The supply chains have been here since humans began producing and supplying products to each other, but, unbelievably, these have gone for years without significant changes.
The long-established pattern of “take, make, and throw away” is a cost-ineffective method, as businesses struggle with raw material prices and volatility. This “Linear Chain” has been satisfactory to keep markets going, but a new, more effective Supply Chain procedure is winning in acceptance: The Circular Supply Chain.
Nowadays, supply chains are becoming circular, connecting the beginning to the end of the chain. This link involves returns and recycling to enhance sustainability and a most profound concern for the environment whilst taking costs down. The Circular Supply Chain is about reusable-sustainable and profitable products which are resold.
It is a model that encourages manufacturers and sellers of products to take waste kinds of stuff and process them again for selling. Enterprises are opting to create less waste to reduce the carbon footprint caused by the manufacturing, transporting, usage, and final disposal of any product. Regularly by-products can be recuperated and recycled inside the assembly process to promote new profits. As the old proverb states:
“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure."
Parameters on recycling and correct disposal of manufacturing by-products are becoming stricter. Many government regulations are urging companies to adopt Circular SC by creating laws and regulations around these practices. These include:
- All countries in the EU require to recycle 50% of their packaging waste.
- In Japanese businesses are being forced to recycle packaging materials into something reusable.
- No plastic bags are allowed in California, whilst 25% of all plastic containers must be recycled.
- All companies based in the UK must recycle or re-process their waste, despite their size or income.
Grow Business Value while saving money
No doubt consumers create more significant amounts of the waste year after year; both enterprises and consumers should accept products that have small environmental footprints.
The initial investment in the process is what is costly. However, the moment procedures are settled down, organisations spend less money on raw materials, help the environment (which could bring about government incentives), with a reduction of risk-price volatility, and, most important of all, satisfy their customers' demands.
Five reasons why Circular Supply Chai will replace Linear supply chains in the 2020’s:
· It costs less to renovate or recycle disposed material into new articles.
· By linking the end of the Linear Supply Chain with the beginning, companies can save money by reducing the overall cost of manufacturing their products.
· By reusing and recycling parts and materials, companies can get the highest benefit out of the raw materials they originally bought.
· Throwing products away at the end of lifecycle is a common practice; they can be turned back into profit with lower costs than making a new product from scratch.
· Throwing away products wastes makes the organisations lose the investment they have already done into the product, such as labour, materials, and energy and more.
Reducing, Reusing and Recycling are the basics steps to protect the environment. Not generating waste is the most effective way to cut it in the first place. Making a new product requires a lot of materials and energy; materials must be dug up most of the times, manufactured, transported to the place it will be resold. Because of this, reduction and reuse are the most efficient ways you can save natural resources, protect the environment and save money.
Summarising: Going green is currently a hot topic in just about every industry. According to a report by Nielsen, 66% of global consumers say they’re willing to pay more for sustainable brands. Enterprises that want to stay essential and expand market share need to be satisfying a public that is gradually more sensible of their environmental impact.
Companies looking to stay cost-effective in the 2020s will be looking for ways to cut their costs and satisfy their customers’ demands embracing the Circular Supply Chain procedures.
Dave Food
Prophetic Technology
Have a look at our Circular Supply Chain infograph
