Focus Areas
Addressing the lifecycle of manufactured goods to reduce solid waste pollution
Consumer goods have increased comfort and convenience, but overconsumption of products such as single-use plastics has led to an unsustainable system that is wreaking environmental havoc. Traditional manufacturing models assume there will be unlimited resources to produce goods and infinite environmental space to absorb waste.
What is a Circular Economy?
The term “circular economy” refers to a holistic way of looking at production and consumption. Rather than a linear model of manufacturing where a product is made, used, and disposed of, a circular economy uses byproducts from one process as raw materials for another. It aims to limit the overconsumption of single-use-items by creating reusable products, recycling those in use, and re-manufacturing products using recyclable materials.
This is very different from the way most of us are accustomed to acquiring and using the products that make life easier. Even so, businesses, governments, and consumers are increasingly supporting the circular economy concept as a way to use resources more efficiently.
RTI Services Supporting the Circular Economy
We help public- and private-sector clients in the med-tech, consumer goods, manufacturing, and other sectors adapt circular economy practices. Our client-tailored solutions reduce the reliance on single-use materials and keep products circulating in the economy.
Plastic Waste Reduction and Management
- Redesigning packaging and reformulating products.
- Identifying infrastructure gaps in waste management analyses.
- Developing technologies to recycle end-of-life plastics into new products.
- Reducing ocean plastics by improving solid waste management.
Sustainable Energy Solutions
- Creating technologies to convert carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases into sustainable fuels.
- Converting textile waste into reusable materials.
Material Innovation, Analysis & Consulting
- Designing decision-making tools for solid waste management.
- Providing economic analyses for sustainable waste management practices.
- Performing life-cycle assessments on the environmental, monetary, and social impacts of materials.
- Researching and developing sustainable materials to replace single-use materials.
Meet the Experts
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Allison Lim
Allison Lim
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Thaïs Matha
Thaïs Matha
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Wout Salenbien
Wout Salenbien
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Amy Rydeen
Amy Rydeen
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Jamie Pero Parker
Jamie Pero Parker
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Keith Weitz
