The role of renewables – why the circular economy is about more than recycling

5 October 2015



The role of renewables – why the circular economy is about more than recycling


The role of renewables - why the circular economy is about more than recycling

By Richard Hands, Chief Executive, The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK).

Speculation continues to rage around the new EU Circular Economy proposals currently being considered by the Commission. What will these 'more ambitious proposals', due for release in the autumn, really contain - more of a focus on waste? A focus on raising recycling rates amongst specific materials such as plastic? These are two of the possibilities that have been floated.


The concept of a circular economy, in which materials are efficiently and responsibly used throughout their life-cycle, is becoming widely accepted. It provides consumers, industries and society as a whole with a way forward for making sustainable decisions.
However the focus is often placed on what happens to material at end-of-life rather than the beginning of a product's lifecycle, and it is here, and the role that renewable materials can play, where a different approach could be taken.
The current role renewable materials play, and their potential for the future, is not being properly reflected in the debate. For example the current phase of the Courtauld Commitment, the voluntary agreement aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing waste within the UK grocery sector, has nothing to say about the role of renewable materials in achieving its objective of a 2.9 million tonne reduction in CO2, focusing instead on increasing recycled content in packaging, improving packaging recyclability and reducing food waste.
A truly circular economy
There is a widely-held assumption that for packaging, using recycled materials, as opposed to 'virgin' materials, is automatically the best approach. That may be the case for non-renewable materials, but it is vital that we don't lose sight of the importance of responsibly-sourced renewable materials in a truly circular economy. If the potential of renewable materials to contribute to carbon reduction and the wider circular economy is discounted, an extremely important part of the overall approach is being overlooked.

Of course recycling is very important, and ACE UK is committed to increasing beverage carton recycling here in the UK. However, the economy cannot be an entirely 'closed loop' system relying only on secondary materials, there has to be an input of primary materials. This is where renewable materials can play a significant part in contributing to the circular economy concept, reducing environmental impact and improving resource-efficiency at the start of a product lifecycle.

Renewable material

Wood fibre, from which beverage cartons are made, is a renewable material - it is composed of biomass from a living source that is replaced at a rate equal or greater than the rate of use. There are also extremely important ecological benefits to sustainably-managed forestry in relation to biodiversity, habitat and soil and water management. As such it fulfils the internationally accepted definition of sustainability given by the Brundtland Commission: "[to meet] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

In the paper and board sector there is always a need for an input of virgin fibre into the system, as wood fibre can only be recycled about five times before it becomes too short and is lost in processing - but it is how this fibre is produced that is key.

Our member companies, are committed to the sourcing of wood fibre from responsibly managed forests, certified annually according to Chain of Custody (CoC) standards set by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). As they grow, these forests absorb CO2 and release oxygen, and because of the sound forest management practices the net volume of wood is actually increasing year-on-year.

As already stated, ACE UK is committed to improving recycling rates. We believe the use of recycled materials in a range of products, is important in carbon reduction and building a circular economy. So much so that in September 2013 we, in partnership with paper and packaging producer Sonoco Alcore, opened the UK's only dedicated recycling plant for beverage cartons, in Halifax, West Yorkshire.

This facility is capable of recycling up to 40% of the cartons manufactured each year for the UK food and drink market - that's 25,000 tonnes or 1.25 billion cartons - and provides:

- A clearly-defined domestic end destination for used beverage cartons - local authorities and residents can be assured their waste is being recycled in the UK.
- A stable price per tonne for cartons delivered - a more sustainable option compared to the price fluctuations on the global commodities market
- A reduction in road and rail miles travelled by used beverage cartons for them to be recycled
- An opportunity for local authorities with no-export policies to recycle cartons in the UK, rather than send them to landfill or an incinerator

ACE UK is fully committed to recycling the products of its member companies, but as well as being committed to end-of-life solutions we believe that what happens at the beginning of a product's lifecycle is also important.

The value of responsibly-sourced renewable materials such as wood fibre demonstrates that such materials must be taken into account for steps towards a circular economy to be truly meaningful.

Let's hope that when the new EU Circular Economy package is announced, among the new proposals is a serious attempt to make responsibly-sourced renewable materials part of a framework for the creation of a genuine circular economy.



Privacy Policy
We have updated our privacy policy. In the latest update it explains what cookies are and how we use them on our site. To learn more about cookies and their benefits, please view our privacy policy. Please be aware that parts of this site will not function correctly if you disable cookies. By continuing to use this site, you consent to our use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy unless you have disabled them.