Introducing: Zero Waste Scotland's Business Information Hub
Research indicates that businesses are missing out on the economic benefits of circularity. The Business Information Hub is designed to help businesses take their first steps to circular practices.
Over three-quarters of Scottish businesses are in support of sustainable practices in the workplace, but new research has shown that many lack confidence and guidance needed to embed change – creating a barrier to unlocking business benefits, including reduced costs, and wider economic benefits like job creation, investment, and more.
The survey, conducted by Zero Waste Scotland, found a huge 77% of businesses said they are in favour of adopting more circular economy practices but only 44% fully or mostly understand the term, resulting in fewer than half (46%) currently planning on further action in the next three years.
According to the research, this is likely because of confusion over environmental terminology and a misunderstanding of what exactly circularity is - with over 95% of respondents saying they know the term “net zero” compared to 65% knowing “circular economy”, and nearly 60% of businesses defining the circular economy as reusing waste.
But with more evidence than ever showing circularity is a vital market and innovation opportunity, as much as it is an environmental solution, Scotland’s circular economy expert is urging businesses to take action now to future-proof their enterprises - and has developed a new tool to help them do just that.
Zero Waste Scotland’s new Business Information Hub, launched today, is a free platform designed to address these knowledge gaps and provide more robust support for businesses at any stage of their journey. Within the Business Information Hub, the Circular Business Quiz aims to translate over a decade’s worth of circular expertise into a freely accessible and tailored resource by providing personalised, actionable recommendations to users. The organisation then offers business leaders and employees the chance to sign up to a 12-month long Journey to Circularity, through which they will be guided to learn about and implement circular practices within their organisation.
Evidence shows circularity supports new business models and technologies, helps attract investment, boosts productivity, and nurtures future skills, therefore this free platform will act as a compass to help guide organisations searching for their best route to becoming more circular.
It builds on Zero Waste Scotland’s long-standing role as the most commonly cited source of sustainability advice for Scottish businesses – aiming to give clear, jargon-free guidance, real world examples, and practical tools to help companies identify circular ambitions that make sense for their size and sector.
Ciaran McGuigan, Chief Executive at Zero Waste Scotland, said:
“Historically, circularity has been thought of as an environmental solution, or too time consuming to tackle. But, in reality, it can unlock new revenue streams, attract investment, fuel innovation, build long-term resilience, and much more.
“Our market research shows businesses are interested in these competitive advantages, but many feel unsure where to start, or how circular economy principles even apply to them, which is why we’ve developed this new Business Information Hub.
“Through it, we’ll take engaged businesses on a journey of learning and development – helping them identify commercially-viable options, supporting transformation within their operations and culture, and providing help that’s practical, relevant, and achievable.”
The launch of the Business Information Hub comes at a pivotal moment in Scotland’s acceleration towards a more circular economy.
As Scotland’s Circular Economy Strategy continues to take shape, it’s helping create a policy landscape to support vital change – strengthened by the Scottish Government’s Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030, as well as the development of extended producer responsibility for textiles.