ECS calls for increased efforts towards a circular economy

August 18, 2020

Following the recent release of a study carried out by SYSTEMIQ and The Pew Charitable Trusts, facts and figures show that pollution is rapidly outpacing all efforts to halt climate change.

Effective Consumable Solutions (UK) Ltd (ECS), the Remanufacturer and Collector of the Year, has suggested that all industries, including the remanufacturing industry must increase efforts to push towards circularity – a more circular economy which reuses resources rather than requiring the constant use of new raw materials. The Study by The Pew Charitable Trusts suggests that at the worlds current rate of operation there will be double the amount of plastic on the market in 20 years’ time, while the amount of plastic entering our oceans will have tripled.

ECS’s Director Felicity Rabbitte said: “Working towards a complete circular economy will enable us to reduce the amount of plastic entering our oceans by 80%, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% and create thousands of jobs, however, at our current rate of production, combined with our methods of packaging, we’re going in the opposite direction to where we should be heading.”

For our industry, ECS suggests that the use of remanufactured cartridges and increased level of recycling are becoming more necessary in order to combat the consequences of our current levels of pollution. The remanufacturer has also suggested three major goals to keep in mind for all businesses:

• Eliminate plastics which are not necessary – in particular the plastics used in packaging
• Design effective products – ones that are made of materials that can and will be recycled and don’t use any product that cannot be reused
• Innovative – create business models and actions which work towards a circular economy rather than away from it

During their own processes, ECS explained, that not a single material goes to waste during their remanufacturing and recycling processes, even parts which are no longer required or are damaged. These specific items are sent to their approved recycling partners who make further use of the materials, therefore prolonging their lifecycle and reducing the need for more raw materials.

Earlier this month, the European Toner and Inkjet Remanufacturers Association (ETIRA) issued an open letter to the EU, demanding ‘fast action’ to stop the ‘devastating impact’ the printing industry is having on the environment.

The letter, published on ETIRA’s website, responded to the EU’s Circular Economy report, stating that at present, consumers and small business owners are currently tied to buying expensive, environmentally damaging ink cartridge replacements from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), rather than being given the choice to reuse them time and again.

ETIRA is calling on the European Commission to end this negative cycle, by banning chips and firmware updates, introducing a minimum number for reuse cartridges, and by stopping the import of cheap and polluting single-use cartridges from outside the EU.

Categories : Around the Industry

Tags : Circular economy ECS Plastics