Embracing a circular economy for a sustainable future in hygiene services

Have you ever thought about how long we can keep using up natural resources to manufacture products, use them for a short time and then throw them away? Our globalised consumer society has produced goods such as electronic devices, electrical devices, fashion, clothing and cars like this for decades. This model has thrived in the past because we’ve all appreciated the affordability of low-cost products and producers embraced it because of the significant gains it brought. However, we now realise that it doesn’t take into account the high costs to us all of the waste, pollution, and environmental and social impacts along supply chains. Isn’t it time we rethink how we consume?

This is where the circular economy comes in. It’s a new way of thinking that focuses on systems that minimise waste and optimise the use of resources by focusing on keeping materials and products in use for as long as possible. 

In this blog, we first look at five key features of a circular economy for businesses and then describe how Rentokil Initial is adopting a circular economy model in its hygiene products and services.

5 features of a circular economy

1. Innovation and technology

Investing in innovation can lead to the development of new technologies and solutions that protect the environment, optimise resource usage, promote renewable energy, create eco-friendly materials, and provide new means to reduce waste throughout the supply chain and product lifecycle. It can produce more durable, repairable, reusable, and recyclable components and products, including the development of new materials and manufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling techniques.

2. Product design

Did you know that up to 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage? In a circular economy, products are conceived and designed to extend their lifespan, facilitate repairs, and enable easy disassembly for recycling or repurposing. It is partly reliant on the development of new technologies, which allows product designers to incorporate new materials and components that have minimal environmental impact throughout their life cycles, from extraction to disposal.

3. Responsible sourcing

Responsible sourcing prioritises purchasing products that are renewable, biodegradable, recyclable, or have high recycled content. It aims to minimise the carbon footprint, water usage and pollution throughout supply chains. The goal is to create a closed-loop system where products and materials retain their value and can be continuously reused or recycled. It also takes into account ethical issues such as fair labour practices in suppliers, ensuring workers involved in raw material production or manufacturing and supply processes are treated equitably.

4. Waste redefinition: reimagining the end-of-life cycle

The circular economy aims to minimise waste generation and maximise reuse and recycling. Waste is regarded as a valuable resource that can be repurposed or used to recycle materials, diverting them from landfills or incineration where possible and feeding them back into the economy. It is also often reliant on the development of new technologies that allow reuse or recycling of existing products.

5. Consumer education and behavioural shifts

Educating consumers about the circular economy is crucial to bringing about a change in producer behaviour. To make a difference, consumers need to change their mindset from buying disposable products to choosing items that are designed for durability and extended use. By opting for higher-quality goods that last longer and are more sustainable, we can reduce the frequency of replacements and minimise waste generation.

Consumers can also demand transparency from businesses regarding their sustainability practices, ethical sourcing and the lifecycle of products. Encouraging transparency and holding companies accountable for their environmental impact can have a positive impact on driving change.

How Initial is working towards a circular economy

Initial has adopted a circular economy model, centred around four pledges to ensure increasing sustainability in all operations to deliver the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2040.

1. Sustainable solutions from beginning to end: to design and develop solutions that have sustainability in mind across their entire lifecycle.
2. Live, breathe and act sustainably: to look at all aspects of our operations, workplaces and supply chains, working with our people to build a culture of sustainability, where we’re proactively taking measures to reduce our environmental impact.
3. Reduce, reuse, recycle: to measure and reduce the waste we generate as a business to zero landfill and incineration while increasing the use of recycled materials in our products and across our operations.
4. Partner to preserve the planet: To build long-term partnerships that support greater biodiversity and positively benefit the environment for future generations.

A dedicated Hygiene & Wellbeing R&D Centre for sustainable innovation, product testing and validation was opened in 2021, to drive leadership in product development for a circular economy. Our hygiene innovation and product development teams are 100% focused on projects that drive sustainable innovation. The building achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating for sustainability performance and has photovoltaic panels on the roof.

There are already several tangible benefits for Initial in the drive towards sustainability, including:

1. Over 200,000 hygiene units were refurbished over the past four years in France and Italy.
2. No-touch hygiene products use large amounts of single-use batteries when added up in devices on customer premises over a whole region. Battery recycling has reached 45% in the Pacific region and 50% in Europe.
3. Virgin plastic is being designed out of our products and packaging. All plastic used in packaging for Signature soap dispensers is now 100% recycled plastic.

Jason Lannie, Group Safety, Health & Environment Director for Rentokil Initial, explained the reasoning behind the adoption of sustainability across all aspects of the company’s operations, “A circular business supports our commitment to sustainability while continuously improving the efficiency of our services and/or product offerings to our customers. With a circular business, we can drive reductions in raw material use, seek opportunities to redesign our products and services to be less resource intensive and recapture waste by recycling and/or refurbishing products to give them a second life, all of which support our commitment and responsibility to preserving our planet.”

Learn more about eco-friendly hygiene solutions and services

The adoption of a circular economy has profound implications for the way businesses operate. Embracing its principles offers a viable path to a more sustainable and rewarding future, which can only be achieved by the collective action and commitment from consumers, businesses and policymakers. From soaps made from sustainable natural ingredients to recycled packaging, we’re driving significant change across our business and industry by considering the environmental impact of our product development process, operations, supply chain and ongoing partnerships. Learn more about how our effective hygiene solutions can help you achieve your sustainability goals.