Circular economy
33 companies working together, with 100 commitments

100 commitments by AFEP companies in favour of the circular economy

AFEP is delighted to present the 100 commitments to the circular economy made by 33 member companies, all of global stature, with a significant capacity for training their suppliers, partners and clients. These commitments span an average period of six years.

The companies concerned come from 18 different sectors of activity: energy – chemical industry – metallurgy – manufacture of machinery and equipment –

  • cement – automotive industry – materials – paper and cardboard – building construction – distribution – food industry – cosmetics – water / waste water and waste – telecommunications – real estate activities –
  • financial services activities excluding insurance and pension funds – rental and leasing sector.

All these commitments are “projective”, meaning that they relate to new decisions to be implemented or actions already decided but currently being rolled out.

The commitments correspond to three levels of maturity, illustrated in a balanced way as percentages: assessment of resource flows (24%), identification of opportunities related to the sector, players and markets (35%), formulation of targeted quantitative or qualitative objectives (41%). Some commitments may combine these three aspects simultaneously.

The 7 levers of the circular economy defined by ADEME, plus an 8th cross-sectoral lever “Multi-stakeholder action”,

added by AFEP due to the importance of cooperation between stakeholders, are all represented as a percentage of the commitments, in decreasing order:

  • 18% recycling;
  • 15% multi-stakeholder action;
  • 14% sustainable procurement;
  • 14% eco-design;
  • 14% responsible consumption;
  • 11% industrial and territorial ecology;
  • 7% functional economy;
  • 7% extension of usage time.

As in our previous reports, we consider that the concept of resource also covers energy resources. The circular economy therefore represents a significant potential lever for energy transition and the fight against climate change, in particular for small-scale producers.

This publication gives practical illustrations of commitments and actions by major global groups. However, it does not attempt to detail each company’s strategy and policies in favour of the circular economy, which are presented in the companies’ documents or on their website. It is therefore important that the readers of this collection of commitments can use it as a reference to gain information on each group’s overall approach.

We hope that this forward-looking approach launched by the companies can be continued with everyone’s expertise and goodwill, to help move towards an efficient use of resources within a sustainable economy.

 

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