U.S. Chamber Foundation, The Sustainability Consortium, and the Retail Industry Leaders Association Launch Circular Economy Toolbox

WASHINGTON, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Corporate Citizenship Center, in partnership with The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), today launched the Circular Economy Toolbox, an online platform to help companies incorporate more sustainable business practices that eliminate waste and increase efficiency. 

"The circular economy has the power to transform the business community," said Marc DeCourcey, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. "The Circular Economy Toolbox will help foster innovative ideas and solutions that can strengthen business performance while invigorating sustainable development and economic growth."

The concept of the circular economy emphasizes longevity, reuse, and recycling within business operations beyond standard sustainability practices. The Toolbox will assist organizations in the development of programs that capitalize on the business value of the circular economy, providing actionable tools and steps for companies to adjust their practices and take advantage of the long-term benefits of becoming more circular.

The Toolbox features a repository of projects that highlight how companies have successfully implemented circular business practices. The Toolbox also provides useful information for businesses, including:

• An overview of the circular economy;
• Background on the differences between circularity and sustainability;
• A glossary of terms and keywords; and
• A list of circular economy resources.

"The circular economy concept is important because it gives us a way of looking at product supply chains as holistic systems rather than as separate, individual activities. Using this tool, we can now expand the scope of sustainability right across the supply chain, rather than getting products to market first and tackling the sustainability issues after," said Euan Murray, chief executive of The Sustainability Consortium. "This approach aligns well with the vision and methodology used by TSC to look at a system as more than the sum of its parts. TSC is honored to partner with RILA and the U.S. Chamber Foundation to create this essential and important tool."

"RILA is excited to partner with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and The Sustainability Consortium to create this important resource for brands looking to participate in and grow our nation's circular economy," said Adam Siegel, senior vice president of research innovation and sustainability at RILA. "We designed this toolkit to help America's retailers navigate the process of moving away from the traditional 'take-make-waste' approach into a circular and more sustainable model. As America's retailers focus on promoting sustainability from shore to shelf, we want to help them every step of the way. This toolkit is a new way to help move industry forward."

The Toolbox will be a dynamic platform and will accept new projects for consideration on an ongoing basis. 

The Circular Economy Toolbox was supported by Tarkett and can be found online here.

The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) is a global organization dedicated to improving the sustainability of consumer products. TSC convenes our diverse stakeholders to work collaboratively to build science-based decision tools and solutions that address sustainability issues that are materially important throughout a product's supply chain and lifecycle. TSC also offers a portfolio of services to help drive effective implementation. Our mission is to use the best sustainability science to help companies make the everyday products we use better and more sustainable.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) is the trade association of the world's largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center is a leading resource for businesses dedicated to making a difference. For more than 15 years, our programs, events, research, and relationships with key NGOs and governments have helped businesses make the world a better place.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America's long-term competitiveness. We educate the public on the conditions necessary for business and communities to thrive, how business positively impacts communities, and emerging issues and creative solutions that will shape the future.

SOURCE Retail Industry Leaders Association