RETHINKING MATERIALS FOR A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
SEB EGERTON-READ · OCTOBER 21, 2015
In the 21st century, product and material choices hold greater importance than ever before. There is an informed and growing awareness of the problems faced by a finite supply of resources, including wood, metals and petroleum-based plastics. Furthermore, significant health concerns are being recognised related to toxic additives and VOC’s inherent in manufactured building materials, especially those used in the workplace, schools, hospitals and elsewhere. The continued growth in global population, landfill waste and associated costs of waste management alongside related issues of recyclability raise additional concerns that must be addressed by the marketplace.
Some of these challenges can be negated by new design approaches, that result in easier disassembly and recyclability, thus maximizing the value of ingredient materials and components in products. It also requires the development of new business models that provide even better services in sectors like mobility, which aid the more effective use of materials and products, and the increased efficiency in energy usage.
When it comes to those materials that are used, a commonly overlooked consideration is ensuring that the palette of materials used is effective, flexible and profitable in the long-term. What are the needs for material, component and product development in the global economy?
That’s where ECOR, a new material developed by Noble Environmental Technologies, has the potential, and is beginning to, play a key role. ECOR has been developed in the context of increasing awareness of finite material stocks and the need for a better circulation of resource value in the economy, utilizing waste cellulose fibre as the key ingredient.
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