{"id":596,"date":"2025-08-12T13:51:53","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T13:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/?p=596"},"modified":"2025-08-12T15:47:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T15:47:16","slug":"does-the-circular-economy-give-you-the-ick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/businesssinglesmeet.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/12\/does-the-circular-economy-give-you-the-ick\/","title":{"rendered":"Does the circular economy give you the \u2018ick\u2019?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0<\/div>\n

\"Circular<\/h4>\n

Trewin Restorick, founder of Sizzle Innovation, explains why the sector must tackle the \u2018ick factor\u2019 around the circular economy head-on with better product standards, clearer messaging, and stronger investment.<\/h4>\n

Reading the environmental press, you might be forgiven for thinking the throwaway culture is finally on its way out and that the much-celebrated circular economy is gaining momentum.<\/p>\n

However, if you dig beneath the headlines, the picture is less encouraging. The proportion of reused materials in the global economy has declined \u2013 from 7.2% to 6.9% in recent years<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This backslide comes despite growing evidence that a more circular economy \u2013 through reducing waste, scaling reuse, and enhancing recycling \u2013 could generate a \u00a325 billion boost to the UK economy by 2035<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So why is the transition stalling?<\/h2>\n

\"circular<\/p>\n

This question is close to my heart. I recently launched\u00a0Treasure Gardening<\/a><\/em>, a social enterprise on a mission to celebrate the wonders of waste by transforming discarded materials into high-quality gardening products.<\/p>\n

Our flagship product,\u00a0Wonderfuel<\/em> \u2013 a game-changing peat-free compost \u2013 was designed to be both environmentally and horticulturally superior. We assumed that its origin in repurposed materials would be seen as a positive selling point.<\/p>\n

Instead, we\u2019ve encountered a surprising amount of scepticism. Potential buyers question its quality, safety, and reliability \u2013 despite a growing body of evidence that proves its effectiveness.<\/p>\n

It turns out we\u2019re not alone. According to a global study by the British Standards Institute<\/a> and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership, the so-called \u2018ick factor\u2019 \u2013 an emotional aversion to reused or repurposed products \u2013 is a major barrier to circular adoption.<\/p>\n

The research found that:<\/p>\n