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The circular future is digital

Prioritising digitalisation greatly facilitates circular working. But how can small and medium-sized enterprises implement such practices?

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  • In transition
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At first glance, digitalisation and the circular economyThe circular economy is a restorative and regenerative economy. By maintaining the value of the products, materials and resources in the economy through smart product design, repurposing and/or shared use of products, it reduces the extraction of natural resources by using resources already present in the economy. may seem only distant cousins, but nothing could be further from the truth. Among other things, a solid digital foundation in your business is conducive to smart data management. This is an excellent springboard to develop innovations that give a serious boost to the circularityCircularity describes the quantity of materials managed in a closed loop. of your business. But how can small and medium-sized enterprises enable such a digital transformation

In October 2024, L’Agence du Numérique, l’Institut Belge du Numérique Responsable (the Belgian Institute for Sustainable IT) and l’Infopole Cluster TIC (the Walloon network of Information and Communication Technologies) organised an interesting study day where various government organisations and enterprises showcased their operations. The day was organised in the context of la Quinzaine de l’économie circulaire, an initiative of the SPW Economie, Emploi, Recherche (the Public Service of Wallonia for Economy, Employment and Research). The conclusion? Responsible digital entrepreneurship and circularity often go hand in hand and amplify each other, even among SMESmall and medium-sized enterprisess. A bit of creative thinking and productive collaborations with other entrepreneurs go a long way.en en vruchtbare samenwerkingen met andere ondernemers kom je zelfs al een heel eind.

Discover several inspiring business cases:

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1. A digital wardrobe

Not just the production but also the maintenance and life cycle of our clothes have a major impact on the planet. Liège-based dry cleaning business Cool Pressing works according to the ‘Laundry as a Service’ system (LaaS). Most of their customers are nursing home residents whose laundry they collect and return after washing and ironing. This collective washing system with industrial machines consumes less energy and water. From a social perspective, contact with the residents also adds value

To make the whole process more efficient and environment-friendly, Cool Pressing developed a digital label together with an external IT company, allowing them to trace every item from the wardrobe to the washing machine. This system also helps determine the value of clothing for sale on second-hand platforms, for instance by factoring in the number of washes. Cool Pressing are currently testing a subscription structure for the maintenance and second-hand sale of clothing items and they hope to take the next steps with this project this year, bringing circularityCircularity describes the quantity of materials managed in a closed loop. another step closer.

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2. Building with second-hand materials

Reusing materials in the construction industry is easier said than done. People often don’t realise that structures intended for demolition often contain a host of valuable materials that can be reuseReuse designates all operations by which substances, materials or products that are not waste are used again in an identical way to their originally intended purpose.d. La Société Internationale d’Architecture (SIA) and graphic design agency Eunoia Studio saw opportunities to valorise materials from demolished buildings and decided to join forces

Material inventory is an important first step towards reuse. The two project initiators are hoping to showcase the first results of their joint digital project by the end of this year. They developed a digital platform facilitating the registration and sale of materials from both the structural work and interior items to interested parties.

You’re up so get cracking!

These cases demonstrate that digitalisation is a viable path to circular growth, even for SMESmall and medium-sized enterprisess. Finding the right partners is absolutely crucial

Do you need a hand to elaborate your digital ideas? Then start your search for the right experts on the Infopole platform. Do you want to know how digitally mature your company is right now? Take the Digiscore self-test

Funding these digital platforms is not always an easy task, but platforms like Prêt Digit Online and Prêt Easy’Green can set you on the path to further circular and digital growth. VLAIO and Vlaanderen Circulair also offer tools to assist and facilitate your digital transformation

The FPS Economy also provides a series of tools to lower the digital threshold. For instance, you get an overview of common obstacles SMEs face on the road to digitalisation and solutions to eliminate them

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