” “PepsiCo is a welcome addition to the alliance because we share the goal of making renewable plastic a reality,” says Origin Materials CEO John Bissell. “Through the combined efforts of its members, the NaturALL Bottle Alliance is setting the bar for sustainability for an entire industry.” Commentes Frédéric Jouin, Head of Research and Development for plastic materials at Danone, “We are very enthusiastic about PepsiCo joining the alliance. By bringing together major players and pooling our complementary expertise and resources, we can make 100-percent renewable and recyclable PET plastic at commercial scale a reality. We also expect to see additional opportunities for this breakthrough technology.” Massimo Casella, Nestlé Waters’ Head of Research and Development, adds, “We are pleased to welcome PepsiCo into the NaturALL Bottle Alliance. Their addition is further proof of the importance of this disruptive technology. The alliance has taken an important step in working together to tackle the challenges around plastic packaging. Developing 100-percent bio-based PET is one way Nestlé is working to use more materials from sustainably managed renewable resources.” Progress report After producing samples of 80% bio-based PET at pilot scale in 2017, the alliance has made further progress toward its goal of bringing its technology to full commercial scale. It has selected a site in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, with the assistance of Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, and has begun construction of its demonstration-scale plant. The major process equipment has been fabricated, and modules are under construction for this plant, which is expected to have a capacity of 18,000 tons of biomass and be fully operational by 2020. Following that milestone, the alliance plans to increase production to 95% bio-based PET and achieve full commercial-scale soon after. Alliance members plan to continue their joint R&D efforts to increase the level of bio-based content, with the ultimate objective of reaching 100%.

 WHERE WE ARE TODAY
Today, we systematically look to collaborate with public authorities and private companies to optimize formal Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) systems. In fact, Danone helped pioneer the concept of EPR in France with the founding of Eco-Emballages (today known as CITEO).
In countries where collection systems for recycling are informal, we work with local communities governments and partners like the Inter-American Development Bank to improve standards for waste collection and invest in recycling infrastructure. Danone and the Danone Ecosystem Fund have launched projects to support waste pickers in 7 countries, including by ensuring they work in a safe environment, are paid appropriate wages and afforded greater social protection. As of 2018, close to 6,000 waste pickers have been professionally empowered, and more than 45,000 tons of waste are recycled each year through these projects.
Finally, our brands have been working to engage consumers in the circular economy and support cutting edge research innovation.  For instance, evian® is taking part in a research mission with The Ocean Cleanup, a Dutch non-profit start up that has developed scalable advanced technologies to help rid the oceans of plastic, while Danone AQUA has pledged to recover more plastic than it uses in Indonesia, including through interception of marine littering. 

Bengaluru

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THE WORLD’S LARGEST AND MOST TRUSTED SOURCE OF FAIR-TRADE VERIFIED RECYCLED PLASTIC

Plastics for Change

<p>The Body Shop is committed to tackling the plastic crisis differently. The company is fighting for people and the planet with Community Trade recycled plastic from Bengaluru, India. The company trade will help empower the waste pickers it supports with access to more sanitary working conditions, a fair price and the respect and recognition they deserve.</p>