2019 ESG Report 2019 ESG Report
At Rubicon, we believe the future is circular. Circular thinking reimagines the relationship between the economy and the natural world – and aims to turn waste into something valuable.
The Essentials of a Circular Economy
In its purest form, a circular economy generates no waste. Achieving it will mean delivering on three major strategies:
01
“Design out” waste from products and materials.
There are numerous reasons only 9% of all plastics ever created have been recycled. One of them is that it’s simply hard to do. We need to design both packaging and products to use less plastic and more recycled – and recyclable – materials.
02
Use products and materials longer.
A linear economy assumes and encourages the frequent disposal of products and packaging no longer in use. By extending the lifespan of a material or good, we also extend the life of its embodied carbon – the energy and emissions associated with its creation.
03
Compost and build other regenerative systems.
According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, approximately 1.6 billion tons of food is wasted annually, and nearly all of it finds its way into landfills. By composting this organic matter, we can return its carbon content to the soil or transform it into bioplastics and bio-based fuels.
At Rubicon, we are committed to...
1. Smarter Manufacturing
Sustainable raw materials providers and waste-eliminating manufacturing and distribution processes are essential to creating products and packaging that won’t live forever in landfills.
2. Longer Lifecycles
Frequent disposal and replacement must give way to reliable, ongoing use on a massive scale in order to dramatically reduce the energy and carbon emissions required to create the same products over and over again.
3. Regeneration by Design
Unused food products and end-of-life goods mustn’t be destroyed or left sitting in landfills – they need to be transformed into the foundation of a new generation of materials like bioplastics, bio-fuels, and more.
1. Smarter Manufacturing
Sustainable raw materials providers and waste-eliminating manufacturing and distribution processes are essential to creating products and packaging that won’t live forever in landfills.
2. Longer Lifecycles
Frequent disposal and replacement must give way to reliable, ongoing use on a massive scale in order to dramatically reduce the energy and carbon emissions required to create the same products over and over again.
3. Regeneration by Design
Unused food products and end-of-life goods mustn’t be destroyed or left sitting in landfills – they need to be transformed into the foundation of a new generation of materials like bioplastics, bio-fuels, and more.