Green glossary
WHAT IS A CLOSED LOOP SYSTEM?
A term that is often talked about when discussing sustainability is a ‘closed loop system’. This refers to when businesses use the same materials over and over again, moving away from traditional linear models of production that follow the make, sell, use and dispose route. Instead, those who adopt a closed loop system turn the disposal stage into something new and useful.
■ Dorset-based mattress and bed manufacturer Naturalmat was the first UK manufacturer to offer a closed loop production system for its mattresses. This year, it has stepped up the approach, aiming to create a fully closed loop by 2025, which will reduce consumption of materials across the business.
■ The 140-year-old flooring brand Tarkett has invested in production that turns rubbish into valuable and reusable materials. In the Netherlands, for example, it has formed a partnership with drinking water companies to upcycle waste chalk into the stabiliser for one of its carpet backings. It also takes back end-of-life carpets, breaks up the components and removes the adhesive, then uses the parts to make new carpets.
■ Last year, American furniture company Sabai introduced a buyback programme for its sofas. The initiative allows customers to sell their sofa directly back to the brand (for up to 20% of the second-hand price); Sabai then sells it at a discount via its pre-owned line, Sabai Revive.
“FIFTY PER CENT OF THE PLASTIC THAT ENTERS THE OCEAN AS A MICROPLASTIC COMES FROM TYRES AND CLOTHING”
THE TRUTH ABOUT PLASTIC
In 2021, the not-for-profit organisation Wrap stated that an estimated 1.3 megatonnes of the UK’s plastic packaging was recycled in 2020, a fourfold increase from levels in the early 2000s. The growth of awareness
