Chemical leasing as a tool of circular economy

Abstract

Chemicals are widely used in manufacturing processes and are vital for the economic and social well-being of society. During or after using, they enter the environment and lead to pollution, resulting in both environmental and – due to unjustified losses – economic damage. The aim of the circular economy is to create a closed cycle in which waste and resources are reused and recycled rather than end up on a landfill. The product-service system is one among the strategies of the circular economy that is most suitable for the use of chemicals. It combines a chemical as a physical product with a service component, that means that a consumer receives a service using chemicals and pays only for the result. This approach is implemented in an innovative model of chemical leasing. In it, the chemical supplier gets paid for the service provided using the chemicals, rather than for the amount of chemicals sold, and thus becomes a service provider interested in keeping costs low while providing customers with the agreed quality of service. The basis of economic settlements between partners is the useful result of the use of chemicals, which, depending on the production process, can be measured in the number of hours of uninterrupted operation of the equipment, the area of the painted surface, etc. Thus, chemical leasing contributes to the implementation of the principles of the circular economy, dramatically reducing the consumption of primary raw materials for the production of chemicals and the amount of chemical waste.