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When people talk about circular business models, they often focus on the vision… Reuse, regeneration, longevity. But few stop to consider the operational nightmare it takes to make that vision real. Patrik Nyholm is not one of them.
After spending years in procurement at Elis Sweden, Patrik made an unusual leap into sustainability leadership. But instead of leaving logistics behind, he brought it with him.
Because for companies that rent, wash, and re-use millions of textiles across Europe, circularity is not a theory. It is a transport route, a cost structure, a data headache. And to make it work, you need more than ambition. You need structure.
In this edition, we explore how Patrik’s operational mindset, grounded in vehicles, warehouses, and supplier relationships, is driving real sustainability progress at Elis. It is a story about practical climate action, not polished pledges. And a case study in what happens when you treat ESG not as a reporting task, but as a system-wide opportunity.
The Myth of Ready-Made Circularity
Elis is often held up as a model for circular economy thinking. They rent out textiles instead of selling them, launder and refurbish them for repeated use, and track their lifespan across customers.
It is circular. But Patrik is quick to point out, It is not simple.
“Just because something is circular in theory, it does not mean it is sustainable in practice. We still use energy. We still burn fuel. We still rely on suppliers that are halfway across the globe.”
That is where his operational background pays off. Because tackling the emissions tied to textiles means thinking about routing, energy efficiency, material choices, and fleet investment, not just writing a report.
One Strategy, Science-Backed Targets
When asked about Elis’s climate strategy, Patrik points not to a list of local actions, but to a clear, science-backed framework that guides the entire Group.
“We’ve aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative. That means our goals are not only ambitious, they’re validated against the global effort to limit warming.”
The company’s CO₂ reduction targets are fully in line with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement: aiming to keep global temperature rise under 1.5°C for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, and well below 2°C for Scope 3.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Scope 1 & 2: -47.5% reduction by 2030
These targets cover direct and indirect emissions, from electricity and gas to diesel used across the business.
Scope 3: -28% reduction by 2030
This includes emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel- and energy-related activities, upstream logistics, employee commuting, and end-of-life treatment of products.
“It’s about being accountable at every level of the business, not just what we control directly, but across the full value chain,” says Patrik. “That’s where the biggest impact lies, and where we need to work closely with suppliers and partners.”
The baseline is set at 2019. The targets are set for 2030. And the direction is clear: measurable climate progress, driven by data, not declarations.
Supply Chain Reality Check
Like so many others trying to reduce Scope 3 emissions, Patrik is blunt about the challenges: fragmented suppliers, questionable data, murky certifications.
“The textile industry still is not where it needs to be. Sometimes suppliers do not have the data. Sometimes they think they do, and it turns out to be wrong. That is the problem.”
But instead of wishing the system away, he is building relationships (and volumes) to shift the conversation.
More volume = more leverage = more opportunity to drive change. It’s not idealism. It is procurement logic applied to sustainability.
Scope 3 is where the challenge is at but Patrik’s not backing down. He is betting on partnership, transparency, and scale, and slowly building the systems to support it.
Building Buy-In: The Sheets Example
One of Patrik’s standout examples came from (of all places), bed sheets.
The healthcare sector required high-certification eco-labelled sheets. The hotel sector did not. That meant Elis was running two SKUs for the same product in different markets.
The fix? Bring the product, procurement, and CSR teams together. Combine the volume. Negotiate with the supplier. The result: a single, certified product at no extra cost, and a win for everyone.
“It was not about pressure. It was about working together, seeing the bigger picture, and giving the supplier a clearer business case.”
That is how circularity moves from theory to execution.
What Procurement Taught Him About People
Patrik credits much of his success to the relationships he built over years in procurement. “They know I have been in the room before. I have negotiated the contracts. I have had the same KPIs. That gives you credibility.”
For others trying to drive change, he has one core lesson: find suppliers who want to be part of the solution. And do not try to do it alone. “If your partner sees change as growth, you have got something. If they see it as a cost, good luck.”
When asked for one piece of advice, Patrik did not hesitate: “Team up with the ones who see the opportunity in change. Do not waste energy on those trying to protect the past.”
That is what makes him stand out. Because while others are still drafting circular economy diagrams, Patrik is out there planning vehicle routes, merging SKUs, and negotiating fiber-level changes with suppliers.
Sustainability, for him, is not just a vision. It is a supply chain problem. And he has got the receipts.
Thank you for reading this edition of Straight Talk Sustainability.
If Patrik’s journey from procurement to sustainability management sparked something for you, pass it on. Drop me a message. Or better yet, talk to someone in logistics.
Until next time,
Sebastien
