IWFM’s Circular Economy Survey

Our head of sustainable development, Ann Beavis, sits on the IWFM SIG panel, a committee that works to identify and implement forward thinking sustainable workplace guidance.  Last week, they released their Circular Economy Survey results, which looked at how far circular economy practices are being implemented in the FM sector, and it was great to see the outcomes.

The survey results showed that almost half of respondents felt that the circular economy is a top or major priority in their organisation.  We’ve noticed this first hand when clients repeatedly request reuse/refurbishment options for their furniture and IT equipment or ask us to donate items on their behalf in order to prevent waste.

We are really pleased to see that the circular economy is becoming a focus for many businesses and in particular in workplace management.  A challenge highlighted by the IWFM survey is a lack of understanding; 13% of respondents said that they had little or no understanding of the concept of the circular economy.

Additionally, nearly half of respondents felt that the most significant barrier to implementing circular economy practices in their organisations is a lack of in-house skills and knowledge.  This can be tackled by the introduction of focused training programmes, for which Crown Workspace have already rolled out.  The majority of Crown managers and staff have already begun or completed carbon literacy or awareness training, which has proved effective at increasing awareness of circular economy issues across all teams.

Take a look at the key survey findings here!