Consulting for Circular Success
Expert Guidance on the Road to Zero Waste
Business leaders today face crucial questions about environmental standards and market changes. How can we meet new sustainability requirements while remaining profitable? What possibilities lie within evolving regulations? How can we turn stakeholder expectations into competitive advantages?
While the circular economy offers tremendous potential to address these challenges, many organizations struggle to convert sustainability goals into concrete actions. At PreZero, we help businesses take advantage of economic opportunities while complying with evolving regulations.
In this article, our experts share practical insights for building circular success. From waste management to emissions control to packaging design, their combined perspectives demonstrate how different aspects of circularity work together to create lasting value.
Building the Circular Foundation
The principles of the circular economy — including key actions like refuse, reduce, reuse, and recycle — might seem straightforward from a consumer perspective. For businesses though, implementing these concepts in operations uncovers layers of complexity that many organizations are just beginning to understand. Jara Korstanje, Circular Economy and Zero Waste Expert at PreZero Netherlands, shared her thoughts on why this transition demands more than just basic waste management.
Many businesses start with relatively simple steps, like separating waste at the source or reducing overall waste production. However, achieving true circularity needs a fundamental shift in approach.
Expert Insight
There's no doubt that adopting circular economy principles in business is fundamental, but it doesn't make it any less challenging. Initial steps like separating waste at the source or reducing waste overall are the ‘easy’ part. The real test, however, lies in integrating deeper circular practices.
This includes redesigning products for durability or ensuring that materials at the end of their lifecycle can be effectively reused or recycled. This is the point where efficiency and effectiveness become crucial. While LEAN practices focus on eliminating waste in production, true circularity requires an even broader view.
Material streams need to be examined in detail to understand where value can be recovered, which often translates to rethinking products and processes from the ground up. This can be more resource-intensive initially, but it's critical for sustainable operations in the long run. Engineering and manufacturing are prime examples of where this is especially evident.
Inspired by her take, we wanted to understand the next steps for businesses, so we asked Jara to elaborate.
PreZero: With all these principles to consider, is there a systematic way for businesses to approach their implementation?
Yes, there is. In the circular economy field, we work with what's known as the R-ladder. It represents a hierarchy of waste management strategies, arranged from most to least environmentally beneficial, starting with waste prevention and ending with waste recovery.
Take "Reuse" as an example. This step involves using items for longer or in different ways before moving to recycling or recovery. Implementing reuse can sometimes be complex for businesses, particularly in sectors not traditionally focused on product lifecycles. It requires designing durable products, establishing systems for return and reuse, and shifting consumer perceptions to recognize the value of reused items.
Despite these challenges, reuse stands as a central practice for companies aligning with circular economy principles. It strengthens sustainability by conserving resources, reducing waste, and limiting environmental impact.
PreZero: So, would you say that there's no one-size-fits-all method when it comes to implementing circular economy practices?
That is correct. Implementation of circular economy practices varies widely depending on strategic goals, operational capacities, regulatory frameworks, and industry-specific challenges. What works for a textile manufacturer might not suit a tech company, so a tailored strategy using the R-ladder is necessary.
Factors such as the complexity of the product, availability of recycling technologies, and market demand for recycled materials shape each organization's path. Businesses must assess their unique situation and develop a strategy that fits their specific conditions and goals.
This is precisely where we at PreZero come in. We work alongside companies to overcome these hurdles and create clear, measurable progress toward Zero Waste and the circular economy.
Jara Korstanje
Circular Economy and Zero Waste Expert,
PreZero Netherlands
Transforming Waste into Opportunity
Moving from theory to practice in waste management requires more than just meeting legal requirements. PreZero Zero Waste Expert Marcus Bocklisch emphasizes that success begins with a fundamental shift in perspective — seeing waste not as a compliance issue, but as a strategic prospect.
Expert Insight
The most effective starting point is essentially changing how an organization thinks about waste management. Many companies tend to focus solely on meeting legal requirements. While that is undeniably important, viewing waste as an opportunity rather than just another compliance issue is essential. There's significant economic potential in proper waste management that extends well beyond its ecological benefits.
To change this perspective, everyone in the organization needs to embrace a central truth: our global resources are becoming scarcer and, as a result, more expensive. When a company fully understands and adopts this mindset, the R-Ladder and Zero Waste concepts start naturally permeating every aspect of operations. They begin shaping decisions at all levels, from major strategies to small, day-to-day choices. Materials are sorted carefully for optimal recycling, and regular maintenance extends equipment lifespans. From the very start, products and packaging are designed with recyclability in mind.
This holistic approach, combining economic and environmental advantages, creates the foundation for a truly comprehensive waste management system.
Probing further, we invited Marcus to share how businesses can put these ideas into practice.
Marcus Bocklisch
Zero Waste Expert,
PreZero International
Maximizing Efficiency Through Emissions Control
While Marcus showed us how waste management offers opportunities beyond compliance, emissions management is another area where businesses can create strategic value. While the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) forces more and more companies to report their emissions, PreZero CSR Team Lead Claudius Guether discusses how companies can transform these new reporting obligations into business advantages.
The connection between emissions and circularity runs deeper than most organizations realize. New reporting requirements and stakeholder expectations are prompting companies to examine their efficiency and material use practices from a fresh angle. This examination often shows that when organizations address sustainability holistically, environmental and economic benefits naturally align.
Expert Insight
With new emissions reporting requirements and evolving stakeholder expectations, we're now seeing companies being prompted to reevaluate their material use practices. This is actually favorable, as it shows how operating within our planet's limits allows companies to gain both economic and ecological benefits.
To put this into action, the transformation to circularity is primarily about increasing efficiency. Being part of the Schwarz Group, this is something that's embedded in PreZero's DNA. Why focus on efficiency? Because it ensures that raw materials are reused as much as possible, creating a continuous cycle of reprocessing and reuse. What you already have doesn't need to be newly acquired, dismantled, or reproduced. Ultimately, this reduces environmental costs and taxes while helping mitigate risks from supply chain instability and volatile markets.
One of the first steps in this method is prioritizing efficiency in design. Products built with easily separable, recyclable components allow for optimal use of secondary materials. The potential impact is significant. In Germany alone, for instance, doubling the use of secondary raw materials could save approximately 60 million tons of CO2 per year.
PreZero: Based on your experience with the different challenges companies face across industries, what are some key areas where they can achieve quick wins to advance their Road to Zero Waste and circular economy practices? And why could pursuing long-term goals like certification be beneficial?
In my experience, introducing waste separation stations throughout the organization — from offices to production areas — can yield quick wins. When leadership supports and actively promotes these stations, it clearly shows the initiative's importance to the company's sustainability goals. We typically pair this with targeted awareness campaigns and hands-on training for key staff to ensure effective participation across all departments.
These immediate steps work best when combined with more ambitious goals. Certification, for example, adds value in two distinct ways. Within the company, it cultivates a culture of continuous improvement. Regular evaluations against standardized criteria provide constructive feedback, encouraging teams to constantly refine and improve their practices.
Externally, certification proves a company's dedication to Zero Waste and circular economy principles. It shows stakeholders that you're taking concrete, verifiable actions. Ultimately, it can boost your sustainability ratings, strengthen relationships with partners and customers, and set you apart in public tenders.
Claudius Guether
Team Lead CSR,
PreZero International
Optimizing Packaging for Performance
We've explained how circular principles and emissions management create business value, but there is one element that touches every aspect of business operations — packaging. From incoming materials to outbound products, packaging choices influence not just resource efficiency and environmental impact, but also cost effectiveness and market access. According to Alexander Reitz, Sustainable Packaging Expert at PreZero, organizations can look at these detailed considerations as opportunities.
The path to sustainable packaging focuses on proven fundamental models that maximize both business and environmental benefits.
Expert Insight
While more effective solutions exist, the following two strategies for packaging optimization generally work well across many scenarios and are especially relevant when optimizing packaging with focus on sustainability. The first is to replace complex composite packaging solutions with mono-materials to enable high-quality recycling. The other is using secondary raw materials like recycled plastics or aluminum. Both approaches are important in reducing carbon footprint.
Any further recommendations would have to be more specific, depending on the type of packaging, the requirements of the packaged product, and the market where it will be sold. Choosing the right packaging can be particularly challenging, as it always depends heavily on the country's specific recycling capabilities, infrastructure, and regulations.
We support businesses in managing these complexities through various solutions, including digital tools that assess recyclability across regions and calculate environmental impact. PreZero SPOT in cooperation with Packaging Cockpit helps companies understand how their packaging performs across different markets. This includes evaluating recyclability in multiple European countries and calculating carbon footprints and region-specific costs.
Additionally, our team continuously analyzes emerging trends, using these insights to help businesses optimize their packaging strategies. Through this combination of digital capabilities and direct consultation, we help companies make informed decisions that balance efficiency, cost, and sustainability.
Alexander Reitz
Sustainable Packaging Expert,
PreZero International
A Long-Term Partnership for Circular Success
We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to our experts, who have shown how circular economy practices can create lasting value at every level. Their insights reveal an important truth — when viewed strategically, today's regulatory requirements become tomorrow's business advantages. Companies that put circularity first often adapt more readily to changing regulations, strengthening their operations and potentially developing new business models.
Working with a dedicated partner helps organizations recognize and act on these opportunities. At PreZero, we help companies transform these possibilities into measurable results. Our approach centers on combining strengths — your deep understanding of your business with our circular economy expertise. Together, we find potential that others might overlook, developing solutions that address your specific challenges while creating long-term value.
Ready to take the next step in growing your business sustainably? Connect with our consulting team and start moving toward circular success today.
