It’s Now for Nature Campaign

A blog post by Diane Crowe, Reconomy’s Group Sustainability Director

Nature positivity is central to Reconomy’s ambitions of delivering a more circular, sustainable economy. We cannot achieve net-zero without nature and so it’s vital that we protect and embrace it to achieve our climate pledges.

It is why we wholeheartedly support Business for Nature’s ‘It’s Now for Nature’ campaign and why it plays an integral role in our Reconomy Environmental Action Plan which we will be launching soon.

Fundamentally, effective waste and resource management can help reduce environmental impact and reduce consumption of finite resources.

The Business for Nature campaign correctly identified that our current global economy is based on a “take-make-waste” industrial process, leading to overconsumption and placing immense strain on nature.

They estimate that this extraction and processing of natural resources accounts for 90% of biodiversity loss and water stress.

To change that, we must become more circular.

Our vision is of a world where the waste of one business becomes the resource of another, breaking the destructive cycle of ‘take-make-waste’ and integrating circular strategies and processes into everyday operations.

It is why we are inherently focused on bending the edges of linear business models across the world to help our customers become more sustainable.

As an asset-light business, we naturally have a particular focus on the supply chain and the end-to-end life of products. By doing so – harnessing our broad suite of specialist capabilities with international reach – we can do more with less, minimising waste and inefficiency.

Whether that is maximising office recycling rates, creating the most sustainable returns processes and managing resources effectively on construction sites, we work hard with businesses to minimise environmental impact.

It is not just with our clients that we are delivering tangible progress on sustainability – at Reconomy, we constantly aim to reduce the effects of our own operations.

Recently, we partnered with Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Quarry Farm – a Shropshire landowner – in an initiative to promote biodiversity, nature recovery and sequester carbon. The partnership represents the first of its kind for Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Across a 0.3-hectare plot, we are planting 340 native broadleaf trees to create new wildlife corridors, connecting hedgerows and other areas of woodland, including ancient woodland.

The project will also contribute to carbon capture, as each tree is estimated to capture 1 tonne of CO2e over 40 years.

It means the broadleaf trees will capture a total of approximately 340 tonnes of CO2e – mitigating essential Reconomy business travel. Planting was completed in February 2024 and ongoing maintenance is scheduled for the next 3-6 years to ensure the protection and health of the newly planted trees.

Reconomy’s volunteer programme enables colleagues to take part in this and similar nature initiatives, aligning with its commitment to promote the circular economy and reduce environmental impact.

The partnership aligns with the government’s ‘test and trial’ initiative which encourages businesses and landowners to collaborate in protecting and benefiting from nature.

Ultimately via projects such as the SWT initiative and supporting campaigns like Business for Nature’s ‘It’s Now for Nature’, we hope to lead the way towards a more circular economy that protects our climate and nature.