Scottish businesses must harness circular economy opportunities to tackle global emissions or be left behind, says Zero Waste Scotland

Businesses that don’t act now to meet growing public pressure to tackle the global climate emergency risk being left behind, as competitors pioneer business models that reduce carbon emissions and maximise use of limited materials, Zero Waste Scotland has warned.

The environmental expert said organisations must do more and examine how they produce, consume, and dispose of everyday items, in order to keep up.

Zero Waste Scotland stressed that firms achieving a more sustainable way of working would deliver huge results in cutting Scotland’s carbon footprint.

This is because four fifths of Scotland’s carbon footprint in generated through the heat and energy required to grow, make, process, transport, and provide materials that are often tossed aside at the end of their life.

By achieving greater value from their materials and working more efficiently, businesses have the opportunity to pioneer new methods that will work in the long-term as the implications of the climate emergency become clearer and start to have an impact.

Furthermore, the organisation warns that focusing efforts on making energy systems low carbon will not tackle global emissions alone.

Decarbonisation fails to address the demand for raw materials, which are often made elsewhere using carbon-intensive energy.

Only by considering how to make products with less reliance on raw materials, and by remaking items at the end of their original life into goods that can be used multiple times, will businesses be able to significantly reduce global emissions.

Iain Gulland, Chief Executive for Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We must radically change the way we think above and consume our goods and materials, and we must do that now. We need to accelerate our progress towards a circular economy.”

“Our ground-breaking Carbon Metric system for assessing the causes and consequences of our emissions has consistently shown that the vast majority are generated through the production, consumption, and waste of materials and products.”

“Around four fifths of our carbon footprint is caused by our huge consumption habit, and is fed primarily by goods which are manufactured abroad and imported. To tackle climate change we can’t ignore the emissions that are created overseas to feed our economy.”

“Too many businesses assume that reducing the cost to the planet means increasing costs for them. But as we have and will continue to make clear, the opportunities are plentiful, with massive saving to be made.”

“The current way of working cannot continue in the years ahead and successfully adopting a circular economy approach is the only long-term option.”