Supply chain processes and consumer practices have historically been one-way streets. We extract raw materials from the Earth, make stuff with them, then consumers buy it, and eventually we dispose of it. We can also visualize this traditional approach as single-use plastics, but it can be applied to just about anything.
This isn't sustainable and needs to change - fast!
While there is great work being done at the individual and community levels to address single-use waste, it also needs to be addressed more directly at the supply chain level—where it all begins and ends.
That's why I'm excited to see how Redwood Materials shifts current supply chain practices from linear and wasteful to circular and sustainable. JB Straubel, who co-founded Tesla and was its CTO, leads the company.
This type of shift toward a circular supply chain practice across industries, starting with batteries, particularly with the EV market expected to grow exponentially in the next 5- to 10-years, is crucial for addressing climate change and the adverse effects climate change has on people throughout the world.
The major opportunity is to think of this material for reuse and recovery. — JB Straubel, The Race To Crack Battery Recycling—Before It’s Too Late (Wired; Nov. 30, 2020)
It's going to be great to see where Redwood Materials goes from here.
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