2024 : the year circularity goes mainstream?

According to the latest joint report by the Circle Economy Foundation and Deloitte, the circular economy is gaining popularity but still falls short of its ambitions:

While three times more articles have been published and discussions held on circularity compared to five years ago, the global share of circular materials used has actually decreased, from 9.1% in 2018 to just 7.2% in 2023.

This period has seen massive resource consumption, with over 500 gigatonnes of materials used in just six years—a quantity representing 28% of all materials consumed by humanity since the beginning of the 20th century! Of these materials, 92.8% are virgin, meaning they come directly from the extraction of natural resources.

According to the report, reversing this trend requires the implementation of circular solutions based on three key principles: using less for longer, utilising regenerative materials, and recycling materials at the end of their life cycle.

By following these principles, the circular economy could contribute to a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, generate nearly 2 million jobs, and become a $2 to $3 billion market in the coming years.
(Source: The Circularity Gap Report 2024 )

Solutions are available

L’Atelier des Matières has implemented recovery solutions to help manage the end-of-life of your unused products and materials, supporting you in your circular transformation.
Our leather production waste recovery solution: by assisting our clients in their circular transformation, our goal is to design innovative solutions that enable high-value recycling.

A striking example: The circular heel – how does it work?
In 2023, while searching for alternatives to plastic for one of our clients, we developed, in collaboration with our partners, a compound made from production leather waste and recycled polymer. This compound is intended for applications such as heels and reinforcements. The first prototypes have already emerged from the production workshops.

Our teams oversee the entire development process: from the formulation and qualification of circular heels made from your leather waste. We coordinate with various partners
—material producers, injection molders, and shoe manufacturers
—throughout this value chain up to the final production.

The benefits of this solution are numerous:

1- Exemplary contribution to regulations:

Reusing your leather production waste helps reduce waste, promotes eco-design, and encourages the incorporation of recycled materials.

2- Significant environmental impact:

Replacing the polymer with our compound has reduced carbon emissions by a factor of four in the first commercial version, significantly cutting down plastic use.

3- Industrialised and ready for deployment:

This solution is industrialised and ready for deployment, and it can also be integrated into your future developments.