Smart Energy Voices - Episode 115

Driving Circularity in the U.S

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What is Circularity?

Van Brunt discusses the concept of circularity in sustainability and how it's gaining momentum as a key sustainability practice. He highlights how circularity involves keeping resources at their highest value for as long as possible through reuse, recycling and recovery, reducing both environmental and social impacts. He notes that circularity is about the end of a product’s life in addition to efficiency and resource optimization across its entire lifecycle.

The  U.S. Circular Economy Coalition

The U.S. Circular Economy Coalition (CEC) is a network of like-minded and future-conscious companies that aims address the growing waste problem in the U.S. Trambley explains how the CEC advocates for stronger government policies to incentivize circularity across industries, noting that circular practices are beneficial not only for the environment but also for businesses, boosting efficiency and competitiveness.

Van Brunt explores what a circular economy could look like in the U.S. and the goals it seeks to achieve. The primary aim is to maximize resource efficiency, reducing reliance on extractive industries like mining and logging, while keeping materials and energy within the economy. He highlights that many businesses already extract value from waste, and the CEC seeks to spotlight these practices to inspire broader adoption. This is toward the goal of creating a resilient system that provides economic, societal and environmental benefits and sustains its value across varying economic conditions.

Driving Circularity in the U.S.: Policies, Challenges, and Opportunities

Trambley and Van Brunt talk about the policies needed to advance a circular economy in the U.S., mentioning key legislation such as the Save Our Seas Act 2.0 and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which have laid the groundwork for circular practices by funding programs to reduce waste and promote recycling. He underlines the importance of addressing unfunded mandates and leveraging innovative strategies like capturing methane for energy. Mike adds that while current policies encourage landfill gas-to-energy recovery, they need to go further by preventing waste from reaching landfills altogether. He suggests prioritizing practices like anaerobic digestion, composting, and remanufacturing to extend product life and minimize environmental impact.

The Federal Government’s Role in Advancing Circularity

The federal government has a critical role in fostering a circular economy. Mike brings up the importance of federal initiatives such as grants, policy redefinitions, and market creation to drive innovation and address barriers to material reuse. There is an opportunity for circular practices to enhance domestic resource supply, citing a startling statistic: The U.S. discards more metal annually than it produces domestically. Sean outlines the CEC's advocacy efforts, including the creation of an annual report cataloging circular economy grants and programs across federal agencies. He also shares plans for a bipartisan circularity caucus in Congress to ensure end-of-life materials considerations are integrated into legislation.

Advancing Circular Economy Practices

Van Brunt and Trambley enumerate the economic, environmental, and social benefits of adopting circular economy practices, with examples like General Motors' waste reduction initiatives, internal energy efficiency improvements, and successful community programs like its e-waste take-back collaboration with Goodwill. For businesses new to circularity, both emphasize the importance of starting with clear goals that align with economic, social, and environmental objectives. Trambley advises companies to explore local, state, and federal incentives and resources to integrate circular practices into their operations, while Van Brunt points out the critical role of collaboration through organizations like the Circular Economy Coalition, which connects stakeholders to share expertise and inform sound policy development.

Resources

•  Federal Circularity Audit and Report

Connect with Michael Van Brunt

• On LinkedIn

Michael Van Brunt is currently VP Environmental and Sustainability at Reworld Waste, where he is responsible for corporate sustainability strategy and reporting and environmental compliance, permitting, and monitoring. He leads Reworld’s lifecycle analysis team and is a licensed professional engineer with over twenty years of experience in industry and consulting. He is currently the board chair of the Circular Economy Coalition. He earned a B.S. and Masters in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Cornell University.

Connect with Sean Trambley

• On LinkedIn

With more than a decade of government relations and strategic communications experience. Sean Trambley began his career in Washington, D.C. as Sr. Policy Advisor to former Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-CA). Since 2016, Sean has worked as a California-based consultant and strategist. In 2020, Sean joined the Breakthrough Institute as Communications Director, a global research center focused on energy, agriculture, and technological solutions to climate change. He earned a B.A. in American Studies and Legal Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.