Creating Circular Businesses: Lessons from London’s Great Stink

In order to become more sustainable, even smaller and medium-size enterprises can take advantage of finding other companies that need their waste. This process entails four steps: the first step is to understand your materials flow and what waste you produce. The second step is to seek out collaboration opportunities with other businesses that can benefit from your waste materials. Leveraging digital marketplaces can help facilitate these collaborations and create a more efficient process for exchanging materials. Finally, treating going circular as a major change program can ensure that your efforts are sustainable and impactful in the long term.

Similarly, in 19th century London, the River Thames was heavily polluted with untreated sewage and coal tar. This led to outbreaks of cholera and typhoid that claimed thousands of lives. However, during the “Great Stink of 1858,” a sewer system was constructed to address the sewage problem. Additionally, the discovery that coal tar could be distilled into building blocks of synthetic dyes led businesses to repurpose this waste into valuable dye compounds rather than disposing of it in the river. This shift in approach not only improved environmental conditions but also created economic value from what was previously considered waste.

In conclusion, small and medium-size enterprises can become more sustainable by finding other companies that need their waste through collaboration opportunities and utilizing digital marketplaces. Similarly, historical examples like London’s “Great Stink” show how repurposing waste not only improves environmental conditions but also creates economic value.