Boliden contributes towards a more circular economy

Boliden has created value from waste for many years – long before the term circular economy was coined. For example, being one of Europe’s largest recyclers of used lead-acid batteries, benefiting from decades-long resource-effective industrial synergies, and continuously finding new methods of creating value from our own waste materials.

The circularity gap
According to the Circularity Gap Report by Circle Economy, only 9 percent of the resources used globally are cycled back into the economy after use. The report argues this leaves a massive ‘circularity gap’ that must be closed to prevent further and accelerated environmental degradation and social inequality.

A circular economy goes beyond the current extract-use-dispose industrial model, to create circular systems that gain the maximum value from resources by recovering and reusing materials at the end of each service life.

Such a circular approach not only reduces environmental degradation and ensures future generations have the resources they require, it also makes sound business sense to companies operating today. According to the ‘CEO Guide to the Circular Economy’ by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the circular economy represents a USD 4.5 trillion opportunity for global economic growth by 2030.