You may not have heard of Closed Loop Recycling before — but you will soon. More than just a sustainability buzzword, it’s a practical way for businesses to Cut Costs, Stay Compliant with Regulations, and Strengthen their Brand.
By keeping waste materials in a continuous cycle and recycling them back into products of the same type, you can reduce disposal costs, unlock valuable rebates, and lower your business’s reliance on raw materials.
At Parry & Evans, we help businesses across England and Wales turn recycling into a competitive advantage, using closed loop systems to Generate Revenue from Waste, Meet Regulatory Requirements, and Achieve Measurable Sustainability Goals.
What Is Closed Loop Recycling?
To put it simply, Closed Loop Recycling is the process of collecting and recycling used products to be manufactured into new products of the same type.
Some of the most common examples of closed-loop recycling are:
- Glass bottles are recycled into new glass bottles.
- Aluminium cans are recycled into new aluminium cans.
- Food-grade plastics are recycled into fresh containers suitable for the same use.
The reason it is called ‘Closed-Loop Recycling’ is that the materials in use are kept in a continuous cycle. This ‘closes the loop’ of recycling, and new products are made without the need to extract new raw materials.
By recycling and repurposing these materials, the new products are made with a significantly lower environmental impact and with an increase in the conservation of the world’s natural resources.
Why Closed Loop Recycling Matters for Businesses?
For businesses, choosing to create a workplace environment that promotes closed-loop recycling isn’t just an environmental choice; it’s a smart operational strategy.
From meeting organisational sustainability targets and managing materials better to reduce waste costs, to staying compliant with new governmental regulations and building a stronger brand, you can reap the rewards of a comprehensive recycling strategy.
🌍 Meets Sustainability Goals
Businesses in all industries now face expectations and pressure from customers, investors, and regulators to create and implement a strong environmental sustainability strategy. Implementing policies that support closed-loop recycling, where possible, provides easy-to-achieve and easy-to-measure sustainability outcomes.
💷 Reduces Waste Disposal Costs
Transforming your recyclable waste into a valuable resource can revolutionise the way you view the ‘waste’ your business produces. Often, businesses have to pay to dispose of waste in landfills or recycling centres; however, if your business generates high-quality recyclable materials, you could receive rebates – turning your ‘waste’ into cash.
✅ Ensures Compliance & Easy To Implement
Businesses must comply with governmental waste disposal regulations or face the possibility of large fines. For example, the most recent England and Wales Simpler Recycling Requirements require companies to separate recyclables in-house. As you are already separating your recyclables, why not take the extra step to find a closed-loop solution to maximise sustainability and minimise your environmental impact?
⭐ Strengthens Brand Reputation
Demonstrating a commitment to responsible waste management enhances your company’s image and appeals to environmentally conscious customers; in addition to providing you with evidence to back your efforts, and extra content for your marketing team.
Closed Loop Recycling vs. Open Loop Recycling
You may be asking what the difference is between closed loop recycling and what you are doing now. When you look into how different products and materials are recycled, you will find that they either exist in a closed loop recycling or open loop recycling.
The easiest way to remember the difference is to visualise the loop of recycling. Closed loop keeps materials in use for the same purpose. For example, an aluminium can will be recycled into a new aluminium can.
This is the most efficient method of recycling materials and is considered the ‘gold standard’ within the recycling industry.
On the other hand, materials that enter open loop recycling typically end up becoming a different product. For example, the plastic bottles you recycle could end up being used to manufacture clothing. This recycling method is still valuable and much better than landfill.
However, due to the steps included, it often has a limited number of reuses before disposal is unavoidable.
How can Parry & Evans help your business create a Closed Loop Recycling policy?
At Parry & Evans, we specialise in optimising all of your waste streams, with a focus on implementing closed loop recycling strategies where possible. Common examples of how we help you manage different materials include:
🍾 Glass – The best material for closed loop recycling as it is always 100% recyclable and endlessly reusable, we work with you to optimise the storage, collection and recycling of your waste glass with the goal of maximising rebate value.
🛠️ Metals – Steel and aluminium cans can also be recycled indefinitely without quality loss. We provide storage containers, create convenient pick-up schedules and recycle your metals at our facility.
🧴 Plastics – Using our on-site Plastic Granulation facilities, we can sort, shred, and granulate your waste plastics in preparation for remanufacture into new items of the same type.
📦 Paper and Cardboard – We provide paper and cardboard containers to simplify your on-site storage. Ready for us to collect, bale, and pass on to paper mills for reuse in high-quality paper and packaging products.
How can Parry & Evans help your business create a Closed Loop Recycling policy?
Book a Waste Management Audit – Our expert team will work with you to assess your current processes and identify any opportunities to optimise your processes (including opportunities for closed loop recycling).
The Bottom Line.
Closed loop recycling isn’t just good for the planet — it’s good for business. It Reduces Environmental Impact, Improves Operational Efficiency, and can also help your bottom line by Generating Cash Rebates for your Waste Materials.
