Ragn-Sells participates in WTO meeting about circular economy

Ragn-Sells participates in the World Trade Organization meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, today on November 27. The topic of the meeting is how trade barriers, especially for materials which has been classified as waste, stand in the way of the transition to a circular economy.

- To be able to cope with the fight against climate change, a circular economy is essential. It is therefore extremely important that resources that we now call waste also can be a part of the free trade across national borders, says Ragn-Sells sustainability manager Pär Larshans, who represents Ragn-Sells during the meeting in Geneva.

The WTO meeting focus on the role of international trade in the transition to a circular economy. Today, when production and sales of most goods are international, it is impossible to create a sustainable circulation if commodities are not being able to move between countries. But the regulation of waste is mostly national, which means that recycled materials often face obstacles when it needs to cross borders.

- The sooner the WTO manages to incorporate a circular approach as a natural part of all future trade agreements, the better we can use the resources we have instead of constantly produce new ones. The environment, as well as the climate and the economy would benefit from it, says Pär Larshans.

The legislation today means that products processed from waste are excluded from large parts of international trade. That means that there is no market for truly circular products. A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation recently showed how half of the climate emissions from food and food production could be eliminated through a transition to a circular economy.

ICC, the world's largest trade organization with 45 million member companies worldwide, are hosting the session about circular economy together with the Swedish representatives in the WTO. Besides Ragn-Sells and ICC, IKEA, Skanska and Stora Enso also participate.

For more information, please contact
Pär Larshans, sustainability manager, +46 070-927 29 63, par.larshans@ragnsells.com
Ragn-Sells Communications department, +46 070-927 24 00, medialinjen@ragnsells.com

Facts: Circular economy
There is no waste in a circular economy, only resources. Products are designed so that they can be disassembled into their constituents, to make it possible for the different materials to be recycled for reuse. This means that resources that have once been taken out of the earth remain in circulation, and that they retain their value while being in use for a long period. Read more on our website.