3M Joins Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Economy Network

3M recently announced that the company has joined the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100 (CE100).

The CE100 platform brings together businesses, innovators, cities, governments and universities committed to collaborate on the transition to a circular economic model built on making the best use of the planet’s resources through designing for the prevention of waste, the reuse of products and the recycling of materials.

Joining the CE100 is part of 3M’s strategic focus on science for circular, with the ambition to design solutions that do more with less material, advancing a global circular economy.

“3M is moving to more recycled and renewable materials in our product and package designs, but no one company can do it alone,” said 3M Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Gayle Schueller in a statement. “We are excited to engage with a committed group of leaders focused on innovative approaches to driving a circular economy based on sustainable use and reuse of finite resources.”

"We are delighted to welcome 3M, another major U.S. brand taking a leadership position on circular economy," said Joe Murphy, CE100 lead for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in a statement. "We look forward to 3M contributing to our diverse and dynamic community to achieve faster, greater success than any individual organization could alone."

This year, 3M formally built a commitment to sustainable innovation into the pipeline that produces its thousands of diverse products and technologies. All of 3M’s new products entering the new product commercialization process are required to describe their product’s sustainability impact and how it drives impact for the greater good.

Two new products that demonstrate how 3M scientists innovate to create products that promote recycling and reuse of plastic waste are hitting the market now. Scotch-Brite Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges sold in the U.S. are now made with 100 percent recycled scrubbing fibers. To create alternative to down, 3M Thinsulate Recycled Featherless Insulation is launching a new product with 100 percent recycled content from plastic bottles (post-consumer).

Within its supply chains, 3M said it also continually looks for ways to recover, reuse and recycle byproducts and other waste material. 3M’s Health Care Business Service Group helps extend the life of about 150,000 devices each year globally, which keeps electronic waste out of the landfill.