Moving to a circular economy - what we are going to do

There’s no doubt about it – we will make the move to a circular economy. Growth of the global population and middle class is driving up consumption of raw materials, natural resources, agricultural land and fresh water. All of these resources are rapidly being depleted, causing shortages worldwide.

Circular hotspot

The circular economy revolves around making optimum use of raw materials through perpetual recycling. This approach creates opportunities. McKinsey consultancy has calculated that a circular economy could save the European Union 1,800 billion euros in 2030. To accelerate the changeover, on 21 January Rabobank, ING and ABN AMRO announced that they would help business: by exploring needs, financing circular business activities, purchasing circular products and sharing knowledge. For example, ABN AMRO is a leading partner of Ambitie2020, an initiative of MVO Nederland, the Dutch association for corporate social responsibility, aimed at making the Netherlands a circular hotspot.

Answer to the key question

So, what exactly are we going to do? ABN AMRO has kicked off by publishing the Circular Economy Guide​ (PDF 4 MB), a manual for business. Perhaps the greatest challenge facing a company is how to make the changeover. The Circular Economy Guide explains the basic principles of the circular economy, offers concrete tools and highlights successful cases. This information can help companies draw up a circular business case. Based on the life cycle of a product, they will have the tools to take tangible steps, from design and choice of material, to production and use, to re-use – all with examples of leaders in the circular economy.

The Circular Economy Guide will become the standard manual and discussion document in the coming year. We will discuss it with our clients in all relevant industries to help get them on the fast track to becoming circular. Download the Circular Economy Guide to find answers and learn more about front-runners. Or order it for a colleague or business partne Click here for an overview of Sustainability news articles for the January Newsletter 2016.