ROCKWOOL is excited to announce it has joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100 (CE100) Network, an organisation that brings together business, innovators, cities and governments, universities, and thought leaders, to lead the transition to a circular economy.
“It is this collaboration among the CE100’s diverse and dynamic community that enables members to achieve faster, greater success than we ever could alone. We are delighted to welcome ROCKWOOL to contribute its unique perspective to our strong base of members from the built environment sector,” says Joe Murphy, CE100 Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The circular economy is an economic system built on three principles: design out waste and pollution; keep products and materials in use; and regenerate natural capital. It is particularly relevant to the building sector, which consumes nearly half of all resources extracted each year and produces one-third of global waste, much of which ends up in landfill.
“As a part of the CE100 Circular Economy Network, we have a much greater opportunity to work closely with other companies pursuing greater circularity in their own businesses,” says Mirella Vitale, Senior Vice President for ROCKWOOL Group. “Our stone wool products are long lasting and recyclable so they have many circular attributes already. It will be very valuable to work closely with other companies, partners and regulators to improve, for example, how we handle waste and optimise recycling schemes and the reuse of materials.”
ROCKWOOL offers recycling services for its products in 10 countries, with a goal to increase that to 15 by 2022 and 30 by 2030. In 2018, ROCKWOOL recycled 130,000 tonnes of stone wool, a figure which will rise significantly as more sites are established and regulation encourages more circular processes.
ROCKWOOL production also upcycles secondary raw materials: on average, our stone wool is made from one-third upcycled waste, including slag from the metal industry and sludge from water treatment plants. Rather than being sent to landfill, these low-value products are used to produce stone wool products that make buildings more comfortable and energy efficient, help prevent the spread of fire, reduce water and resource consumption in food production and reduce the risk of urban flooding.
The CE100 membership is the latest initiative from ROCKWOOL to improve its circularity. ROCKWOOL has partnered with another leader in the field, Circle Economy, creator of the Circularity Gap methodology and Reports, to assess the circularity of ROCKWOOL’s value chain.
About the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the CE100
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation was launched in 2010 with the aim of accelerating the transition to the circular economy. Since its creation, the charity has emerged as a global thought leader, putting the circular economy on the agenda of decision makers around the world. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CE100 network is the world’s leading circular economy network, providing a pre-competitive space to learn, share, and put ideas into practice.
Further information: ellenmacarthurfoundation.org | @circulareconomy | ce100@ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
