The Circular Dorking Blog

Little stories to inspire big changes

What does a circular economy look like in practice ?

12th May 2025

We don’t have to look too far, to see what a circular economy looks like

Our own award winning Foodfloat is a great example of some of the relatively simple and easy regular things a small operation can do which makes a great difference.

Here are some examples of how Dorking’s FoodFloat community interest company (CIC) operates:

Egg boxes are returned by customers and reused.
Jars and bottles are returned by customers and returned to suppliers for reuse.
Crates and delivery boxes are returned to suppliers for reuse.
In most cases, soft plastics are wood based cellulose
Soft plastics are recycled. Customers can return them.
Cardboard is recycled.
Food miles are less than 18 miles on average (grower or producer to FoodFloat stall).
Fruit and vegetables are selected for low use of sprays (eg. Nutbourne are insecticide free and use natural predators instead; purple sprouting brocolli organic, etc).
Waste veg goes to ‘DorkingBred’ pigs, which in turn are sold back at the stall as sausages.
An electric van is used for collections and deliveries. Charged with 100% renewable electricity (from sun and wind power).
Local growers and suppliers are paid a fair price for their quality products. Solely involving small independent businesses and owners of small holdings/producers.
Any financial surplus is given to the local Foodbank (Trussell Trust)
A network of volunteers is what makes FoodFloat run by the community for the community.

This cycles repeats every week. Once setup as a process it runs like a dream. Proving even small changes are achievable for any small business. This is a manifestation of a local circular economy in operation in front of our eyes.

Consumers are increasingly feeling the squeeze of inflation and rising prices in essential goods such as groceries, however in that context, they are prioritising products that are sustainably produced and sourced. Even as consumers look to cheaper, generic options for essentials, they nevertheless cite a willingness to pay 9.7% more for sustainability. In the year ahead, companies must achieve a delicate balance between consumer affordability and environmental impact if they are to source and retain consumers.

Source: PwC 2024 Voice of the Consumer Survey

More and more businesses are waking up to the fact that customers are concerned about the environmental impact their purchases are having – and are using the power of their purse.

Doing the right thing for the environment is also a customer commitment opportunity and a way to grow a more sustainable business.

Find out more about Foodfloat

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