Technological watch

3M has joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Circular Economy 100 (CE100) initiative to support its commitment to sustainability.The CE100 platform supports businesses, innovators, cities, governments and universities to transition to a circular economic model. It focuses on the prevention of waste, the reuse of products and the recycling of materials.As part of the CE100, 3M will focus on designing solutions that contribute to a global circular economy. The company has already been exploring ways to recover, reuse and recycle by-products and other waste material within its supply chains.Its Scotch-Brite heavy duty scrub sponges are produced using 100% recycled fibres in the US, while 3M Thinsulate Recycled Featherless Insulation is launching a product made from 100% post-consumer recycled (pcr) content from plastic bottles.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation CE100 lead Joe Murphy said: “We are delighted to welcome 3M, another major US brand taking a leadership position on the circular economy.
“We look forward to 3M contributing to our diverse and dynamic community to achieve faster, greater success than any individual organisation could alone.”The company’s vice-president and chief sustainability officer Gayle Schueller said: “3M is moving to more recycled and renewable materials in our product and package designs, but no one company can do it alone.“We are excited to engage with a committed group of leaders focused on innovative approaches to driving a circular economy based on sustainable use and reuse of finite resources.”3M’s healthcare business service group is contributing to the commitment by avoiding electronic waste from entering landfill. The company has disclosed the sustainability impact of all of its new products currently in commercialisation.