Closing the Loop: Viridor's Circular Economy Vision

You know that drawer we all have, the one packed with old phone chargers, tangled cables, or batteries that may or may not still work? I know I still have one, it’s in my kitchen and it’s tough to change habits! It sits there, quietly gathering things we’ve outgrown or forgotten but can’t quite let go of. What if we treated those forgotten items not as junk, but as resources waiting for a second life? 

For decades, our economy has followed a take-make-dispose model – otherwise known as the linear economy – where materials are used until they no longer serve their purpose and are then discarded. It’s a system that has shaped how we consume, but it’s also one that can no longer keep pace with the urgent environmental and resource scarcity challenges we face. To build a sustainable future, we must rethink our relationship with what we throw away and focus on turning waste into worth. 

This shift in mindset is at the heart of the circular economy – a system where waste is seen as a resource, materials are kept in use for as long as possible and value is recovered at every stage. At Viridor, we’re marking Circular Economy Week by highlighting how this transition is already underway – and how much further we still need to go.

Energy from Waste plays a vital role in managing today’s waste management realities. At our facilities, non-recycled waste is transformed into a reliable source of vital baseload power for the UK grid, while simultaneously diverting waste away from landfill.

But make no mistake: recovery is not the end goal. To build a world where nothing goes to waste, we need to go further – designing systems that preserve material value from the outset and enable true circularity.

Innovating to Deliver Circular Economy Solutions

One of the most exciting examples of circular innovation in action can be seen at Quantafuel, and in particular, at our advanced plastics recycling facility based in Skive, Denmark.

Traditional mechanical recycling can’t effectively process hard-to-recycle plastics like the flexible films we use every day in our kitchens. That’s where Quantafuel Skive comes in. Using advanced chemical recycling, it breaks down hard-to-recycle plastics into oils, which can then be used for new plastics production. Rolled out at scale, this technology will be a circular economy game-changer.

Couple this with our work at Resource Denmark and you can see we are playing a really significant role in the Danish recycling sector. 

This demonstrates that with the right investment and innovation, we can close the loop and shift from a waste management mindset to a resource stewardship model.

Championing the reuse sector

Through Viridor’s WeShare community fund, we are supporting other fantastic organisations contributing to the circular economy in their own way in the reuse sector – a sector which diverts millions of household items from landfill every year. 

Earlier this year we donated £75,000 to three organisations that are making a real difference. Reuse Network supports UK charities which promote the reuse of household goods across the country, while Library of Things, an initiative started in 2014, enables people to borrow household items from local high streets in London, minimising further production, and limiting waste in a socially rewarding way. Sheltersuit is another innovative charity which manufactures ‘shelterbags’ for the homeless, all produced from waste graphics – nylons and polyesters – produced by the events and print industry.

Your Circular Economy Role

The circular economy isn’t just about large-scale infrastructure and high-tech recycling plants. It’s about the small decisions made every day. Choosing to repair instead of replace. Separating your recycling correctly. Being selective about buying products made from recycled materials. Each action contributes to a culture where waste is no longer seen as inevitable.

At Viridor, we take the circular economy seriously and while it’s a challenging journey, it’s one worth taking. Whether through investment in innovative circular solutions, or the everyday actions of our colleagues. Big or small, these choices are all important steps in our progress towards our bold vision of net zero by 2040 and climate positive by 2045.

Making the Circular Economy a Reality

Circular Economy Week is a chance to shine a spotlight on the progress we’ve made, but also to stay focused on the journey ahead. There’s still work to do in shifting mindsets, improving infrastructure and enabling systems where reuse, repair and recycling are the norm, not the exception.

So, we invite you to think differently about the materials you use and discard. Because whether it’s a forgotten cable in a drawer or tonnes of waste in a bunker, every item serves as an example of the circular economy’s potential.

Let’s close the loop together.

Thanks, 

Lee