Drawdown Georgia Business Compact Members Announce Advances in Materials Circularity
CompostNow, Better Earth, and YKK introduce initiatives focused on reducing waste and maximizing resources
Three members of the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact (Compact) spent their summer making progress in their efforts to positively impact the circular economy. New initiatives include the launch of a new hard-to-recycle pickup service, introduction of an expanded line of compostable foodservice packaging, and a program to extend the lifespan of products in the apparel industry. To help members find circularity solutions, the Compact has launched a Materials Circularity Working Group. The first order of business is improving recycling and reverse logistics programs. Waste reduction is a universal issue for consumer products manufacturers and retailers seeking a holistic circle of solutions that include maintenance, refurbishment, reuse, recycling, and composting.
CompostNow is an organic recycling solutions provider with a network of collection services for homes, businesses, and municipalities. Serving key Southeastern cities, the company has deep expertise in hauling, logistics, production, and distribution. This summer, the company launched a hard-to-recycle pickup service, collecting items like plastic film, small electronics, and foam plastics. “We’ve been listening closely to our members’ requests for an easy solution to divert their hard-to-recycle items from the landfill,” says CompostNow Chief Operating Officer Kat Nigro, in Recycling Today. “Our new service further supports community members in their resource recovery and diversion efforts.” Each month, the company helps members divert and compost more than one million pounds of pre- and post-consumer organic waste.
Better Earth is a leader in sustainable foodservice packaging. With a range of compostable goods, the company’s product line is made entirely from renewable materials. This summer, Better Earth announced it achieved B Corp Certification, a prestigious accreditation recognizing social and environmental leadership and commitment to circularity in the food service sector. “Achieving B Corp Certification underscores Better Earth’s steadfast vision and mission from the outset,” says Savannah Seydel, the company’s VP of Sustainability, in Waste 360. “The introduction of our Climate Smart Packaging Collection marks just the beginning of our efforts to propel the food service industry towards a regenerative, circular future.” Expanding solutions and staff this spring, the company launched the first compostable foodservice packaging with domestic sourcing of regenerative perennial grasses.
YKK is a trim and fastener products company widely known as the world’s largest zipper manufacturer, producing about half of all zippers globally. Supporting the fashion industry’s focus on greater sustainability via longer use and reuse, YKK launched its Revived Renewal Series. This new set of four products allows zippers to be more easily repaired, solving a long-standing durability problem for consumers. “Large volumes of apparel products are thrown away each year, and the resulting environmental impact is becoming a major problem,” says Terry Tsukumo, YKK Corporation’s VP of product strategy, in Yahoo Tech. “[We] aim to streamline zipper repair work performed at brands’ repair centers and specialist repairers while striving to help bring about a circular society by enabling everyone to keep wearing their favorite clothing items for longer.”
Materials circularity is a widespread issue for manufacturers and retailers, impacting efforts to reduce materials and resources in the production process. To help support companies with their circularity initiatives, the Compact provides members with an existing database of recyclers they can access, and Creature Comforts Brewery in Athens has already used the database to connect with iSustain to recycle their woven grain bags. At the suggestion of members during the last Working Group meeting, the Compact is now leading the creation of a “hard to recycle materials” database and continues to explore ways to leverage collective impact, such as opportunities for joint materials collection. The Working Group has developed long-term goals, including empowering Compact members as they impact policies on reverse logistics, design more sustainable packaging, and find alternatives to plastic packaging.
Stay tuned to hear the latest developments in the Materials Circularity Working Group, as the Compact facilitates cooperative efforts to improve recycling and reverse logistics and supports sustainable materials in consumer products and packaging.
Are you a business leader in the state committed to sustainable solutions? Join other leading companies like these that are leveraging the collective impact of the Georgia business community to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the state. See how to Get Involved on the Compact’s website or email David Eady, director of industry engagement.