When it comes to a circular economy award, describing why it should win is always going to be a challenge. In this case, it is best put by one of the judges who described the winners as “a great effort to bring together the industry around one objective that is bullseye in circularity”. Another put it simply, saying it was “a great initiative”.

This award – resting in the North American section of IJGlobal (though awarded for LatAm), but international in its recognition – has been won by EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) for its Close the Loop Program.

This programme is focused on keeping the environment front and centre for EDPR NA through more efficient use of resources and materials, promoting solutions that extend product lifecycle, and ensuring responsibility for product materials and assets. 

One of the judges said of the programme: “This is a shining example of what other solar projects should be considering.”

Another judge added: “EDP Renewables North America demonstrates a renewables company going above and beyond standard activities.”

The judging comments were rounded off with one saying: “This is really impressive for its scale and impact, noting cheaper electricity to low income homes and long term thinking. This leaps out as high quality.”

The Close the Loop Program enhances sustainability in the renewable energy industry by partnering with recycling experts.

One of EDPR NA’s first nationwide partnerships was with SafetyKleen to support oils, lubricants, and other liquid waste recovery, and the second was with SOLARCYCLE, a technology-based solar panel recycling company.

Close The Loop – which promotes innovation in recycling technologies and fosters a secondary market for recycled materials – now (at the time of writing the submission) has more than 20 partnered organisations spanning North America’s geography for various materials.

EDPR has ambitious global waste recovery targets of 85% by 2026 and 90% by 2030.

The programme builds on EDPR NA’s continued innovative approach to “future-proofing” its asset operations and ensuring the company’s sustainability practices span from development to the culminating production of clean electrons.

In 2022, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) found that with modest government support, recycled materials from the solar energy sector could meet at least 25-30% of domestic solar manufacturing needs in the US by 2040.

For the US renewables industry to scale to full potential, EDPR NA is supporting the advancement of US renewable energy supply chains tied to a vibrant secondary market for recycled materials through the establishment of specific ESG targets.

According to the submission: “EDP Renewables North America’s Close the Loop Program is the largest and most extensive recycling programme launched by an IPP/developer to date in the renewables sector in North America.

“The initiative exemplifies our commitment to transitioning from a linear to a circular model as we build partnerships with materials handlers and recycling organisations, include pricing for responsible materials management in our capital expense estimations, build language into our contracts which discuss our circularity goals and the importance of achieving them, and monitor and manage data to track progress towards our goal.

“Launched in 2023, the initiative collaborates with 20+ of the leading North American recycling experts to achieve collective goals.

“As the largest recycling program by scale and scope to date by a renewables IPP/developer in the US, Close the Loop has set an industry-wide standard that is being adopted by partners and competitors alike.”