Antioxidants and the circular economy
With the current production model, we are depleting natural resources and abusing non-renewable energies which is why the circular economy is gaining so much importance. The objective is to leave behind the linear model and replace it with another that allows product life extension or gives products a second life to reduce the use of raw materials, optimize the materials and reduce the amount of waste generated.
But in order to establish sustainable development, attention must be paid to each phase of the product, from the raw materials used in its manufacture, to the packaging materials, in order to extend its shelf-life and be able to reuse or recycle it once its cycle has come to an end.
What is the circular economy?
The circular economy is defined by the Foundation for the Circular Economy as a new economic and social system whose objective is the production of goods and services while reducing the consumption and waste of raw materials, water and energy sources. In this way, existing products are reused as many times as possible to create added value in each use, thus extending their life cycle.
In this model, which is a substitute for the linear economic model based on “use and throw away”, the use of available resources and the reduction of raw materials prevail. For this, the concept of the 7Rs is necessary: reduce, reuse, repair, renew, recover, recycle and redesign which, in short, consists in that the products are designed to be reused considering the environmental variable as one more factor when it comes to make decisions based on each phase of the product.
In practice, the circular economy is about reducing waste to a minimum. When a product reaches the end of its useful life, its materials are kept within the economy as much as possible so that they can be productive again with different utilities.
One of the main reasons for moving towards a circular economy is the increased demand for raw materials and the scarcity of available resources. But the impact on the climate and its influence in the fight against climate change is another factor to take into account. The extraction and use of raw materials have environmental consequences, for example increased energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions or damage to biodiversity. On the contrary, a different use of raw materials as does this new economic model could considerably reduce polluting emissions.
Natural antioxidants: the additives of the circular economy
At BTSA, we are committed to taking care of available natural resources and making the most of them, and to achieve this we have built our business model based on the circular economy, even before this term existed.
The main raw materials used in the manufacture of both natural antioxidants and natural vitamin E are the by-products of the distillation processes of vegetable oil refineries for human consumption. What we do is revalue these by-products and transform them into additives (antioxidants) or nutrients (vitamin E) so that they can later be used by food, personal care or animal nutrition companies, giving them a new life.
Since 1994 we have been committed to developing natural antioxidants and natural vitamin E because we are aware of its importance for the planet and for global sustainability. As a result, we not only protect products against oxidation and deterioration without compromising their appearance, smell or taste, but we also increase their shelf-life, considerably reducing the generation of food waste.
Further, the by-products that we generate from our own activity are then reused for the manufacture of biodiesel, so we do not generate direct waste with our activity.
Circular economy for sustainable development
To help protect the environment and fight climate change, we strive to reduce finite resources and replace them with renewable ones. That is why since the year 2011, we only use electrical energy from 100% renewable sources. In our headquarters and factory, we have solar panels for electricity consumption and for the production of sanitary hot water. And by doing so, we have considerably reduced our carbon footprint, thus contributing to sustainable development.
In addition, in line with contributing to this model, we have NON-GMO certification that guarantees that we only acquire raw materials of plant origin that have not been genetically modified, respecting the biodiversity of the different species on the planet.
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