Circular Economy – Sustainability & Circularity
As the global voice of the chemical industry, the International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) is committed to playing a key role in the systemic transition to a circular economy as a key component of sustainability, whereby resources and materials are continuously cycled to eliminate waste while creating value for all. As chemistry provides the building blocks for more than 96 percent of all manufactured goods, our industry plays an integral role in reimagining the products, technologies, resources and systems that will power a circular, sustainable economy.
Progress toward a circular economy must include not only the responsible and efficient use of energy and natural resources, but also enable the reuse, reduction, repurposing, recycling and recovery of value locked in materials traditionally viewed as waste. The chemical industry initiates solutions to either keep valuable molecules in materials flowing through commerce longer or to enable their chemical recyclability. The chemicals industry is an indispensable actor to deliver the innovation ecosystem of this circular economy and to fulfil the societal demand for transparent information on chemicals in products that are safe for people and the environment.
Achieving this global vision will take time, collaboration and resolve. We are committed to prioritizing innovative material design and designing systems approaches that promote new business models, life-cycle thinking, risk-based policy frameworks, and advanced operational efficiency, materials reuse and resource conservation, in order to maintain the value of resources longer in the economy. We are doing so by taking a life-cycle approach with due consideration of solutions to close the loop at the end-of-life of an article and the energy requirements of such solutions.
To view ICCA’s full position on Circular Economy, click here.