{"id":3536,"date":"2026-03-25T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T15:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/?p=3536"},"modified":"2026-04-28T13:15:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T13:15:01","slug":"shifting-to-a-circular-model-is-profitable-and-sustainable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/2026\/03\/25\/shifting-to-a-circular-model-is-profitable-and-sustainable\/","title":{"rendered":"Shifting to a circular model is profitable and sustainable."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Our economy still largely operates according to a linear logic.<\/p>

We extract, we produce, we consume\u2026 and then we discard.<\/p>

This model implicitly rests on two assumptions.
The first: that resources are available in unlimited quantities.
The second: that the environment has an infinite capacity to absorb our waste.<\/p>

Yet both of these assumptions are beginning to crack.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Limits that are already becoming visible<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Upstream, tensions around resources are becoming tangible.<\/p>

Copper is a good example. Essential to electrification (vehicles, grids, renewable energy), it is now under pressure. Demand is rising quickly, while opening new mines is long, complex, and often contested.<\/p>

This gap between supply and demand creates a structural strain. It reminds us of a simple truth: we live in a finite world<\/strong>.<\/p>

Downstream, climate change illustrates the other limitation of the model.<\/p>

The accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere shows that our environment is not a bottomless sink. There is a threshold beyond which impacts become systemic: extreme weather events, economic disruptions, pressure on infrastructure.<\/p>

In other words, we are facing a dual constraint : limited resources and limited absorption capacity<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A reality confirmed by data<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The latest Quebec Circularity Index Report provides concrete evidence of this reality.<\/p>

With an index of 2.5%<\/strong>, it means that only a very small proportion of materials used in Quebec is reintroduced into the economic cycle.<\/p>

The trend is global: worldwide circularity declined from 9.1% in 2018 to 6.9% in 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>

These figures reflect the fact that our economy remains overwhelmingly linear, despite initial efforts.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why circularity struggles to take hold<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If the benefits seem obvious, why is the transition so slow?<\/p>

First, because our economic system is deeply structured around abundance. Virgin materials are often cheaper than recycled or reused alternatives.<\/p>

Second, in most organizations, waste-related costs are underestimated. Typically, only visible costs (containers, disposal) are considered, representing roughly 10% of the real cost. The rest (lost materials, energy, labor, equipment) remains largely invisible, yet very real.<\/p>

Finally, because circularity requires systemic transformation:
\u2022 rethinking supply chains,
\u2022 fostering collaboration between stakeholders,
\u2022 integrating new business logics.<\/p>

It is somewhat like moving from a one-way highway to a network of interconnected streets: more complex to organize, but far more resilient.<\/p>

There is also a knowledge gap. Many organizations simply do not know where to start.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Yet the benefits are very real<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When properly implemented, circularity makes it possible to:<\/p>

\u2022 reduce costs<\/strong> (materials, energy, waste management),
\u2022 generate new revenue streams<\/strong> (resale, recovery, new business models),
\u2022 reduce GHG emissions<\/strong>,
\u2022 strengthen resilience<\/strong> to supply shocks.<\/p>

A useful analogy can be drawn from living systems.<\/p>

In a natural ecosystem, nothing is wasted: the by-products of some become the resources of others. This circular functioning optimizes the use of energy and materials while ensuring system stability.<\/p>

By contrast, our linear economy resembles an organism that consumes without recycling \u2014 a model that, in nature, simply cannot last.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The textile sector: concrete levers<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As part of a mandate carried out by CCG in the textile sector<\/a>, this reality became very clear.<\/p>

Several decarbonization levers were directly linked to circularity:<\/p>

\u2022 reducing material losses,
\u2022 valorizing residues,
\u2022 integrating recycled or bio-based content into raw materials,
\u2022 extending product lifespan,
\u2022 developing models based on repair or resale.<\/p>

In many cases, these actions both reduced carbon footprint and improved economic performance.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Taking action: from intention to implementation<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The main challenge is not recognizing the importance of circularity, but translating it into concrete actions.<\/p>

Where should you start? Which levers should you prioritize? Which investments are relevant?<\/p>

This is precisely the role of a circular economy diagnostic.
Concrete tools exist to support organizations in this process. In Montreal, for example, the city currently offers a grant of up to $15,000.<\/a><\/p>

This diagnostic helps to:<\/p>

\u2022 analyze current practices,
\u2022 identify and prioritize relevant strategies,
\u2022 propose concrete solutions,
\u2022 build a detailed action plan,
\u2022 quantify economic and environmental benefits.<\/p>

Across Quebec, organizations can also receive support through the Mouvement circulaire program<\/a> led by Esplanade Qu\u00e9bec.<\/p>

At CCG, we carry out these mandates by combining strategic vision with rigorous analysis, turning this process into a true decision-support tool<\/strong>\u00a0useful well beyond the final report.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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An opportunity to rethink our model<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This type of funding reduces a major barrier: the cost of entry.
But the challenge goes much further.<\/p>

In a context of growing constraints on resources and climate, organizations that succeed in closing their material loops will be better positioned to secure supply, control costs, and meet market expectations.<\/p>

The circular economy thus becomes a concrete response to a fundamental imbalance between our economic system and planetary limits.<\/p>

As in living systems, long-term viability depends on the ability to reuse, transform, and optimize what already exists.<\/p>

One question remains:
Are we ready to evolve our models quickly enough to stay within the limits of the system we depend on?<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our economy still largely operates according to a linear logic.<\/p>\n

We extract, we produce, we consume\u2026 and then we discard.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":3568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,3],"tags":[53,30,36],"class_list":["post-3536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-low-carbon-transition","category-sustainable-finance","tag-circular-economy","tag-climate-change","tag-climate-transition"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3536"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3567,"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3536\/revisions\/3567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ccgclimat.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}