Have you ever considered upstream innovation?
Upstream innovation means tracing a problem back to its source and addressing it there. It requires a shift in mindset and rethinking products or services at the design stage: new materials, product designs and business models.
It contributed to three key 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. innovation strategies:
- Elimination
Remove unnecessary packaging and use innovation to replace essential packaging (for instance for health or safety reasons) with a circular alternative.
- 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.
Whether B2B or B2C; a wide range of refill and return models may fit your business activities.
- Material circulation
To keep plastic packaging materials in circulation, you can choose:
- - a plastic type and packaging design that can be processed through a recyclingAny recovery operation through which waste, including organic waste, is reprocessed to become substances, materials or products that can be used for their initial function or other functions. route (chemical or mechanical),
- - a plastic type and packaging design that can be processed through a composting route (biological),
- - a non-plastic substitute material designed to be recyclable or compostable.
In addition, the guide offers tools, practical tips and resources, as well as numerous case studies– get inspired and take action.
Visit the Upstream Innovation website, check out the videos or download the guide.
