Increasing the % of recycled content in the materials you source will help you achieve your emissions targets
In our current day and age, the vast majority of businesses are aware of the severity of the impacts related to climate change. However, for most of them, the huge climate impact of pulling materials out of the ground and preparing them for use comes as a big surprise. According to the International Resource Panel, extraction and primary processing of metals and other minerals is responsible for 20% of health impacts from air pollution and 26% of global GHG emissions.
Each year, the global business community consumes more materials. In 2021, over half a trillion tons of virgin materials were consumed, according to the 2022 Circularity Gap Report. This is 70% more than our earth can safely replenish! To make matters worse, over 90% of the materials are wasted. Yet if we look more closely and zoom in on for example GHG-reduction targets, we see that only 11% are hitting their reduction goals. With the growing attention to these issues, companies across the globe are being held accountable for their impact on climate change, waste, pollution, and resource depletion. As a result, target-setting has become very popular amongst business leaders.
At Circular IQ, we decided to write this blog to show companies a clear, easy to implement, and straightforward path to cut their emissions by implementing simple changes into their procurement processes. Using CTI Tool to identify and prioritize the most impactful improvement opportunities and generate the reports and dashboards help you activate stakeholders inside the organization and value chain.
Implementing this simple process at a small scale is showing amazing potential. For example, in the production of simple HDMI cables, ~80% of the materials’ GHG emissions can be saved by shifting to recycled materials. This has been calculated by using the globally accepted CTI framework, developed by WBCSD.
It is key to understand that the materials flowing into your organization and ending up in your products have the power to help you achieve your emissions targets. Then, it’s about motivating your design and sourcing departments to step away from virgin materials and establishing measurable objectives regarding the increase in recycled content you want to see across your product portfolio.
CTI Tool generates the insights you need to achieve your goals, measure your impact, and drive your sustainability agenda forward. Start measuring your impact right away at ctitool.com
Photo source: Marcin Jozwiak – Pexels
