WhatistheRoadmapfortheCircularEconomy?
03/09/2020
5min
The RCE or FREC (in French) is an acronym for the Roadmap for the Circular Economy. Published in France by the French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition in April 2018, it translates the green growth energy transition law of 11 August 2015 into practical steps.
What are the RCE’s objectives?
- Reducing French consumption of natural resources: a 30% reduction in resource use in relation to GDP by 2030, compared to 2010
- A 50% reduction in the amount of nonhazardous waste landfilled by 2025, compared to 2010
- Aiming to recycle 100% of plastics by 2025
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: saving 8 million additional tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, thanks to plastic recycling
- Creating up to 300,000 additional jobs, including in new professions.
What practical steps can be taken in order to achieve these objectives?
In total, there are 50 practical steps, each of which falls into one of 4 categories:
- Better production: More recycled materials in products, environmental labelling, etc.
- Better consumption: Encouraging reuse, repair, the economy of functionality and consumer information
- Better waste management: Facilitating waste sorting and reuse
- Mobilising all parties involved (citizens, businesses, etc.) through raising awareness, education, and strengthening partnerships, etc.
How can the RCE help businesses achieve waste production and management which is even more environmentally friendly?
Using this list of practical steps as a point of reference, businesses can evaluate the policies they've already implemented as well as those yet to be put in place.
In keeping with its ecological values, Armor Office Printing has chosen to implement these practical steps. To this end, in September 2018, they undertook an assessment of the 22 RCE steps directly related to their business activity. Armor Office Printing's business has been rooted in remanufacturing and reusing printer cartridges since 2008, and this analysis has highlighted several strengths:
- Better production:
- Better consumption:
- Better waste management:
- Mobilising involved parties:
As with any assessment, some areas for improvement were also identified. Therefore, thanks to the RCE, Armor Office Printing is currently examining these areas closely, in order to best achieve the objectives set by the French Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition.
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