INDUSTRY UNLOCKED
WAY BACK IN 2017 , ADIDAS PRIORITISED THE REPLACEMENT OF VIRGIN POLYESTER WITH RECYCLED POLYESTER IN ITS PRODUCTS AND ACHIEVED THE IMPRESSIVE TOTAL OF 99 % BY 2023 – THE COMPANY IS NOW FOCUSED ON ONLY USING RECYCLED POLYESTER AS OF THE END OF 2024 . is a relatively new Producer Responsibility
Organisation that operates an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme for its member companies and has had some early , inspiring results . Through and alongside ERA , some of South Africa ’ s electronic and electrical equipment producers are prioritising green and circular economy practices in ways that are unique and transformative . A great example of this is the recent Dell Technologies Children vs . Champions campaign with the Springbok Rugby team . The campaign is bringing environmental awareness to people across all age groups in an inspiring and engaging way .
This type of engagement from local organisations highlights and endorses the narrative that the proper disposal of e-waste is an urgent matter and is aimed at changing consumer behaviours and expectations .
2 . Lindström – reducing textile waste
The textile service company recently won the Circular Economy Pioneer Award at the 2023 Sustainable Business Awards ( SBA ) because it has prioritised the reuse of textiles and its goal of recycling 100 % of its textile waste by 2025 . The company has also recently partnered with Nalco Water to reduce the use of fresh water in its plants , achieving 74 % in water recovery and a 56 % reduction in freshwater usage .
3 . Nike and Adidas – taking sports towards sustainability
Both of these leading active wear brands are committed to cutting down on their contributions to waste . Way back in 2017 , Adidas prioritised the replacement of virgin polyester with recycled polyester in its products and achieved the impressive total of 99 % by 2023 – the company is now focused on only using recycled polyester as of the end of 2024 . Nike launched its Space Hippie collection , a
Across different sectors and industries , increasing numbers of retailers and manufacturers are taking responsibility for their goods when they reach the end of their life . For example , the ICT sector has been working with ERA from inception and have demonstrated impressive maturity and forwardthinking . These efforts are changing the face of retail while educating customers on their role in reducing waste .
1 . Dell Technologies – sustainability in technology
Dell Technologies has been paying attention to the sustainability conversation for a while . It ships products with 100 % recycled or renewable packaging and several of its laptop ranges are designed with 25 % recycled materials that include plastics , glass and aluminium . The company has invested in the circular economy across multiple levels that include IT procurement and supply chains . Dell Technologies uses recovered e-waste to make parts for new devices and has saved 443,000 pounds of plastics from the ocean . Dell Technologies has also partnered with ERA to address the e-waste challenge on the continent with circular economy priorities .
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