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Lexmark Germany: Focused on Reuse, Repair, Reconditioning and Sharing Models.
A few weeks ago, in response to a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, the German government increased the CO 2 savings target to 65 percent by 2030. “The commitment is of course to be welcomed in principle. When implementing these projects, however, it depends on how. In concrete terms, this means: Are the initiatives linear or circular, ”asks Michael Lang, Managing Director of Lexmark DACH.As defined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy is based on the principles of avoiding waste and pollution, maximizing product life and regenerating natural systems. It is circular because products and materials remain in use for longer and go through several usage cycles through replacement, repair and recycling. This is in contrast to the linear economy, whose “take, manufacture, use, dispose, replace” approach uses up non-renewable raw materials and generates a lot of waste and pollutants in the process.
“Research shows that the circular economy model opens up a $ 4.5 trillion market by reducing waste, promoting innovation and thereby creating jobs,” explains Michael Lang. In the first step, the key lies in avoiding waste: “In a circular economy, the manufacturing process must begin with the use of sustainable raw materials. In addition, all products must be designed to last. That means not only that they last as long as possible, but also that they are easy to repair. ”This could take the wind out of the sails of the throwaway and new purchase culture. In addition, products must be designed in such a way that they can be easily recycled as soon as they reach the end of their useful life.
Recycling is only part of the model.
A large part of the responsibility for this lies with the manufacturers themselves, since in case of doubt they have so far relied on short-term use and premature obsolescence instead of developing products according to the principles of circular economy. “The claim that most consumers don’t care about the lifecycle of the items they buy is barren today,” said the Lexmark CEO. Rather, the trend to buy sustainable brands is currently increasing.“Products that are built to last – such as Lexmark devices with a lifespan of seven years or more – are also a very good investment for businesses because they reduce the interruption caused by replacing or introducing new ones Technologies are emerging and operating times are increasing, ”argues Michael Lang. Ideally, products designed with a circular economy in mind also use functions such as remote maintenance on the basis of predictive analyzes in order to ensure long-term functionality.
With the Lexmark Print Cartridge Return Program (LCCP), the manufacturer has for years offered customers the option of returning used cartridges so that they can be dismantled and various components can be reused in the production of new print cartridges.
Even if many people equate circular economy with recycling, this is not entirely true, because: recycling is only part of the model. If manufacturers pay attention to a longer service life for their products right from the start, the amount of waste and thus the need to recycle materials is reduced at the same time – and this in turn saves energy. Michael Lang: “The latter should not be a request to stop recycling, but a request to only manufacture or buy products that are designed to last from the outset – because this already saves half of the recycling work. “
https://www.pbs-business.de/information/lexmark-mehr-als-nur-recycling/
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