Loopway connects people to the reuse, recycling, and repair organizations working on the ground. Project Drawdown does complementary work at the global, scientific level — cataloging and ranking the climate solutions, including many rooted in circular-economy practices, that can help the world reach “drawdown,” the point at which greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to decline.
Described as “The World’s Leading Guide to Science-Based Climate Solutions,” Project Drawdown maintains the Drawdown Explorer, a library of more than 140 technologies and practices for reducing greenhouse gases, publishes original research and insights, and runs education and finance programs — including the SHIFT program and the Drawdown Capital Coalition — reaching an audience of more than 80,000 newsletter subscribers.
Why materials and waste solutions matter
Several of Project Drawdown’s highest-impact, most cost-effective solutions are exactly the kind of circular-economy work Loopway’s directory highlights every day: recycling, composting, and better landfill management. Figures below are Project Drawdown’s estimated global greenhouse-gas impact in gigatons of CO2-equivalent per year (Gt CO2-eq/yr):
| Solution | Est. impact (Gt CO2-eq/yr) | Cost per tCO2-eq |
|---|---|---|
| Recycling metals | 1.90–2.10 | –$100 (saves money) |
| Alternative refrigerants | 2.50–2.70 | — |
| Landfill biocovers | 0.98–1.59 | — |
| Centralized composting | 0.78–1.20 | — |
| Landfill methane capture | 0.13–0.97 | — |
| Recycling paper & cardboard | 0.22–0.26 | –$400 (saves money) |
| Recycling plastics | 0.09–0.10 | –$4 (saves money) |
| Alternative insulation materials | 0.05–0.12 | — |
Source: Project Drawdown, drawdown.org/solutions. Negative costs mean the solution is estimated to save money per ton of CO2-equivalent avoided, not cost money.
Recycling metals alone is estimated to have one of the largest and least expensive climate impacts of any solution Project Drawdown tracks — a direct match for the reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle work Loopway’s directory is built around.
Learn more
Explore the full Drawdown Explorer and Project Drawdown’s research to see how circular-economy solutions stack up against every other climate strategy, from renewable energy to regenerative agriculture.