There is a lot of talk about the circular economy, but what exactly is it? For me, it means that production and consumption fit within the limits of the Earth's carrying capacity. This can be done by keeping materials and products in circulation for as long as possible while maintaining their value. The trend is from the constant consumption of products towards the use of services.
The circular economy is not a trend or a passing fad, but I see it as the only opportunity for our planet if we genuinely want to succeed in mitigating climate change. We must stop overconsumption of natural resources and adopt the basic elements of the circular economy. If we do not do this but continue to overexploit natural resources, the Earth's carrying capacity will not be able to withstand it. Since we simply cannot manage without nature and its resources, the circular economy should be a matter of heart for all of us.
It is not very often thought that the circular economy offers enormous opportunities – for the Finnish economy alone. According to Sitra's estimate, improving the efficiency of resources and circulation will provide Finland's economy with an annual growth potential of EUR 2–3 billion by 2030. It also plays a key role in strengthening the country’s self-sufficiency.
These things are not only done by governments and companies, but we all are needed! We, as consumers and individuals, must also really reduce consumption, and the circular economy plays an important role in this. Everyone can think about what kind actions one can do in his or her everyday life to make the daily lives more sustainable. Many times, it's not even about big changes, but about small insights.
My biggest contribution to the circular economy is the start-up Kamupak, which I founded after getting tired of the throw-away culture of packaging. Our goal is to replace a significant part of single-use take-away packaging with a digital deposit system. Disposability consumes natural resources unnecessarily, as it is quite possible to wash and reuse take-away packaging. A deposit bottle system has been operating in Finland for a long time, from which I got the idea of a more comprehensive reuse of packaging with the help of digitalization. My dream is that Kamupak's philosophy would steer consumption on a more sustainable basis and that it would be reflected in other areas of life, too.
For us at Ensto, the circular economy and the green transition are important issues. As an owner, I am proud that the company's operations have always been based on reliable and long-lasting products that build durable and reliable electricity networks. Therefore, we have a very good starting point, and in the future, we only need to adopt the principles of the circular economy even more strongly and, following the basic idea of continuous improvement, apply them in our everyday lives.
To make the green transition succeed, the world needs to be electrified in a sustainable way. This consists of renewable energy, nuclear power, circular economy, and sustainable energy distribution. Distribution system operators play an important role in providing a sustainable and reliable distribution network, while Ensto plays a key role with its smart, reliable, long-lasting electrification solutions suitable for even the most demanding conditions. Sustainability is at the core of our strategy, and in product development we strive to prioritize the circular economy, for example, by making products recyclable and minimizing the amount of waste and the negative environmental impacts of our operations.
Ensto's products are not only long-lasting and durable, but also very much recyclable when their service life finally reaches its end. In addition to this, the company already has several interesting, concrete openings in circular economy underway. Examples of these are the utilization of surplus plastics from SLIW connector production and the recovery of waste heat from the Porvoo production plant and its transfer to the district heating network to be used as heating energy.
The service side has not been forgotten either. By adding fault detection sensors to overhead line products and providing customers with the related cloud service, we cannot only predict distribution interruptions, but also further extend the life cycle of the electricity distribution network. In France, Ensto is refurbishing and upgrading Auguste load break switches, which are nearing the end of their service life, after which the equipment is returned to the distribution network. This can extend the 25-year life cycle by approximately 20 years. I am very happy and proud of these openings, and I believe that there will be more to come!
Iida Miettinen
The author of the blog is one of the owners of Ensto and a member of Ensto's Board.