將工業副產品廢料變成可再利用原物料的商機無限。為促進二手材料再利用、減少物質浪費，民間組織合作在美國成立「國家材料市集」，目前已有超過20個企業加入，例如民眾耳熟能詳的3M、通用汽車、Nike等公司。
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| 美國康乃狄克州丹伯里市一處垃圾掩埋場。圖片來源：聯合國 UN。 |
線上營運 國家材料市集開張
透過線上資料庫營運的國家材料市集，將建立新的循環供應鏈，將企業的廢料變成其他人的新原料。
國家材料市集的想法起源於企業生態論壇（Corporate Eco Forum）會議，並得到通用汽車和Nike等早期倡導者的支持。其他創始組織還包括美國商業永續發展委員會（US Business Council for Sustainable Development）和世界企業永續發展委員會（World Business Council for Sustainable Development）。
參與此計畫的企業，不只可以因原物料和廢料處理的成本減少而獲利，同時還能縮短因能源使用和碳排放所累積的企業碳足跡，而減少購買原物料、廢棄物減量等做為也可進一步降低環境碳足跡。
此外，改善社經影響力並提升企業形象也是好處之一。
工業副產品再回收 減碳又創新獲利
「材料市集是啟動循環經濟的前哨站，是創造價值的引擎，開啟企業對企業的再利用鏈能有效管理廢料並打造多贏局面。」世界企業永續發展委員會執行長Peter Bakker表示。
例如，通用汽車每年透過再利用和回收其副產品就創造近10億元的營收，2014年更減少超過1千萬噸二氧化碳當量的排放。
美國商業永續發展委員會執行董事Andrew Mangan則說：「自然資源耗竭的壓力越來越大，我們必須為廢料找出新價值。跨產業合作以有效利用資源不但能開啟新商機，對經濟、環境和社會都有益。」
通用汽車全球減廢經理John Bradburn說：「材料管理不只是減少成本的策略，更是商業機會。我們必須將副產品視為正式產品，同樣可以不斷改進和創新。」
The newly formed National Materials Marketplace brings together more than 20 major companies with operations in the United States to avoid waste by making use of undervalued materials.
Led by the Corporate Eco Forum, the US Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the new joint pilot project will operate through an online database. It will establish new circular supply chains, turning one company’s waste into raw material for others.
Andrew Mangan, executive director of US BCSD, said, “The increasing pressure on our natural resources sends a clear message – we need to find value in discarded materials.”
“Growing cross-industry collaboration for the efficient use of our resources is promising,” Mangan said. “This opens up new business opportunities while creating economic, environmental, and societal benefits.”
“The Materials Marketplace project is a key step towards the shift to a circular economy – one where waste becomes the new engine for creating value,” says Peter Bakker, president and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, WBCSD.
“Unlocking business-to-business reuse opportunities ensure effective waste management and deliver integrated benefits,” said Bakker.
Participating companies include: 3M; Armstrong World Industries; CH2M Hill; Eastman Chemical; Essroc – Italcementi Group; Holcim-Geocycle; Fairmount Santrol; General Motors; Nike; Novelis – Aditya Birla Group; The Dow Chemical; Tetra Pak Inc.; Swisstrax; and Systech among others.
The potential benefits of matching material and by-product waste streams with opportunities for reuse are massive.
For instance, General Motors has generated nearly $1 billion in annual revenue through reusing and recycling its by-products. By finding reuse and recycling options for this material, GM avoided over 10 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions in 2014.
“Material management is a business opportunity, not just a cost-reduction strategy,” said John Bradburn, GM’s Global Manager of Waste Reduction. “We have to reach the stage where by-products are viewed the same way we view product development – part of constant improvement and innovation.”
The National Materials Marketplace was first conceived at a Corporate Eco Forum member meeting, and the idea gained momentum with the support of early advocates including GM and Nike.
By joining the pilot, participating businesses benefit from lower operational costs due to cheaper feedstock and reduced waste disposal costs.
Participants can count on a reduced carbon footprint owing to major cuts in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and a reduced environmental footprint by avoiding waste disposal and raw material purchase.
Other benefits include enhanced social and economic impact and an improved corporate reputation.
※ 全文及圖片詳見：ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
