Circular Economy Podcast: Recent Episodes
Catherine Weetman
How circular approaches make a better business (and a better world): for you, your partners, and your customers. Catherine Weetman, of Rethink Global will be chatting with those inspiring people who are making the circular economy happen: rethinking how we design, make and use everything. We’ll talk to entrepreneurs & business owners, social enterprises, and leading thinkers. We’ll find out how they are using circular principles to create value, increase resilience and reduce risk: to make a competitive, sustainable organisation. You’ll find the show notes and links at www.circulareconomypodcast.com, where you can subscribe to updates and useful resources.
The Forest Recycling Project (FRP) is a UK charity that’s seeding knowledge, skills and confidence to help people make a positive impact for themselves, their social groups and their communities.FRP reclaims, repurposes, and resells affordable materials that would otherwise end up in landfill or incineration. It specialises in paint, textiles and wood, recycling over 30k litres of pain each year, selling construction and industrial wood waste plus textiles donated by local organisations. It also runs several tool libraries and provides space to a Forest Fixers, a local repair café.Alongside its recycling and reuse initiatives, the Forest Recycling Project delivers practical training and upcycling workshops, tool lending schemes, and community events that encourage people to develop new skills and engage in environmental action, supporting a more circular, resilient future for local communities.Greg Dickson and Penny Gunn will share insights on the Forest Recycling Project’s Green Champions Programmes: 10-week courses for carpentry or textiles. Over the past seven years, more than 600 people have benefited from these programmes, enhancing their skills, confidence, well-being, and employability.
s high recyclability and low material use. Meadow’s system focuses on convenience and premium user experience, and is designed to be scalable and compatible with existing supply chains. Victor Ljungberg is an entrepreneurial leader with a background in marketing and sales, and a passion for social impact. Victor is also a founding board member at Sparks Generation, a social impact platform that helps young people discover and explore their passions, to avoid isolation and fight mental illness. The MEADOW KAPSUL™ offers a lightweight, user-friendly alternative to linear packaging across multiple industries, including personal care, beauty, food, and beverages. We’ll hear how partnering with global leaders like Ball Corporation enables Meadow to deliver scalable, sustainable packaging solutions that combine environmental impact reduction with enhanced consumer experience.
Sean Petterson explains how Supersede delivers a true 1:1 replacement for plywood and OSB that outperforms wood on durability, safety, cost stability, and supply predictability, without the need for manufacturers to change how they build. Sean Petterson is Supersede’s Co-Founder and CEO, and after beginning his career in construction, Sean has developed and secured multiple patents in manufacturing systems, material science, and applied technologies, with a focus on scalable production and real-world deployment. His experience spans polymer engineering, high-volume manufacturing, and commercialization of hardware and software systems.Supersede is an advanced materials company transforming how structural building products are designed, manufactured, and deployed across marine, RV, specialty vehicles, and construction. Supersede’s products are made from extruded industrial plastic waste, reducing supply chain risk, avoiding import tariffs and providing consistent pricing and reliable availability. Currently, Supersede is focusing on the boatbuilding, recreational and specialty vehicle markets, with additional verticals--including housing construction--coming soon.Sean explains how Supersede’s combination of durability, circularity, and operational efficiency makes sustainability economically compelling for its clients – it solves multiple problems and improves on the existing alternatives for performance and price.We’ll hear about some of Supersede’s many innovations, including micro-plant production units and its offcut buy-back programme, and how its local approach appeals to employees, clients and feedstock providers.
We’re all seeing how geoeconomic tensions are affecting the supply of key resources, including mined minerals and fuels together with food and other biological resources.My guest, Dr Jack Barrie, is the lead author of a recent World Economic Forum white paper, The Future of Materials Systems: cooperation opportunities in a Multipolar World. In the context of today’s world of competing regions and powers - where the multilateral system is really struggling to make progress – Jack and his contributors set out to answer an important question: how do we keep progress going? Dr Jack Barrie is an independent global advisor and researcher specialising in the circular economy, with more than 15 years’ experience working at the intersection of policy, international trade, and material value chains. Most recently, Jack led the Global Materials Collaboration at the World Economic Forum, developing scenarios for international cooperation on materials and circularity to support economic resilience, climate action, and nature-positive outcomes. He has held several global advisory roles, including as a member of the UK Government Circular Economy Task Force and as a specialist advisor to UNECE on ESG traceability of sustainable value chains in the circular economy.Jack is also a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Global Circularity Protocol. He holds a PhD in circular economy innovation policy from the University of Strathclyde, alongside further degrees from the University of Cambridge, the University of Edinburgh, and Aalborg University.We’ll discuss the findings of the World Economic Forum white paper, including its key recommendations and how we make those tangible. Jack also shares some surprising insights about how governments are using the circular economy, and why he sees some of those strategies as deeply problematic.
When we look closely, we can see that circular solutions can end up compromising - or even cancelling out - sustainability benefits. In this episode, we’ll discuss research into the psychological concept of moral licensing, and the rebound effect. Dr. Meital Peleg Mizrachi works at the intersection of sustainable fashion, consumer behaviour, and public policy. She is a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University and an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut, and her research focuses on the environmental and social implications of global fashion systems, including overconsumption, second-hand markets, and regulatory frameworks.Meital explores how policy design, behavioural insights, and economic structures shape sustainable consumption patterns. She is a board member at the Sustainable Fashion Consumption Research Network, and her work has been published in leading academic journals and featured in global media outlets.We’ll discuss unintended consequences of circular economy solutions in fashion, including the rebound effect associated with second-hand consumption.We’ll also talk about her research into the global flows of used clothing with fieldwork in Ghana.
gap, the gap between intentions and actions, so we can encourage circular and sustainable behaviours.Dimitri outlines three ‘moments’ of circular economy behaviours: before using, while using, and after using, and explains how our choices are influenced by a variety of factors including environmental awareness, or personal values, and information transparency.We discuss how behavioural science can support circular options such as repairing, sharing and returning products at the end of life, and if you’d like to learn more, Dimitri recommends three books to read.
Events sectors through reclaimed material redistribution, circular material management strategies and lower-impact construction approaches aligned with initiatives such as the Theatre Green Book. Simon and his co-founder, Matt Doolan are focusing on how to change the whole system – how best can they intervene or educate, and where in the system; how do they help people see the benefits, and make the circular option more affordable and accessible than the scenery that’s designed NOT to last. Simon explains some of the ways they embed circular principles directly into design and build processes — helping productions reduce embodied carbon, material waste and disposal costs without compromising technical standards. We’ll also hear about Reset Scenery’s circular design support for schools, helping build long-term skills and sector resilience through practical, hands-on sustainable practice.
Co are using rich data sets to design efficient and effective systems for logistics and cleaning, and to help potential clients make a compelling business case.
Katie Allen, a regenerative farmer, maker and educator, who is creating healthy textiles, plant dyes and leathers and helping fashion students and others discover what soil health means for us, our food and our clothing. Katie Allen farms organically at Great Cotmarsh, in the UK. The farm produces lamb and beef in a 100% pastoral system and is implementing projects to improve soil health, increase biodiversity and embrace agroforestry. Under the brand ‘Katie Cotmarsh’, she creates award-winning knitwear using the fleeces from the flock and cultivates colour by growing plant dyes. Katie has developed a beautiful classroom space on the farm, to connect the future generation of designers with the story behind soil and give them a new perspective of what true circularity looks like, particularly in the face of an ever shifting climate and demand for new cradle-to-cradle models for fashion design.Katie tells us how she was first inspired by the Fibershed movement, and what it means to create a local, regenerative clothing supply-chain.
Long Way Home’s Hero School in Guatemala is a community-rooted educational initiative that transforms local trash into useful buildings. Matthew Paneitz first visited San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala, as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2002, and was deeply affected by this rural, Indigenous Maya community where 64% live in poverty and 27% in extreme poverty. People lacked clean water, reliable sanitation, resilient homes, steady employment, and quality education, and the air, water, and soil are all contaminated by waste and pollution.
Unable to put this out of his mind, Matt returned in 2004 and founded non-profit Long Way Home. One of its major projects is Hero School, a project-based, community-rooted educational initiative grounded in Education for Sustainable Development. Between 2008 to 2025, the Long Way Home team transformed 550 tons of trash (including 35,000 used tires) into the Hero School green-built campus.
Every part of the Hero School campus, from walls made of earth-filled tires and eco bricks to glass mosaics, embodies Long Way Home’s values of environmental stewardship, cultural pride, and resourcefulness.
Matt tells us more about Comalapa and how he started Long Way Home on a shoestring, and takes us behind the scenes for how they began co-creating buildings with the local community.
We hear about some of the unusual approaches to repurposing waste into construction materials, and how Long Way Home is solving multiple problems.
We also learn about some of the unintended consequences – good and not-so-good – and the challenges of funding initiatives like these.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Long Way Home website https://lwhome.org/ * Long Way Home – open access to building processes documents lwhomegreen.org * Long Way Home on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lwhomeorg * Long Way Home on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lwhome_org/?hl=en * Long Way Home on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-way-home/ * Long Way Home YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGp4wuyTpyGytkXWSwYX1SA * Long Way Home 5 min video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3YDtqVvi08
Books, people and organisations we mentioned Discount code for 30% off PRE-ORDERS of the new edition of A Circular Economy Handbook direct from the publisher Kogan Page (available in paperback and ebook formats), available worldwide. You can order and use the discount code PUBMON30* at https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon3 – the code is valid until 2nd November 2025.
Guest bioMatthew Paneitz first visited San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala, as a Peace Corps volunteer in 2002. To address the extreme poverty in the region, Matt founded the non-profit organization Long Way Home (LWH) in 2004. From 2008 to 2025, the LWH team transformed 550 tons of trash (including 35,000 used tires) into the Hero School green-built campus. Matthew documented the process at lwhomegreen.org. By spending his evenings earning a Bachelor’s degree in Sustainability and a Master’s in Education, Matt was also able to ensure that not only was the landscape transformed, but also the school’s approach to primary, middle, and high school education. Matt is currently a doctoral student in Education at Antioch University.
Long Way Home was founded to confront deeply interconnected challenges in Comalapa, Guatemala, a rural, Indigenous Maya community where 64% live in poverty and 27% in extreme poverty. The residents lack clean water, reliable sanitation, resilient homes, steady employment, and quality education. The air, water, and soil are contaminated.. To address the interconnected crises of abject poverty, poor education, and environmental degradation in Comalapa, Long Way Home launched Hero School, a project-based, community-rooted educational initiative grounded in Education for Sustainable Development. Every part of the Hero School campus, from walls made of earth-filled tires and eco bricks to glass mosaics, embodies our values of environmental stewardship, cultural pride, and resourcefulness. Our approach to education centers on empowering students to become problem-solvers in their communities. Rather than focusing on memorization, our original curriculum integrates hands-on projects into every subject. These projects include ventilated stoves to reduce respiratory infection, water tanks to store rainwater, water filters to purify water, composting latrines to reduce gastrointestinal illness, retaining walls to prevent erosion, and earthquake-resistant homes and classrooms. Through this holistic model, students graduate with more than just a diploma; they gain skills in green construction, teamwork, project planning, and civic engagement. Our teachers, all from Comalapa, undergo continuous training in sustainability and pedagogical innovation, making the entire school ecosystem a learning laboratory. We will soon share our project-based lesson plans with the public schools, and together we will fight poverty, environmental contamination, and injustice on a massive scale.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
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Lisa and Mary O’Riordan are co-founders of HaPPE Earth, a circular business providing compostable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with an end-to-end waste management system that creates a nutrient rich fertiliser using this PPE, combined with the client’s food waste. The HaPPE Earth solution is ideal for a range of sectors including healthcare, food processing and other manufacturing industries.
HaPPE Earth is replacing a highly problematic product made from single-use plastic, and helping to bust big myths around plastics and hygiene, which were strengthened during the pandemic.
I met HaPPE Earth’s co-founders when I did some work for last year’s CIRCULÉIRE Circular Ventures Accelerator, funded by the Irish Government. HaPPE Earth was one of the supported ventures, and I’ve been super-impressed by how Lisa and Mary have used their systems-thinking, technical and entrepreneurial skills to win their first clients and set out bold ambitions for their business and the value it creates for people, planet and local economies.
We’ll hear about their detailed criteria for the choice of raw materials, the systems they’ve created to make sure this circular solution is super-easy for clients, and how all the different users and decision makers are reacting to compostable PPE.
Mary and Lisa tell us more about their career backgrounds and what led them to start HaPPE Earth, how they’ve overcome those misperceptions about the benefits of plastic, and how they plan to develop local supply chains to avoid PPE posing a major risk to resilience, as it did across many countries during the pandemic. And we hear about some of the shocking, unethical practices that encourage unnecessary consumption of plastic PPE.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Happe Earth Website https://happeearth.com/ * Happe Earth on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/happe-earth/ * Lisa O’Riordan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-o-riordan-52887343 * Mary O’Riordan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-o-riordan-736ba276 * Instagram https://www.instagram.com/happeearth/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned.* CIRCULÉIRE industry-led ventures accelerator https://www.circuleire.ie/ * Seth Godin, This is Strategy: Make Better Plans (2024) Authors Equity, USA https://www.sethgodin.com/ * The Donella Meadows Project, a project of the Academy for Systems Change, Leverage points: the places to intervene in a system. Available from: donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/ * Episode 160 Catherine Weetman: systems and system value rethinkglobal.info/160-systems-and-system-value/ * Plastics and human health: $1.5trn annual cost revealed in new study, Institute for Sustainability Studies (August 12, 2025) https://instituteofsustainabilitystudies.com/insights/news-analysis/plastics-and-human-health-1-5trn-annual-cost-revealed-in-new-study/
Guest biosLisa O’Riordan is co-founder of HaPPE Earth. She has extensive experience in planning, budgeting, and managing logistics for large-scale events, overseeing everything from supplier negotiations and build operations to compliance and delivery. Previously, Lisa founded LivebyLove, a luxury lingerie and swimwear brand selling across Europe, where she gained expertise in design, branding, and international sales. Lessons from that venture continue to inform HaPPE’s approach to risk management and growth.
Dr Mary O’Riordan is co-founder of HaPPE Earth. She has been 18 years in clinical medical practice, the last 8 of those involved with Public Health Medicine, specialising in Emergency Response for Highly Emerging, Infectious Threats. She has been the International Health Regulations (IHR) and ECDC Irish Focal Point representative for emerging infectious threats. Mary has in-depth knowledge of inter-sectoral collaboration when dealing with complex, societal issues related to infectious diseases. She is highly interested in bringing practical, sustainable and circular solutions to address the single use plastic problem in healthcare and similar industries.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Matthew Fraser of Circle Economy and David Rakowski of Deloitte are two of the team behind the Circularity Gap Report, and we discuss some of the key insights from the 2025 report, published in early summer.
The Circularity Gap Report aims to provide a comprehensive ‘report card’ for the global circular economy, and shows that we are still a long way from achieving good grades.
Although the circular economy concept has gained traction—and more policies have emerged to support it—progress has stalled. You might remember the headline numbers from the first report in 2018, that the world was only 9.1% circular, described as a massive Circularity Gap. The gap has grown bigger, with the latest global circularity metric at just 6.9%.
Circle Economy sees a need for urgency: to expand access to its data and insights, dig deeper into what’s driving the decline, and to scale support for those in a position to make change happen.
Matthew Fraser is a recognised expert in the circular economy, with over a decade of experience advising governments on measurement and strategy. Matthew specialises in translating complex resource flows into actionable strategies, supporting governments in integrating circular principles into policy and investment decisions.
David Rakowski is a partner in Deloitte’s Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain business with a focus on circular economy and sustainability. He began his career in sustainability over 10 years ago, and as a systems engineer by trade, he brings together product, business, supply chain and digital design to develop sustainable solutions.
We’ll start with a quick intro to the report’s origins and purpose, and the partnership between Circle Economy and Deloitte.
Matthew talks us through the key findings from the 2025 report, the challenges for policymakers, and the barriers and opportunities for businesses.
David unpacks some of the challenges for startups and big corporates, and the importance of making circular economy strategies both actionable and exciting.
And, we discuss how the shifting sands of resource availability, supply chain disruption and geo-economics are helping businesses see that circularity can boost resilience and reduce risks.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Circularity Gap report 2025 * David Rakowski on LinkedIn * Matthew Fraser on LinkedIn * Circle Economy website * Circle Economy’s social links: X; LinkedIn; Medium; Instagram * Deloitte website * Deloitte’s social links: Facebook; LinkedIn; X; Instagram; YouTube
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* UN Human Development Index https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/human-development-index#/indicies/HDI * IKEA and Globescan report – Ingka Group (IKEA) report: people are taking more climate action but feel it’s not enough: https://www.ingka.com/newsroom/ingka-group-ikea-report-people-are-taking-more-climate-action-but-feel-its-not-enough/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioMatthew Fraser is a recognised expert in the circular economy, with over a decade of experience advising governments on measurement and strategy. At Circle Economy, he leads initiatives that provide policymakers with data-driven insights to assess circularity performance and identify high-impact opportunities for sustainable resource management. Matthew specialises in translating complex resource flows into actionable strategies, supporting governments in integrating circular principles into policy and investment decisions.
David Rakowski is a partner in Deloitte’s Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain business with a focus on circular economy and sustainability. He began his career in sustainability over 10 years ago, and has led transformational projects across multiple sectors. As a systems engineer by trade, he brings together product, business, supply chain and digital design to develop sustainable solutions.
Circle Economy: We are a global impact organisation founded in 2011 as a cooperative. Today, we have grown into a team of 60+ experts who have worked with over 150 businesses, 55 cities and 27 nations around the world. It is our goal to double global circularity by 2032 to avoid climate breakdown. Together, we work toward this goal from the heart of Amsterdam. We believe that mainstreaming circular solutions is essential to live within the safe limits of the planet—for everyone, everywhere.
Deloitte provides leading professional services to nearly 90% of the Fortune Global 500® and thousands of private companies. Our people deliver measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in capital markets and enable clients to transform and thrive. Building on its 180-year history, Deloitte spans more than 150 countries and territories.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
Christina Schwarzkopf is co-founder of Prolong, a business-to-business white-label software solution enabling fashion brands and retailers to offer and manage circular aftercare and aftersales services. Those services could include repair, cleaning, personalization, exchanges, and refunds.
Christina combines her commercial, strategy, and sustainability expertise built over a decade of fashion experience with brands like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Zalando.
Prolong works with brands like Belstaff, The North Face, Veja, and Fusalp, covering apparel, outdoor, footwear, and jewellery, as well as multi-brand retailers.
Brands use Prolong to digitize and automate service journeys across channels, reducing operational complexity, increasing customer satisfaction, and driving loyalty. The platform integrates logistics, communication, and brand operations to simplify often fragmented service processes.
By linking customers, brands, and service providers, Prolong enables circularity at scale and helps brands move from one-off sales to ongoing, service-driven relationships. This makes aftercare a strategic business opportunity that’s aligned with sustainability and regulatory demands.
We’ll hear how the Prolong platform combines complex workflows into a single system, helping brands extend product lifespan and build stronger customer relationships, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Christina talks us through the value proposition for brands and service partners, and explains how Prolong supports service partners by providing steady business and connecting them to a growing global network.
Christina also shares some of the challenges and opportunities for brands, and offers tips on how to help customers discover, and access repair and aftercare services.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Prolong.io on Linkedin * Prolong.io Website * WeCareWeRepair community * Christina Schwarzkopf on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinaschwarzkopf/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Survey on job satisfaction: Not just about the money: pioneering study reveals best and worst jobs in UK https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/sep/09/jobs-full-earnings-wellbeing-income-gap-uk and the report, co-authored by Andrew Clark, Maria Cotofan and Richard Layard: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4114863 * Episode 159 Kyle Wiens of iFixit: the rewards of repairability Kyle Wiens is the co-founder of iFixit, the international repair community known for open-source repair manuals and product teardown. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/159-kyle-wiens-of-ifixit-the-rewards-of-repairability/ * Episode 154 Loic Le Fouest of Clarasys: creating circular customer experiences https://www.rethinkglobal.info/154-loic-le-fouest-of-clarasys-designing-circular-customer-experiences/ * Episode 144 Chris Allen of Decathlon: ever-evolving circular design https://www.rethinkglobal.info/144-chris-allen-of-decathlon-ever-evolving-circular-design/ * Episode 55 Anthony Burns – ACS https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-55-anthony-burns-acs/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioProlong’s Co-founder Christina Schwarzkopf brings over a decade of fashion experience with brands like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Zalando, combining commercial, strategy, and sustainability expertise to drive Prolong’s mission.
Prolong is a B2B white-label software solution that enables fashion brands and retailers to offer and manage circular aftercare and aftersales services—such as repair, cleaning, personalization, exchanges, and refunds—across product categories, markets, and service partners. Its platform consolidates complex workflows into a single system, helping brands extend product lifespan and build stronger customer relationships.
Prolong works with brands like Belstaff, The North Face, Veja, and Fusalp, covering apparel, outdoor, footwear, and jewelry, as well as multibrand retailers. The platform simplifies fragmented service processes by integrating logistics, communication, and brand operations.
Brands use Prolong to digitize and automate service journeys across channels, reducing operational complexity, increasing customer satisfaction, and driving loyalty. It also supports service partners by providing steady business and connecting them to a growing global network. By linking customers, brands, and service providers, Prolong enables circularity at scale and helps brands move from one-time sales to ongoing, service-driven relationships. This makes aftercare a strategic business opportunity aligned with sustainability and regulatory demands.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
Healthy soils provide the foundation for life on our planet, and yet most agriculture degrades soil. Nurturing soil should be at the top of all our priority lists, and Louis De Jaeger—author of the new book ‘SOS: Save Our Soils, How regenerative farming can save your health and the planet’ — helps us understand why it’s so important, and what we can do about it.
Louis says his life mission is to regenerate 550 million hectares of land, to cool down the planet, save biodiversity, end hunger, and create world peace.
For the past twelve years, Louis De Jaeger has travelled extensively through North America, all the way to Panama, through Europe, South America and Africa. Along the way, he’s visited farms and interviewed a wide range of people, from pioneering regenerative farmers to corporate lobbyists, and explored one central question: How can we feed the world without destroying it?
Louis says, “To be honest, it really took a while to find clear answers on what the best way is to shape the future of food.” He is grateful for insights he couldn’t have dreamed of, and he shares them in SOS: Save Our Soils. Louis says the book is a manifesto, a global quest, and an invitation for all of us to step into the most critical conversation of our time: the future of food.”
Healthy soils are probably the most important element in our system – they are essential for nurturing us, nurturing the living systems we depend on, for drawing down carbon, for providing clean air and water, and much more. Every one of us, and every business, depends on soil – Louis De Jaeger explains why this is an SOS, and what we can do about it.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Louis De Jaeger’s website louisdj.com * Louis De Jaeger on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisdejaeger/ * SOS: Save our Soils on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FF3R1NKK
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Catherine’s Paul Hawken quote is from his book Regeneration: ending the climate crisis in one generation https://paulhawken.com/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioLouis De Jaeger is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, author and international keynote speaker. His landscape architecture firm Commensalist handles regeneration projects worldwide, from simple gardens to agricultural estates to private islands.
He is a leading voice on climate change, regenerative agriculture and landscape design. What sets him apart is his refusal to judge—instead, he seeks understanding to build bridges between different worlds.
About the book – SOS: Save Our Soils
You’re in the supermarket with two crying children, an organic tomato in your left hand and a non-organic one in the right. A complex choice: which is better for you and your children, and why? Your three meals a day determine your health and shapes our planet’s health and future too.
Every cent spent is a vote for either destruction or regeneration. What kind of food production system could we create that would benefit? These are questions that Louis De Jaeger has been wrestling with since the age of eighteen. He takes you on a rollercoaster ride from New York to the south of France and from Central America to the deserts of Morocco, consulting farmers, activists, professors, top doctors and foodies, and he isn’t afraid to confront Bayer and Monsanto to find answers.
Discover the fascinating relationship between plants and soil creatures. How can agricultural methods influence the climate and weather? How should we tackle issues like organic farming, GMOs and nitrogen? How should we interpret protests by farmers? But most importantly, how can you be part of the solution?
The book’s foreword is written by Allan Savoury, one of the foremost voices on regenerative farming, and SOS: Save our Soils has received lots of praise from the sustainability, food and farming worlds.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
We dig into the complexities of textile recycling with Patrik Frisk, who is working to create a circular economy for textile-to-textile polyester regeneration. Patrik is the CEO of Reju, a recent startup enabling polyester to be recycled at speed and scale.
Patrik has over thirty years’ experience of working in the apparel and footwear industries for globally recognised brands, joining Reju after 5 years as CEO at Under Armour. Patrik has extensive experience in textiles, including senior leadership roles at VF Corporation (the owner of outdoor brands including The North Face, Timberland, JanSport), the Aldo Group and W.L Gore & Associates, the makers of Gore-Tex.
Reju itself is a materials regeneration company focused on creating solutions for regenerating polyester textiles and PET waste. Reju is owned by Technip Energies and, as we’ll hear, it is using technology that originated from research by IBM.
Patrik explains the size of the problem, and the many complexities of trying to effectively recycle end-of-life clothing and textiles. We hear how brands and policymakers are responding to the growing issues caused by fast-fashion, including some legislation changes that are encouraging organizations to think differently, and to consider investing in proper recycling (not downcycling) technologies.
We discuss the challenges around logistics, infrastructure, how to deal with mixed fibres, and why being able to recycle mixed textiles into a clean, high quality polyester output is such a groundbreaking innovation.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Patrik Frisk https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrik-frisk/ * Reju http://www.reju.com * Reju on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinreju/ * Newsletter – Reju Review: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-reju-review-7287639383174774784/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinreju
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Greenpeace article – ‘How Fast Fashion is using the Global South as a dumping ground for textile waste’ (2022) https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/53333/how-fast-fashion-is-using-global-south-as-dumping-ground-for-textile-waste/ * Forbes – ‘The Secret World Of Fashion Waste, Trash Dumps, And Global Inequity’ (2025) https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianneplummer/2025/04/18/the-secret-world-of-fashion-waste-trash-dumps-and-global-inequity/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioPatrik Frisk is the CEO of new innovator, Reju, a recently launched company that will allow polyester to be recycled at unprecedented speed and scale.
Patrik has over thirty years’ experience of working in the apparel and footwear industries for globally recognised brands.
Most recently Patrik held the role of CEO at Under Armour for over five years and previous to this, held senior leadership roles at companies including VF Corporation (The North Face, Timberland, JanSport), the Aldo Group and W.L Gore & Associates, the makers of Gore-Tex.
His extensive experience in the apparel sector enables him to bring a wealth of valuable insights to the fibre-to-fibre recycling sector, placing Reju in a unique position to drive the fashion industry’s transition towards circular materials.
Reju is a materials regeneration company focused on creating innovative solutions for regenerating polyester textiles and PET waste. Owned by Technip Energies and utilizing technology originating with IBM research, Reju is driven by our purpose to unlock infinite possibilities within finite resources and aims to establish a global textile recycling circular system to regenerate and recirculate polyester textiles. Learn more at https://www.reju.com/
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
It’s episode 162 – we’re discussing design skills and why it’s crucial that design for circularity goes beyond the design of the product itself, to cover the materials, the customer experience, the supply chain, the collection of data for KPIs, and much more.
Helping us think about this are Rachel Bronstein, a Senior Programme Manager at the Design Council, and Barry Waddilove, who is supporting the Design Council’s “Design for Planet” initiative as a Sustainable Design Expert.
The Design Council is the UK’s national champion for design, across all design disciplines, and it aims to showcase brilliance, lead on new thinking, evidence value and influence policy, so that design can thrive. Design for Planet will feature on a global stage this September, when the Design Council hosts the World Design Congress.
The Design Council’s Skills for Planet mission aims to close a critical skills gap, highlighted when research found that while 66% of designers designed for planet, yet only 43% felt that they had the capabilities they needed. So the Skills for Planet mission is to help designers develop the skills to design places, products and services that regenerate the planet.
Rachel Bronstein is leading the delivery of Skills for Planet aiming to upskill 1 million designers in green design skills by 2030. Rachel has a multidisciplinary background from her work across the private, public and third sector.
Barry Waddilove has over 30 years’ experience in design and sustainability with brands and organizations across 25 countries. Barry has been working on circular economy projects since 2014, and most recently he’s has been working for the Swedish Consumer Electronics company Electrolux Group, as Head of Circular Economy and Partnerships in the global sustainability leadership team in Stockholm.
Rachel outlines the Skills for Planet Blueprint , co-created with over 100 design experts across industry, education and government. It provides a cross-disciplinary set of eighteen Green Design Skills across six interconnected areas: Regenerating Nature, Embedding Circularity, Eliminating Emissions, Empowering Green Communities, Influencing Green Behaviour, and Evaluating Green Impact.
We’ll hear more about the blueprint, the broader role of design in business and why it’s so important that business leaders understand the role of design and how it can support change projects, particularly around the circular economy.
We talk about the challenges in designing for circularity, and the opportunities that can come from partnerships and new business models. Barry and Rachel highlight a range of areas where design can play a key role, including making use of digital tools and data.
We discuss the importance of embracing complexity and the need for systemic approaches, and how to think about some of the conflicts and trade-offs that come up when we’re trying to design circular solutions.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Rachel Bronstein on LinkedIn * Barry Waddilove on LinkedIn * The Design Council website: Make life better by design – Design Council * The Skills for Planet Blueprint webpage: Skills for Planet – Design Council
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Episode 155 Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty: Life-centred design https://www.rethinkglobal.info/155-martin-tomitsch-and-steve-baty-life-centred-design/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest biosRachel Bronstein is a Senior Programme Manager at the Design Council, the UK’s national champion for design. She is currently leading the delivery of the Design Council’s Skills for Planet Mission, which aims to upskill 1 million designers in green design skills by 2030, thereby galvanising the design sector to fulfil its potential in driving the green transition.
Having worked across the private, public and third sector, Rachel brings her multidisciplinary background to programmes at the Design Council. As a consultant, she was fortunate to work on a variety of projects – from designing a service to help streamline exports post-Brexit at the Department for International Trade, to re-defining the British Business Bank’s Employee Value Experience and transforming AVON’s customer experience.
Rachel has completed a year-long social leadership programme called On Purpose, which gave her the opportunity to transfer her skills to purpose-led organisations. Through the programme she received training on systems thinking, measuring impact, building movements, and values-led leadership. She leads programmes with a greater awareness of herself, others, and wider impact as a result.’
Barry Waddilove has 30+ years’ experience in design and sustainability with brands and organizations across 25 countries. During various roles at global corporates, he has developed deep knowledge of innovation processes and business model development. His academic research for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Cranfield University during 2014 and 2015 explored the role of System Design in Circular Business Model Development.
Most recently Barry has been working for the Swedish Consumer Electronics company Electrolux Group, first leading their US design team based in Charlotte, NC and then later joining the global sustainability leadership team in Stockholm as Head of Circular Economy and Partnerships. He is also currently supporting the UK Design Council’s “Design for Planet” initiative as a Sustainable Design Expert.
Barry holds an MDes in Design and Innovation for Sustainability from Cranfield University and is also a fellow of the RSA (The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce).
About Design Council
The Design Council is the UK’s national champion for design and is dedicated to all design disciplines. Their role is to showcase brilliance, lead on new thinking, evidence value and influence policy to create an environment in which design can thrive. This September the Design Council is hosting World Design Congress, putting its Design for Planet mission on a global stage.
About Skills for PlanetThe Design Council’s Skills for Planet Mission came about in response to research, which found that while 66% of designers designed for planet in 2024, only 43% felt that they had the capabilities required to do so. This evidences a troubling gap between the demand for green design skills, and the supply.
The Design Council launched its Skills for Planet Mission to close this skills gap, setting out to upskill 1 million designers in green design skills by 2030. This work is critical because it will enable the design sector to fulfil its potential as a backbone of the green transition, powered by designers who have the skills needed to design places, products and services that regenerate the planet, rather than destroy it.
About Skills for Planet Blueprint
The skills that designers need to design for planet are defined in the Skills for Planet Blueprint. The Blueprint is the Design Council’s first milestone towards the Skills for Planet Mission, providing a shared language that enables the whole design sector to pull in the same direction and have maximum positive impact on the planet and its people.
The Blueprint was co-created with over 100 design experts across industry, education and government. The result is a cross-disciplinary set of eighteen Green Design Skills, which are organised into six interconnected areas: Regenerating Nature, Embedding Circularity, Eliminating Emissions, Empowering Green Communities, Influencing Green Behaviour, and Evaluating Green Impact.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
Dan Vukelich, President of the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, has spent 25 years campaigning and working to encourage reuse and remanufacturing of ‘single use’ medical devices, first in the USA and now in Europe and other countries.
To give you a feel for the scale of this, in 2024, over 55 million single-use devices were reprocessed and reused across 17 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. By doing that, hospitals saved the equivalent of over USD 450 million. The interest in reprocessing and reuse really took off during the pandemic, and since then, supply chain disruption has become more of an ongoing risk for hospitals.
The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) was founded in 1999. It supports its members around regulation, legislation, and standard-setting, so hospitals and healthcare providers can increase quality, reduce cost, cut waste, lower emissions, and strengthen their supply chains.
Dan explains what reprocessing includes and talks us through the categories of devices that are currently reprocessed and remanufactured. He describes how the medical sector has shifted from high-quality materials that could be easily sanitised and reused, to a situation where even very complex and expensive devices are designed to be disposed of after just one use, wasting finite and critical materials.
We talk about the ethical and legal issues of reprocessing, and the role of regulations and standardization. Dan helps us understand the challenges for hospitals and how the shift to single-use has added a lot of extra costs to the health system and impacts all of us, either directly or as taxpayers. Dan also points to an important long-term trend, as more and more equipment manufacturers get involved, rather than pushing back on reuse.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* AMDR website https://amdr.org/ * AMDR Mission and Credo * AMDR LinkedIn * Dan LinkedIn * Subscribe to AMDR’s quarterly newsletter * AMDR provides lots of research and resources on its website, including information on the continued growth in the use of reprocessed devices and reductions in waste and carbon emissions – see this data releaseand accompanying infographics
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Episode 97 Alice Mah – Plastic propaganda https://www.rethinkglobal.info/97-alice-mah-unpicking-plastic-propaganda/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioDan Vukelich is the President of the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors and ex-officio member of the Board. He has been with AMDR since 2000. Mr. Vukelich is a member of two Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation technical working groups. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from the American University’s Washington College of Law and his B.A. in Political Science and Public Communication with Pi Sigma Alpha honors, also from the American University in Washington, DC. Dan is a native of Minneapolis, a former National Debate champion, and a member of the Florida and District of Columbia Bars.
The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) is the global trade association for the regulated, commercial “single-use” medical device (SUD) reprocessing industry (known as “remanufacturing” in Europe).
Founded in 1999, AMDR promotes reprocessing as an important healthcare strategy that helps hospitals and healthcare providers increase quality, reduce cost, cut waste, lower emissions, and strengthen the supply chain. AMDR protects the interests of its members in regulation, legislation, and standard-setting.
AMDR is leading the way for reprocessing to play a defining role in the evolution and use of new device technologies that cost less, perform more safely, and produce less waste and emissions.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
One of recurring themes in the new edition of A Circular Economy Handbook (to be published in November 2025) is the importance of systems thinking and systems design. I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s book, This is Strategy, and he says successful strategies depend on two things: being conscious of the change we seek to make and the systems that can amplify or impede our progress.
In other words, we must make sure we understand the different systems affecting the things we want to change. There can be multiple systems, many of which we have little control over.
It’s also important to find the ‘leverage points’ – those places in complex systems where, as Donella Meadows said, ‘a small shift in one thing can produce big changes in everything.’
Pretty much every conversation in the last series gave me food for thought and insights for the book, and in this episode, I’d like to pick up on some of those.
First, we’ll recap on the systems thinking tools and approaches in Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty’s new book, Designing Tomorrow, and think about the impact of strategies and systems – who we affect, and what kind of impacts we’re responsible for.
Then we’ll look more closely at one of the key differences between conventional and circular business models – the role of the customer, and the need for them to be active, rather than passive participants.
Finally, we’ll unpick another recurring theme from the book – system value – a term used by the Future Fit Foundation for solutions where businesses address societal needs in a holistic way, while not hindering progress towards a flourishing future.
The last series covers episodes 151 to 159:
151 Clarissa Morawski of Reloop Platform: practical policies for circular packaging
152 Markus Terho: The Lifestyle Test
153 Anette Timmer of DESSO: the beauty of circularity
154 Loic Le Fouest of Clarasys: creating circular customer experiences
155 Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty: Life-centred design
156 Marcus Feldthus: the Post-Growth Guide for businesses
157 Liz Bui of Yulex: safer, sustainable materials
158 Steve Wilson of Compostify: bioplastics that enrich the planet
159 Kyle Wiens of iFixit: the rewards of repairability
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Seth Godin, This is Strategy: Make Better Plans (2024) Authors Equity, USA https://www.sethgodin.com/ * The Donella Meadows Project, a project of the Academy for Systems Change, Leverage points: the places to intervene in a system. Available from: donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/ * The Future-Fit Foundation – the Benchmark https://benchmark.futurefitbusiness.org/index.html * Impact Ripple Canvas from Designing Tomorrow by Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty https://www.designingtomorrowbook.com/ * Clarasys and University of Exeter’s Centre for the Circular Economy – report and toolkit on Creating Customer Experiences in the Circular Economy (2023) ce-hub.org/knowledge-hub/creating-customer-experiences-in-a-circular-economy-toolkit/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
Kyle Wiens is the co-founder of iFixit, the international repair community known for open-source repair manuals and product teardown. Kyle is also one of my circular economy heroes!
Since it started back in 2003, iFixit has empowered hundreds of millions of people to repair their broken stuff. Kyle led the international coalition that legalized Right to Repair, has testified before the US Congress and the International Trade Commission, and he is helping to develop global environmental standards.
Kyle brings us up to speed on how iFixit has evolved over the last two decades, in its reach, offer and engagement.
We talk about why we’ve ended up with so many products that are not designed to last and are hard – or impossible to repair, and why things are changing for the better.
Kyle explains the importance of the Right to Repair legislation that’s being rolled out, how brands that don’t get on board risk losing out, and explains why we need much more information about product durability and repairability.
We discuss some of the ways that brands can improve the design and durability of their products, and how iFixit can help them with that, and he offers a simple suggestion to help us all make better buying choices.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* iFixit website https://www.ifixit.com/ * Right to Repair info https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair * Kyle Wiens on X/Twitter https://x.com/kwiens * Kyle Wiens on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ifixit
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Fairphone fairphone.com * Dualit dualit.com * Patagonia patagonia.com * Circular Economy Podcast #133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff https://www.rethinkglobal.info/133-re-action-repurposinga-new-life-for-unwanted-stuff/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioKyle Wiens is the co-founder of iFixit, the repair community internationally known for open-source repair manuals and product teardown. iFixit has empowered hundreds of millions of people to repair their broken stuff.
Kyle led the international coalition that legalized Right to Repair, has testified before Congress and the International Trade Commission, and he is involved in developing global environmental standards.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Search for previous episodes….
Compostify makes truly home-compostable plant pots and other bioplastic solutions designed to nourish the earth. Its products naturally break down without leaving harmful residues, and Compostify says this packaging enriches the planet, rather than polluting it.Steve Wilson is the Co-founder and CEO of Compostify, with a background in scaling technology businesses. Steve is applying his expertise in innovation, partnerships, and market expansion to make compostable packaging a mainstream reality.We talk about where the idea came from, and how they partnered with researchers to develop solutions, with a very challenging design brief that would support scaling this out around the world.We talk about the criteria for the biomaterials and Steve explains the design features of the pots, meaning the Compostify solution enables ‘retailers, growers, nurseries, distributors, and manufacturers to transition to home compostable plant pots without sacrificing performance or ease of use.’ Steve also tells us about the feedback from gardeners, and the surprising benefits that emerged when commercial gardeners began using the pots.
Liz Bui takes us behind the scenes at Yulex, a material science company that’s replacing extremely useful, but problematic petroleum-based products with natural rubber alternatives. Liz Bui is Chief Executive Officer at YULEX, based in the USA. She began her career in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry where she spent 20 years in senior roles. On top of managing all operational and business matters at YULEX, Liz is an intellectual property and transactional lawyer, a PhD scientist and also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. Originally from Vietnam, at the age of six Liz escaped on the day Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) fell to the North Vietnamese forces. She and her siblings, without their parents, were war refugees aboard a fishing boat until they were rescued by a US aircraft carrier. Like other Vietnamese refugees from that period, she was granted permanent residency and a new life in the U.S. We’ll hear about the origins and mission of Yulex and its long-term collaboration with Patagonia to develop natural rubber foam for wetsuits, replacing neoprene, a petroleum-based material. Liz explains some of the key principles underpinning Yulex’s approach to innovation, and how these are fundamental to helping it scale out and create benefits right across its value network.Liz talks us through some of the environmental and health issues associated with neoprene, and explains how Yulex is making it easier for suppliers to use natural rubber instead.She tells us about Yulex’s latest material innovation, Yulastic filaments - a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based elastane, aka spandex. And we hear how Yulex's Equitable AG program supports rubber smallholders in Southeast Asia, distributing 50% of the profits back to them.
We zoom out to the economy part of the circular economy, to talk about the Post Growth concept, with Marcus Feldthus. Together with Oscar Haumann, Marcus founded the Post Growth Guide back in 2023, as a learning space for people who want to understand the social and planetary boundaries so as to make real sustainability strategies, avoiding greenwashing, going beyond compliance, and leading the way forward for their business and wider industry. The platform has a growing membership community and offers explainers, case studies, online courses, books, and public talks.Marcus Feldthus is an entrepreneur from Denmark with a Master's Degree in Business from Copenhagen Business School. Marcus, with Oscar Haumann also started a consultancy called Abel, back in 2015. Marcus will explain the concept of Post Growth, its historical roots and what its aiming to achieve, and we talk about how the circular economy fits into a Post Growth system. We discuss how Post Growth is gaining traction and how it aligns with some of the other approaches to progressive economic, including degrowth and regenerative economics.Marcus tells us more about the Post Growth Guide and course, about his new book, “The Economies of Small Scale”, coming out soon, and why conversation starters are a great tool to help us all think about this from practical, business perspectives.
Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty have written a brilliant book called Designing Tomorrow: strategic design tactics to change your practice, organization and planetary impact, published earlier this year.Martin Tomitsch is a Professor and Head of the Transdisciplinary School at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). As a design academic and educator, Martin advocates for the transformative power of design to envision speculative futures and drive positive change. He has written lots of academic articles and seven books, including Making Cities Smarter and Design Think Make Break Repeat.Steve Baty was the inaugural CEO of the Australian Design Council, co-founder of Meld Studios and co-founder of UX Australia. He is a Director of the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence and served two years as the President of the Interaction Design Association. Steve focuses on the integration between strategic design and traditional architectural practice, especially for improving our public spaces, infrastructure and services.You might be noticing interest around supporting responsible innovation in ways that consider all life – human and other-than-human. That might be badged as life-centred, regenerative or post-anthropocentric design, and Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty say these approaches share an important goal, to ‘reach an operational status where human activity no longer exceeds the planetary limits.’ In Designing Tomorrow, Martin and Steve bring together several design philosophies, to help designers, strategists and policymakers amplify their impact, shift their perspectives and empower them to create lasting positive change inside organizations. We’ll talk about some of the concepts and tools they introduce in the book, why we need to carefully consider who is involved in a system and the broader implications of our design decisions, and ways to change our mindsets – including about stakeholders, our sphere of influence and how to think about strategic decisions.
Loic Le Fouest is a leading expert in Customer Experience (CX) with a strong track record of driving customer-centric transformation across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. As the head of the CX practice at Clarasys in the UK, Loic helps organisations design customer experiences that drive loyalty, innovation, and sustainable business growth.Clarasys describes itself as The Experience Consultancy — employee-owned, purpose-driven, and dedicated to helping organisations create better experiences for customers, employees, and the planet.Clarasys recognises that circular economy approaches often require fundamentally different relations between providers and users, and it’s keen to understand more about that.In 2022, Loic launched a partnership between Clarasys and the University of Exeter’s Centre for the Circular Economy to tackle what they saw as one of the biggest challenges in circularity — customer engagement. This collaboration led to a report and toolkit on Creating Customer Experiences in the Circular Economy, providing businesses with practical strategies to make circular models work for their customers.Loic is an experienced transformation consultant with over 10 years of consulting and industry experience, and he combines design thinking with his background in product management, digital transformation, lean 6-sigma and change management.Loic shares insights from Clarasys' collaboration with the Exeter team, which looked at how businesses were dealing with challenges around user adoption and acceptance across the food and beverage and household appliances sectors. The research team looked at the new aspects of roles, behaviour and relationships for consumers/, and Loic explains some of the key findings around that, including ‘consumption work’ and ‘key moments that matter’ for customers. The study also found that firms were struggling to launch and scale successful circular business models, and Loic talks about two kinds of approaches to that - ‘inside out’ versus ‘outside in’.
We hear insights from Anette Timmer of DESSO by Tarkett, a leading carpet brand that was an early adopter of circular economy principles. Anette Timmer began her journey with DESSO almost 18 years ago, and has played a central role in the business’ transition to a circular economy model. Anette helps to bridge the gap between the vision and execution of circular transformation, using marketing and communications to educate audiences about circularity; develop stakeholder trust and transparency; inspire behaviour change among customers; and build advocacy and momentum across the wider industry. Anette is a strong advocate for cross-industry collaboration, where businesses share experiences, and work together to create systems to circulate products and materials. DESSO is now part of Tarkett, and has a long-held belief in designing with people and planet in mind, and over a decade ago, it made a bold commitment to place circularity at the core of its ambitions. Moving towards a closed-loop system has involved a total change of mindset within the business. DESSO calls its commitment the Beauty of Circularity, and it drives the business to do more with less at every stage. - Annette unpacks the three pillars of Desso's beauty of circularity strategy: designing products to live multiple lives; developing innovative materials that are made to be remade; and building systems to return flooring at end of life to complete the circular journey. And sometimes, synchronicity steps in to lend a hand!
Markus Terho tells us about the Lifestyle Test, a web-based app for anyone who’s concerned about global warming and wants to be a part of the solution by adopting a positive and sustainable lifestyle. It’s already available in 10 countries across the EU and has 350,000 users.Markus describes himself as a corporate responsibility veteran, with over three decades in the industry. He is the CEO of Sparkter, a boutique sustainability consultancy to help simplify and make sense of sustainability. Before that, Markus was the chief sustainability officer at Nokia and has been a director at the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra.Markus is passionate about helping people to find their own way to build a good life that is also sustainable. Almost 70 per cent of Europe’s climate emissions and almost all of the damage to nature can be traced back to people’s everyday lives – how we eat, live, move around and consume. In less than 10 minutes, The Lifestyle Test gives you clear and tailored tips about simple positive and sustainable lifestyle changes that can help you save time and money and improve your quality of life. Markus explains how the test was first developed and how it’s evolved since, and explains some of the ways it’s been shaped for each different country it’s in. He goes onto explain what kind of things it covers and how it works from a user’s perspective, including the high proportion of circular economy suggested actions.Markus highlights the way conversations about climate often result in feelings of guilt and shame, and how the app is designed to help us feel we have agency, with some insights from well-established models for successful behaviour change. And we hear what’s in the pipeline for future developments, including ways to link more sustainable behaviours to other primary motivators, such as health or convenience.
Clarissa Morawski, CEO of Reloop Platform works with governments, industry stakeholders and NGOs to develop policies for a packaging circular economy. Clarissa brings nearly 30 years of technical, analytical and communications experience in waste reduction operations and policies. She started her own consulting business in 1998 and co-founded the Reloop Platform in 2015. As CEO, Clarissa works with stakeholders and partners to develop smart, practical and effective policy frameworks and operational recommendations, and combines her no-nonsense communication skills with science to make the case for ambitious policy.Reloop Platform's mission is to accelerate the global transition to a circular economy by working at the centre of policy-making with governments, industry stakeholders and NGOs. Reloop’s primary objective is to prevent waste, by reducing production and consumption, re-using packaging wherever possible and collecting materials properly for closed loop recycling. We talk about a recent report, the Global Recycling League Table, that Reloop produced in partnership with Eunomia; and Clarissa highlights key elements of the recent EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations.Clarissa shares some insights on how to make sure policies actually make a difference and don’t get sabotaged by various vested interests; we hear how mindsets are changing, and brands are starting to see litter as a real issue.We discuss Deposit Return Schemes and which ones are seen as best-practice, and we cover some of the issues affecting the safety of virgin and recycled packaging materials.
I’ve been reflecting on what’s come up over the last series, in episodes 141 to 149. How do we create the conditions for our ideas to spread? Do we fully understand the systems that circular products or services will be embedded in or affected by, how those work, and what keeps them going? It’s likely there will be multiple systems, and some of these will be cultural, invisible and hard to disrupt. How much can you change? Could you create a new system that integrates with what’s already there?We also look at who you need to convince – your target customers might have a wide range of characteristics and motivations, and they probably want approval – even permission - from colleagues, family or friends. Often, you’ll need to convince other parties – supply chain partners, distributors, investors, employees and more. What’s the value proposition to them? What pain points are you relieving, and what benefits can you offer?Some circular solutions can solve multiple, disparate problems, either by design or from beneficial side-effects. Are you making this clear, and could it help you get more buy-in, attention and support?The last series covers episodes 141 to 149:149 Giulia Ziino of CircularPlace: generate value from underused assets148 Tim Forslund of Sitra: circular solutions for nature147 Dr Alexandra Leeper of Iceland Ocean Cluster: smarter ways to create value146 Dr Monika Hauck of Repair Rebels: Making repairs easy & fashionable145 Evolena de Wilde of Faircado: your AI-powered second-hand shopping assistant144 Chris Allen of Decathlon: ever-evolving circular design143 Michael Colarossi of Avery Dennison - Digital Product Passports142 Anna De Matos of Iceland Tool Library – igniting circular communities141 Joel Tasche of CleanHub: scaleable solutions to plastic pollution
Giulia Ziino is a co-founder of CircularPlace, a digital platform that helps organizations generate value by reusing and repurposing underutilized products and equipment. These services are needed more than ever, by a wide range of organizations. The pandemic, working from home and now hybrid working upturned the entire concept of workspaces, and organizations need to resize, relocate or restructure on a regular basis. That usually means changing office layouts. Manufacturing businesses may need to update or replace machinery and equipment to reflect changing specifications or what’s selling well in their product mix. And hotels and hospitality venues need to keep their furniture and equipment looking fresh and attractive – and some rooms or areas might look tired, with others hardly used.All of this means that furniture, equipment and other items become available, and often these might be in as-new condition, or just lightly used. Even if they are more worn, they may be suitable for refurbishment, repair or remanufacturing. The CircularPlace platform is available as a white-label solution, and facilitates the sale or donation of equipment, furniture and other unwanted items, either within the company or to external buyers. This provides tax benefits as well as reducing GHG emissions and waste. CircularPlace was founded in 2021, and clients now include Microsoft France, Sodexo, Schneider and Fedex.Giulia Ziino joined CircularPlace as a late-stage co-founder, bringing international experience and initially taking on the role of Chief of Staff, where she focused on expanding and stabilizing the brand. Now, as Chief Marketing Officer, Giulia is building a robust presence for CircularPlace in the B2B circular economy space and driving impactful storytelling around sustainability.We’ll hear how CircularPlace helps clients with asset and inventory management, with logistics, and provides an impact calculator to measure carbon savings. We hear what’s encouraging companies to look at these solutions, and how the platform links clients with specialist resellers, improving the value recovered as well boosting the existing reuse markets.
Tim Forslund works on the circular economy at the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra. As a key part of his work at Sitra, Tim has analysed how circular economy strategies can help tackle biodiversity loss, including through the circular bioeconomy. We’ll be talking about Sitra’s latest handbook for businesses, CIRCULAR SOLUTIONS FOR NATURE, which helps companies aiming to integrate circular business models into their operations so they can address biodiversity loss.Sitra’s handbook includes a primer on the interconnections between circularity and nature, and sets out a three-step approach for action:1. identifying critical biodiversity impacts in the value chain;2. using circular solutions to tackle these impacts;3. designing the circular transformation journey.Sitra is a public fund, think tank and future house. The circular economy has been a central part of Sitra’s work for more than 10 years. In 2016, it led the work for the world’s first national circular economy roadmap, and in 2017, it started the World Circular Economy Forum. CIRCULAR SOLUTIONS FOR NATURE is the third of Sitra’s handbooks for business, following on from its publications on technology and the chemical industry.
Dr Alexandra Leeper, the CEO of the Iceland Ocean Cluster is passionate about the sustainable use of ocean resources. She’s working as a scientist intrapreneur in the blue and circular economies, drawing on diverse experiences from working all over the world in universities, consultancies, and at sea. Alexandra has a background in marine resources and completed an industrial doctorate in aquaculture and circular economy in 2021. Her work focuses on sustainable value creation, positive impact in the blue economy and supporting the development of ocean clusters around the world. The Iceland Ocean Cluster is at the center of maritime innovation in Iceland, with a mission to create value by connecting together entrepreneurs, businesses and knowledge in the blue economy. They describe their flagship project, 100% Fish, as an ‘incredible fishy value machine’. 100% Fish is all about inspiring the seafood and fish sectors to utilize more of each fish, increase the value of each fish landed, support new business opportunities, increase employment and most importantly decrease waste. It’s incredibly successful - since the 1990s, the utilization of fishery by-products has increased 30-fold, the export value per kilogram of fish has risen by a factor of 4 and a wide array of different products have been developed. Alexandra explains how that works in practice, and how it’s sparked a movement around the world, with other Ocean Clusters using the same approach to come up with their own incredible value machines, and create value for their local blue economies.
Entrepreneur Dr. Monika Hauck is tapping into the emotional charge we feel after getting something repaired, and using that to revolutionize how we choose and care for our clothing and accessories.Dr. Monika Hauck is the founder of Repair Rebels, a digital B2C & B2B fashion repair platform that’s a pioneer solution in the German market, with a goal is to make textile and shoe repairs digital, convenient and fashionable! Repair Rebels started in 2021, and has already won numerous prestigious awards, including the German Ecodesign Award. Dr. Monika Hauck is a creative economist, entrepreneur, social activist, and researcher specializing in Open and Collaborative Innovation. Her Ph.D. focused on Corporate Venturing and Open Innovation in the fashion industry. Monika has also founded the WHU Entrepreneurship Center to support startups and corporate innovation initiatives in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) region. Monika was passionate about fashion from a young age, and later worked as a model for renowned international agencies and brands. You may have heard of "Fashion Revolution," a British social enterprise - in 2018, Monika became the Fashion Revolution City Ambassador in Düsseldorf. Then, in 2019, she launched change-room.org, a think tank dedicated to sustainable and inclusive innovation in fashion.Now, Monika combines her expertise in fashion, innovation management and sustainable development with her commitment to revitalising local craftsmanship. Monika explains how Repair Rebels works for customers and repairers, and how Repair Rebels is meeting the needs of different groups of customers.We hear how Repair Rebels was inspired by Monika's childhood in Lithuania, where she learned to sew and repair clothing while still at school. Monika outlines some of the trends she is seeing around fashion consumption and the circular economy, and we discuss the reasons that big businesses are finding it so hard to change course. We also talked about the Lean StartUp concept, and how that can be helpful to circular entrepreneurs.
Evolena de Wilde d’Estmael is co-founder & CEO of Faircado, a Berlin-based startup that provides the first AI-powered second-hand shopping assistant in Europe. Faircado’s technology helps people find the best second-hand alternatives to what they are searching for online. Driven by the mission to reduce global waste and support the shift to a circular economy, Faircado’s goal is to help make second-hand goods the first choice for consumers. Evolena was born in Belgium and is proud to be an impact entrepreneur, committed to the circular economy and sustainability. She was named one of the top 100 women in social enterprise in 2022 and is an EU Climate Pact Ambassador. Evolena is also the co-founder of Solidartsy, a non-profit dedicated to bridging the art world’s gender pay gap.Faircado is available as a browser extension, working in the background to search for second-hand alternatives to whatever you’re looking to buy, and Evolena explains why they decided to start with a browser extension rather than an app or a website. Until recently, Faircado was available only in Germany, and yet already has 100 million products integrated from 60 different partners. Evolena talks about the numbers and the partnerships, including how this works commercially and how companies like eBay are reacting.We hear about the underlying principles for designing the technology, and how Faircado has used research into habits and behaviours to make it easy for people to adopt. Evolena shares some of her fascinating backstory too, which blends a deep sense of purpose with making interesting and maybe unexpected choices at various forks in the road.
Chris Allen, Sustainability Leader and Head of Circular Business Development at Decathlon UK. You’ve probably heard of Decathlon, which is the world’s largest sporting goods retailer, with over 1,700 stores in more than 70 countries. It’s a family-owned company, founded in 1976, and inspired by the belief that the best sports products should be accessible to everyone.Chris Allen has 15 Years experience in Decathlon spanning various retail management roles, including several years in Category Management and Head of Outdoor before being appointed to his Sustainability role in 2022. Chris has a degree in Sports Engineering and is an advocate of all things outdoors, and loves being out on his bike or at the local climbing wall. Decathlon describes itself as specialising in the creation and production of innovative sporting goods designed to delight and move people through the wonders of sport, including cycling, hiking, running, swimming and football. Decathlon sees its mission as ever-evolving and high-performance design, the best quality at the lowest possible price, and expert advice that customers of all ages, backgrounds and skill levels can access in-store or online, from anywhere, at any time.Decathlon has an integrated business model, with over twenty in-house brands as well as supplying well-known brands including Asics, Adidas, Garmin, Puma, Quiksilver, Reebok, Salomon, and many others.In the UK, Decathlon offers a 2-year warranty on its own brand products, has buy-back programme so customers can save money and trade in their old gear. It sells through it’s retail stores and online, and offers a 365-day returns policy, giving customers a whole year to decide if something is right for them.Chris will talk us through Decathlon’s approach, including how the buy-back, second-life and repair programmes work in practice, and how he’s working with the in-house and external product and design teams to implement a whole-systems approach to sustainability.
Michael Colarossi of Avery Dennison explains how Digital Product Passports can be a key enabler in the transition to a circular economy.Michael is head of Enterprise Sustainability at Avery Dennison, which specializes in global materials science and digital identification solutions. As part of the the leadership team, Michael is responsible for environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy across the company’s worldwide operations. His work focuses on climate action, decarbonization, global supply chain transparency, digital product passports, circular labels and packaging materials. You might already know that the European Union is rolling out a new regulation meaning that nearly all products sold in the EU will require a Digital Product Passport (DPP). The initiative is part of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and aims to enhance transparency and improve availability of reliable product data, by providing comprehensive information about each product’s origin, materials, environmental impact, and recommendations for disposal. The EU Digital Product Passport will include a unique product identifier, compliance documentation, and information on substances of concern. It will also provide user manuals, safety instructions, and guidance on product disposal. The EU intends that Digital Product Passports will enhance supply chain management, ensure regulatory compliance, and help companies identify and mitigate risks related to authenticity and environmental impact. For example, those products like mattresses, sofas and other home furnishings often contain multiple materials, including some natural fibres like wool and cotton, plus synthetics like polyester. The more we know about the make up of the product, the easier it is to decide whether and how it could be refurbished, remanfactured or recycled.The EU regulations will be mandatory for industrial and electric vehicle batteries from 2027, and other product categories, including textiles, are expected to follow by 2030. Michael Colarossi gives us a broader overview of Digital Product Passports, including what kinds of products are they useful for, and what forms they take.As Michael explains, the EU regulations only require the passport to provide details for the type of product – not for every individual unit of that product. We discuss why that more detailed approach would be better.We talk about the potential for Digital Product Passports to guard against fraud and misinformationThis isn’t straightforward, and we talk about some of the barriers and difficulties from a company perspective, together with the advantages that help make a good business case for doing it, even without the legislation.
Anna De Matos is the founder of several community-focused sharing initiatives, and a force of nature.Originally from Brazil, Anna De Matos went to university in the UK and moved to Iceland in 2017. Inspired by a visit to Toronto's tool library, Anna started a tool library and repair café, and managed to bootstrap and crowdfund her way to establishing these – all whilst dealing with the serious challenges of autoimmune disease. Anna has degrees in Conservation and Restoration and is now channelling her skills and experience into helping people conserve and restore their things. She founded the Munasafn RVK Tool Library to promote shared resource use and has organized numerous repair café events, fostering a culture of repair and reuse within Icelandic communities. Anna’s skills go beyond organising and bringing people together, and she’s also created a technology add-on to MyTurn’s Library of Things software to provide a self-service kiosk option for Libraries of Things. Anna’s hands-on experience in running these initiatives provides her with unique insights into the practical needs of communities, which she has channeled into the creation of the Circular Library Network (CLN), helping communities around the world manage their own "libraries of things," promoting sustainability through shared access to essential items – so we can all get more, from less. Anna’s story is inspiring, and fascinating, with many forks in the road that led her to what she’s doing now.
Joel Tasche founded CleanHub, a Berlin-based company that provides a scalable solution to plastic pollution. CleanHub connects coastal communities to proper waste collection in places where that doesn’t exist, at the same time creating safe and dignified jobs. Brands can support the mission by funding the collection of waste that otherwise wouldn’t be collected. CleanHub accepts ALL types of plastic – not just the stuff that’s easy to turn into value. CleanHub’s AI technology tracks the entire process from collection to disposal, ensuring transparency. It’s verified by TÜV SÜD according to ISO standards
Joel’s mission was sparked by a love of the ocean. As a traveler and surfer, he witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking reality of plastic pollution, everywhere he went. Whilst disheartened, Joel resolved to dedicate his working life to keeping plastic out of the sea. Many doubted he could make a difference. Fast forward to today, CleanHub has collected over 9 million kgs of plastic waste and partnered with more than 300 brands, helping them reduce plastic and collect more plastic than they use.
Whilst we see images of ocean plastics, beach plastics and landfills, we’re perhaps less familiar with the dreadful working conditions of those trying to earn a living by collecting and sorting the waste. Resolving this is at the heart of CleanHub’s mission, and we’ll more about how it does that.
Joel also talks about the complexities of plastic waste collection, how to scale new ventures, and how keeping ethics at the heart of your business really helps bring everyone along with you.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Website: https://www.cleanhub.com/ * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cleanhub/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cleanhub.io/ * YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@cleanhub_official * TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cleanhub_official * Joel Tasche on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeltasche/
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioA love of the ocean led Joel Tasche to start CleanHub. As a traveler and surfer, he witnessed firsthand the heartbreaking reality of plastic pollution. It was everywhere. Disheartened but motivated, Joel resolved to dedicate his working life to keeping plastic out of the sea. Many thought it was impossible and doubted he could make a difference. Fast forward to today, CleanHub has collected over 9,000,000 kgs of plastic waste and partnered with more than 300 brands, helping them reduce plastic and collect more than they use.
Founded in 2020, CleanHub is a Berlin-based company that provides a scalable solution to plastic pollution. They connect coastal communities to proper waste collection where it didn’t exist before and create safe and dignified jobs in local communities. Brands can support the mission by funding the collection of waste that otherwise wouldn’t be collected. CleanHub’s AI technology tracks the entire process from collection to disposal, ensuring transparency. It’s verified by TÜV SÜD according to ISO standards. For more information, visit www.cleanhub.com.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….140 Catherine Weetman: focusing on fuel AND friction8th September 2024
behaviour
Circular economy
regenerative
strategy
systems thinking
Are we focused on adding more fuel to get the circular economy going – when, really, the problem is too much friction? Those terms stuck with me a few years ago, from a book helping people to get new ideas going, and succeeding, by looking more closely at the ‘frictions’ that create resistance. The book, The Human Element is written…
139 Peter McCafferty: supporting circular businesses25th August 2024
Circular economy
social value
strategy
Peter McCafferty works on Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Business Support Service (CEBS). These services were launched back in 2017, and since then, Peter has worked with over 200 SMEs and large organisations, so he’s got a wealth of experience and insights to share with us, especially on the fuel and friction around the circular economy. Zero Waste Scotland is…
138 Rubén Abruña: keeping our poop in the loop11th August 2024
agriculture
Circular economy
construction
regenerative
systems thinking
Award-winning documentary film maker Rubén Abruña helps us dig into one of the oldest problems in civil society… All around the world, there are serious problems caused by the various ways we deal with our toilet waste – all the poop and pee we humans create every day. We waste drinking water – Flushing toilets use massive amounts of water…
137 Dr Martin Stuchtey: rethinking how we invest in nature28th July 2024
agriculture
regeneration
systems thinking
Prof. Dr. Martin Stuchtey – a geologist, economist and entrepreneur – is challenging and helping to rethink industrial, farming and economic systems. He founded The Landbanking Group, a Nature Fintech aiming to bring natural capital onto our balance sheets in service of the Paris and Montreal agreements. Dr. Martin Stuchtey is a former Senior and Managing Partner at McKinsey &…
136 Julia Brenner of Melta: creating value from food waste14th July 2024
Circular economy
food
recycling
regenerative
social value
There is a simple solution to conserve, and reuse, more of the nutrients from food waste. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Julia Brenner, a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming waste management and soil health. Julia and her business partner founded Melta in 2020, to solve two interconnected challenges faced by rural municipalities: the…
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Are we focused on adding more fuel to get the circular economy going – when, really, the problem is too much friction?
Those terms stuck with me a few years ago, from a book helping people to get new ideas going, and succeeding, by looking more closely at the ‘frictions’ that create resistance. The book, The Human Element is written by organisational psychologist Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal, a specialist in entrepreneurship, design, and innovation.
They say that most people working to create change focus on increasing the appeal of the idea itself – we’re convinced that if we add enough value, people will say “yes.”’ Whilst it’s definitely helpful to ‘sell the sizzle’ of our idea, to help move it forward, we tend to overlook the power of all the concerns, confusion, and other factors getting in the way of the change – the friction.
Of course, fuel is necessary for success. Frictions, on the other hand, are difficult to spot. We are naturally convinced that our idea, our project, our new service, is the best thing since sliced bread. So it’s hard for us to see what’s getting in the way for our audience, customers, or investors. Understanding and overcoming frictions requires empathy. We have to see the world, and our idea within it, from the perspective of those affected.
Over the last series of podcast episodes, we’ve talked about quite a few fuels and frictions relating to the circular economy. Reflecting on those conversations helped me see some recurring themes, including:
- Systems thinking, and the need for seeing a connected whole instead of separate parts, or sub-sections
- Culture, language and how we understand and interpret the circular economy
- Mindsets – what’s our worldview, and does this mean we’re stuck in our ways?
- Information technology, especially ‘legacy’ software systems.
In this episode, I’m going to pull out some of the fuel and friction insights shared by our guests.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links for the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Books, films, people and organisations we mentioned The Human Element, by Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal https://www.humanelementbook.com/post/our-instincts-about-innovation-and-change-are-working-against-us * ‘Friction finder’ diagnostic quiz, created by the authors of The Human Element https://kellogg453.outgrow.us/friction_finder-1 (hosted at at the Kellogg School of Management in the US where the authors are Professors) * Rubén Abruña’s award-winning documentary “Holy Shit: Can Poop Save the World?” streaming options including Vimeo, here: https://holyshit.global/ * Earth4All and Global Commons Alliance have published The Global Commons Survey, conducted by Ipsos UK, which reveals a deep-seated concern among citizens of the world’s largest economies about the current state and future of our planet.* https://earth4all.life/news/causing-environmental-damage-should-be-a-criminal-offence-say-72-of-people-in-g20-countries-surveyed/ * Richard Milne, The relentless rise of second-hand, FT Weekend (31/8/2024) [currently NOT behind a paywall] https://www.ft.com/content/9b07bad3-af81-4cd2-a98a-a750fcee9d2e * Clayton Christensen’s book – The Innovators Dilemma https://claytonchristensen.com/books/the-innovators-dilemma/ – here’s a good overview on Medium https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/why-do-big-companies-fail-the-tale-of-disruptive-innovation-74ba76cfd70d * https://www.citytosea.org.uk/the-future-is-returnable-a-circular-approach-to-hot-drinks/ * City to Sea’s ‘blueprint’ for running a successful cups scheme https://www.citytosea.org.uk/the-future-is-returnable-a-circular-approach-to-hot-drinks/
Other podcast episodes we mentioned* Episode 120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too https://www.rethinkglobal.info/120-priorities-are-changing/ * 139 Peter McCafferty: supporting circular businesses. Peter McCafferty of Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Business Support Service discusses the fuel and friction of the circular economy https://www.rethinkglobal.info/139-peter-mccafferty-supporting-circular-businesses/ * 138 Rubén Abruña: keeping our poop in the loop! Award-winning documentary film maker Rubén Abruña highlights regenerative solutions to the massive problems of human sewage. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/138-ruben-abruna-keeping-our-poop-in-the-loop/ * 137 Dr Martin Stuchtey: rethinking how we invest in nature. Geologist, economist & entrepreneur Prof. Dr. Martin Stuchtey is challenging & rethinking industrial, farming & economic systems https://www.rethinkglobal.info/137-dr-martin-stuchtey-rethinking-how-we-invest-in-nature/ * 136 Julia Brenner of Melta: creating value from food waste. Julia Brenner is a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming food waste management and soil health https://www.rethinkglobal.info/136-julia-brenner-of-melta-creating-value-from-food-waste/ * 135 Tuomo Laine: unlocking circular business models. Tuomo Laine is CEO & co-founder of Twice Commerce, which provides software to help its clients unlock a range of circular business models https://www.rethinkglobal.info/135-tuomo-laine-unlocking-circular-business-models/ * 134 Jane Martin of City to Sea: powering refill & reuse on-the-go. Jane Martin of City to Sea is preventing plastic pollution by making it easy and affordable for people to reuse and refill on-the-go https://www.rethinkglobal.info/134-jane-martin-of-city-to-sea-powering-refill-and-reuse-on-the-go/ * 133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff. Jen Dickinson and Beccy Evans use creativity and craft skills to breathe new life into unwanted outdoor gear, clothing and workwear https://www.rethinkglobal.info/133-re-action-repurposinga-new-life-for-unwanted-stuff/ * 132 Re-Action – repairing: from radical to renaissance. 3 businesses helping people discover that repairing means caring – Sheffield Clothing Repair, Snowdonia Gear Repair, Vicky Bikes https://www.rethinkglobal.info/132-re-action-repairing-from-radical-to-renaissance/ * 131 Re-Action – Sharing: Serving more people with less stuff. 3 startups providing convenient, affordable access to high-quality outdoor gear: Cirkel Supply, Tentshare & KitUp Adventures https://www.rethinkglobal.info/131-re-action-sharing-serving-more-people-with-less-stuff/
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….139 Peter McCafferty: supporting circular businesses25th August 2024
Circular economy
social value
strategy
Peter McCafferty works on Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Business Support Service (CEBS). These services were launched back in 2017, and since then, Peter has worked with over 200 SMEs and large organisations, so he’s got a wealth of experience and insights to share with us, especially on the fuel and friction around the circular economy. Zero Waste Scotland is…
138 Rubén Abruña: keeping our poop in the loop11th August 2024
agriculture
Circular economy
construction
regenerative
systems thinking
Award-winning documentary film maker Rubén Abruña helps us dig into one of the oldest problems in civil society… All around the world, there are serious problems caused by the various ways we deal with our toilet waste – all the poop and pee we humans create every day. We waste drinking water – Flushing toilets use massive amounts of water…
137 Dr Martin Stuchtey: rethinking how we invest in nature28th July 2024
agriculture
regeneration
systems thinking
Prof. Dr. Martin Stuchtey – a geologist, economist and entrepreneur – is challenging and helping to rethink industrial, farming and economic systems. He founded The Landbanking Group, a Nature Fintech aiming to bring natural capital onto our balance sheets in service of the Paris and Montreal agreements. Dr. Martin Stuchtey is a former Senior and Managing Partner at McKinsey &…
136 Julia Brenner of Melta: creating value from food waste14th July 2024
Circular economy
food
recycling
regenerative
social value
There is a simple solution to conserve, and reuse, more of the nutrients from food waste. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Julia Brenner, a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming waste management and soil health. Julia and her business partner founded Melta in 2020, to solve two interconnected challenges faced by rural municipalities: the…
135 Tuomo Laine: unlocking circular business models30th June 2024
business models
Circular economy
enablers
rental
resell
sharing
software
technology
Tuomo Laine is the CEO and co-founder of Twice Commerce, which provides software to help its clients unlock a range of circular business models. Tuomo is known for being straightforward and action-oriented, and for his dedication to using entrepreneurship for societal good. He is a member of the Unreasonable Group Fellowship, and is occasionally invited to lecture at Aalto University,…
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Peter McCafferty works on Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Business Support Service (CEBS). These services were launched back in 2017, and since then, Peter has worked with over 200 SMEs and large organisations, so he’s got a wealth of experience and insights to share with us, especially on the fuel and friction around the circular economy.
Zero Waste Scotland is a not-for-profit environmental organisation funded by the Scottish Government and the European Regional Development Fund. Its purpose is to lead Scotland to use products and resources responsibly, focusing on where it can have the greatest impact on climate change.
It aims to both inform government policy, and to motivate individuals and businesses to embrace the environmental, economic, and social benefits of a circular economy.
Peter has over 13 years of experience of working in sustainability and resource management, and his role involves working with individual businesses to identify, shape and develop circular and sustainable business ideas through a mix of 1-1 coaching and engagement, as well as facilitating bespoke support via Zero Waste Scotland’s dedicated CE Framework.
Our discussion includes:
- What’s the big ‘why’ behind ZWS, and in a practical sense, how does it provide support for businesses in Scotland that want to adopt circular solutions?
- What kind of things are providing the ‘fuel’ for the circular economy, and why digital solutions are coming to the fore as key enablers of circularity.
- We discuss some of the barriers to circular approaches, including regulatory challenges, scaling issues, and underestimated waste reduction potential.
- These days, we’re all living in a VUCA world – volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous – and we discuss the importance of systems thinking, especially in getting to grips with the challenges of implementation and addressing complex global issues.
- We share our thoughts on the ongoing struggle with language and interpretation of circular economy, and Peter talks about the increasing focus on carbon footprinting and net zero policies, and how seems to be getting in the way of conversations for circularity.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Links for our guest:* Zero Waste Scotland website https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/ * Zero Waste Scotland’s social media channels – Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram
Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Guest bioPeter McCafferty, Manager, Business Support, Zero Waste Scotland
Peter works on Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy Business Support Service (CEBS) and has over 13 years of experience of working in sustainability and resource management. Since the launch of Zero Waste Scotland’s CEBS Service in 2017 he has worked on projects with over 200 SMEs and large organisations.
Peter’s role involves working with individual businesses to identify, shape and develop circular and sustainable business ideas through a mix of 1-1 coaching and engagement, as well as facilitating bespoke support via Zero Waste Scotland’s dedicated CE Framework.
Zero Waste Scotlandexists to lead Scotland to use products and resources responsibly, focusing on where we can have the greatest impact on climate change.
Using evidence and insight, our goal is to inform policy, and motivate individuals and businesses to embrace the environmental, economic, and social benefits of a circular economy.
We are a not-for-profit environmental organisation funded by the Scottish Government and the European Regional Development Fund.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….138 Rubén Abruña: keeping our poop in the loop11th August 2024
agriculture
Circular economy
construction
regenerative
systems thinking
Award-winning documentary film maker Rubén Abruña helps us dig into one of the oldest problems in civil society… All around the world, there are serious problems caused by the various ways we deal with our toilet waste – all the poop and pee we humans create every day. We waste drinking water – Flushing toilets use massive amounts of water…
137 Dr Martin Stuchtey: rethinking how we invest in nature28th July 2024
agriculture
regeneration
systems thinking
Prof. Dr. Martin Stuchtey – a geologist, economist and entrepreneur – is challenging and helping to rethink industrial, farming and economic systems. He founded The Landbanking Group, a Nature Fintech aiming to bring natural capital onto our balance sheets in service of the Paris and Montreal agreements. Dr. Martin Stuchtey is a former Senior and Managing Partner at McKinsey &…
136 Julia Brenner of Melta: creating value from food waste14th July 2024
Circular economy
food
recycling
regenerative
social value
There is a simple solution to conserve, and reuse, more of the nutrients from food waste. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Julia Brenner, a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming waste management and soil health. Julia and her business partner founded Melta in 2020, to solve two interconnected challenges faced by rural municipalities: the…
135 Tuomo Laine: unlocking circular business models30th June 2024
business models
Circular economy
enablers
rental
resell
sharing
software
technology
Tuomo Laine is the CEO and co-founder of Twice Commerce, which provides software to help its clients unlock a range of circular business models. Tuomo is known for being straightforward and action-oriented, and for his dedication to using entrepreneurship for societal good. He is a member of the Unreasonable Group Fellowship, and is occasionally invited to lecture at Aalto University,…
134 Jane Martin of City to Sea: powering refill & reuse on-the-go16th June 2024
Circular economy
food
Packaging
plastic
refills
reuse
To mark World Refill Day 2024, we talk to Jane Martin, the CEO of City to Sea, a campaigning non-profit with a mission to prevent plastic pollution at source. World Refill Day is a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste. It’s a day of action each year, designed to create an alternative vision…
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Award-winning documentary film maker Rubén Abruña helps us dig into one of the oldest problems in civil society…
All around the world, there are serious problems caused by the various ways we deal with our toilet waste – all the poop and pee we humans create every day. We waste drinking water – Flushing toilets use massive amounts of water – for example, in a country like Switzerland, each person will flush over 40 litres a day down the toilet. Often, the sewage from water toilets is mixed with household waste water, so it’s now contaminated with microplastics, cleaning chemicals, contraceptives and drug residues. And then, in most western societies, all that liquid waste is then mixed with industrial waste. So now we’ve got massive volumes of pretty toxic stuff to try and clean up, and separate into drinkable water and solid waste.
In developing countries, millions of people still use open toilets, or have to defecate on the land around their houses. So here, there are massive issues with disease and vermin, and in some areas, even a safety risk from predatory animals.
What’s more, we’re wasting precious resources, too. Our human pee and poop contains valuable nutrients, including significant quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium – NPK – the key elements that we need to growing food and other crops. Instead, we’re using expensive fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals to provide these macronutrients.
Back in his homeland of Puerto Rico over 20 years ago, Rubén Abruña experienced a sanitation epiphany when he sat on a dry toilet for the first time. He was amazed that he could poop using no water, leaving no stink, and that the deposit could be safely composted into fertilizer, without polluting the environment. It drove him nuts that more people were not doing the same, and this prompted him to make the award-winning film “Holy Shit: Can Poop Save the World?”
Rubén has over 30 years of experience in the film, television, and radio industries. He has written, produced, directed, and edited numerous documentaries, broadcast journalism stories, and educational programs in New York, San Juan, Miami, and Zürich.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for Holy Shit, the movie:* To stream the English version via Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/holyshit2 * Impact Campaign Trailer: https://holyshit.global/impact-trailer/ * Film website in English, Spanish and German: HolyShit.Global * Facebook: com/holyshitfilm/ * Instagram: com/holy_shit_film/
Links for Rubén Abruña* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rub%C3%A9n-abru%C3%B1a-filmmaker/ * Ruben’s previous film, The Absent House theabsenthouse.com and Official 3-minute trailer
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Hamish Skermer one of the film’s protagonists and pioneer of using composting toilets in open air music festivals across Europe. https://naturalevent.com/ His Ted Talk is a show stopper: https://youtu.be/gvnwuKDsCNo?si=8b2v41W3GsPYhBPi * Bastian Etter is the scientist and founding director behind Vuna. He was an early contributor despite not being in the film. https://vuna.ch/en/ * Florian Augustin is the managing founder of Finizio https://finizio.de/ . His practical, scientific knowledge coupled with a sense of global wholesomeness and integrity make him a key person to spread the poop word * Dr. Ariane Krause (second from left in the first photo) https://igzev.de/en/latest/news/detail/1290 is one of the directors of Zirkulierbar: the educational/marketing arm of the Leibniz Institute for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops: https://igzev.de/en/home They work together with Finizio in spreading the good word on recycling human excreta as fertilizer to grow food and plants. She has been a key player in making the German public aware of the film Holy Shit. * The Humanure Handbook https://humanurehandbook.com/ The site has many of Joe Jenkin’s videos plus links to the book.
Guest bioRubén Abruña experienced a sanitation epiphany when he sat on a dry toilet for the first time 22 years ago in his homeland Puerto Rico. He was amazed that he could poop using no water, leaving no stink, and composting the deposit into fertilizer, without polluting the environment. It drove him nuts that more people were not doing the same, and this prompted him to make the award-winning film “Holy Shit: Can Poop Save the World?”
His previous film “The Absent House” had brought him close to the topic because it deals with a sustainable house that is off the grid and with three compost toilets. The film has screened in over a dozen film festivals across four continents and is distributed by Icarus Films.
Holy Shit won the audience award, and the best documentary in the category of Human and Nature at the Darsser NaturFilm Festival in October 2023. In May 2024, it was granted the “Film of the Future” award by the Ökofilmtour in Brandenburg, Germany. The documentary ran in over 50 theatres in Germany and Austria from November 2023 to mid-March 2024.
“Holy Shit: Can Poop Save the World?” has been nominated in several festivals in Europe, such as the Naturvision Film Festival in Ludwigsburg, Human Rights Berlin, Nature Film Festival Innsbruck, Film für die Erde (Films for the Earth) in Switzerland, Silbersalz in Halle (Saale), and at the German pavilion of the architecture biennale in Venice.
Rubén has over 30 years of experience in the film, television, and radio industries. He has written, produced, directed, and edited numerous documentaries, broadcast journalism stories, and educational programs in New York, San Juan, Miami, and Zürich.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….137 Dr Martin Stuchtey: rethinking how we invest in nature28th July 2024
agriculture
regeneration
systems thinking
Prof. Dr. Martin Stuchtey – a geologist, economist and entrepreneur – is challenging and helping to rethink industrial, farming and economic systems. He founded The Landbanking Group, a Nature Fintech aiming to bring natural capital onto our balance sheets in service of the Paris and Montreal agreements. Dr. Martin Stuchtey is a former Senior and Managing Partner at McKinsey &…
136 Julia Brenner of Melta: creating value from food waste14th July 2024
Circular economy
food
recycling
regenerative
social value
There is a simple solution to conserve, and reuse, more of the nutrients from food waste. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Julia Brenner, a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming waste management and soil health. Julia and her business partner founded Melta in 2020, to solve two interconnected challenges faced by rural municipalities: the…
135 Tuomo Laine: unlocking circular business models30th June 2024
business models
Circular economy
enablers
rental
resell
sharing
software
technology
Tuomo Laine is the CEO and co-founder of Twice Commerce, which provides software to help its clients unlock a range of circular business models. Tuomo is known for being straightforward and action-oriented, and for his dedication to using entrepreneurship for societal good. He is a member of the Unreasonable Group Fellowship, and is occasionally invited to lecture at Aalto University,…
134 Jane Martin of City to Sea: powering refill & reuse on-the-go16th June 2024
Circular economy
food
Packaging
plastic
refills
reuse
To mark World Refill Day 2024, we talk to Jane Martin, the CEO of City to Sea, a campaigning non-profit with a mission to prevent plastic pollution at source. World Refill Day is a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste. It’s a day of action each year, designed to create an alternative vision…
133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff9th June 2024
Circular economy
design
materials
repurpose
social value
This is the 4th and final episode in the special 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and we’re focusing on repurposing – using creativity and craft skills to breathe new life into unwanted outdoor gear, clothing and workwear. We’ll hear from the founders of two small repurposing businesses: First, Jen Dickinson, founder of Dirtbags Climbing, an upcycling workshop in…
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Professor Dr. Martin Stuchtey – a geologist, economist and entrepreneur – is challenging and helping to rethink industrial, farming and economic systems. He founded The Landbanking Group, a Nature Fintech aiming to bring natural capital onto our balance sheets in service of the Paris and Montreal agreements.
Dr. Martin Stuchtey is a former Senior and Managing Partner at McKinsey & Co., where he co-founded and led the global sustainability activities. He then founded systems change company SYSTEMIQ, and is also professor for industrial systems in transition at the University of Innsbruck. Martin is an investor, multiple board member and owner of an organic farm in Austria. He’s authored numerous papers, press, radio and TV publications and a book, “A Good Disruption – Redefining Growth in the 21st Century”.
I was keen to ask Martin about a chapter he co-authored in a recent book published by Factor X – The Impossibilities of the Circular Economy: separating aspirations from reality.
Then we move onto talk about The Landbanking Group, born out of Martin’s frustration with the lack of progress in pushing back against the current, extractive economy. Martin also realised that we need to rethink how we invest in nature as the fundamental building block of our future on this, our home planet.
The Landbanking Group’s ambition is to change the way we make land-use decisions worldwide. Their first-of-its-kind platform allows land stewards to earn income from accruing natural capital (such as biodiversity, carbon, soil, water). It allows companies to invest into balance-sheet grade natural capital contracts (or “Nature Equity”). The Landbanking team aims to create the hardest currency for nature by combining the latest science and accounting practices into a coherent, transparent, and compliant way to invest into natural capital – because nature is critical infrastructure – for companies, economies and societies.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links for the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* Martin Stuchtey on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinstuchtey/ * The Landbanking Group Website | Linkedin | Nature Equity Consultation Paper * Martin Stuchtey‘s TEDx Talk * Article about land-banking https://www.thebanker.com/With-nature-in-dramatic-decline-land-banking-awaits-reinvention-1708692557
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* The Impossibilities of the Circular Economy: separating aspirations from reality – open access version, with each chapter also available as a separate download – Martin Stuchtey’s chapter is #22 https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003244196/impossibilities-circular-economy-harry-lehmann-christoph-hinske-victoire-de-margerie-aneta-slaveikova-nikolova?_ga=62884898.1720174582 * The Impossibilities of the Circular Economy: separating aspirations from reality – print version from Routledge https://www.routledge.com/The-Impossibilities-of-the-Circular-Economy-Separating-Aspirations-from/Lehmann-Hinske-Margerie-Nikolova/p/book/9781032154435 * A Good Disruption: Redefining Growth in the Twenty-First Century, by Martin Stuchtey, Per-Anders Enkvist and Klaus Zumwinkel https://www.amazon.com/Good-Disruption-Redefining-Twenty-First-Century/dp/1472939786 * Or watch Martin’s talk – A Good Disruption at the Disruptive Innovation Festival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT66CRYkSM8&t=1s * Ernst Ulrich von Weizsäcker https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Ulrich_von_Weizs%C3%A4cker
Guest bioProfessor Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey
Prof. Martin R. Stuchtey is a geologist and economist, and the founder of The Landbanking Group. This Nature Fintech is in service of the Paris and the Montreal agreement and aiming to bring natural capital onto our balance sheets. He is a former Senior and Managing Partner of McKinsey & Co. where he co-founded and led the global sustainability activities. Furthermore, Martin is founder of the systems change company SYSTEMIQ, professor for industrial systems in transition at the University of Innsbruck, investor, multiple board member and owner of an organic farm in Austria. He is the author of numerous papers, press, radio and TV publications and the book “A Good Disruption – Redefining Growth in the 21st Century”.
About The Landbanking Group
The Landbanking Group is a Munich-based Nature-Fintech Company with the ambition to change the way we make land-use decisions worldwide. Their first-in-kind platform “Landler.io” allows land stewards to earn income from accruing natural capital (biodiversity, carbon, soil, water), and companies to invest into balance-sheet grade natural capital contracts (“Nature Equity”). The 45-people Landbanking team strives to create the hardest currency for nature by combining latest science and accounting practices into a coherent, transparent, and compliant way to invest into natural capital because nature is critical infrastructure – for companies, economies and societies.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….136 Julia Brenner of Melta: creating value from food waste14th July 2024
Circular economy
food
recycling
regenerative
social value
There is a simple solution to conserve, and reuse, more of the nutrients from food waste. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Julia Brenner, a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming waste management and soil health. Julia and her business partner founded Melta in 2020, to solve two interconnected challenges faced by rural municipalities: the…
135 Tuomo Laine: unlocking circular business models30th June 2024
business models
Circular economy
enablers
rental
resell
sharing
software
technology
Tuomo Laine is the CEO and co-founder of Twice Commerce, which provides software to help its clients unlock a range of circular business models. Tuomo is known for being straightforward and action-oriented, and for his dedication to using entrepreneurship for societal good. He is a member of the Unreasonable Group Fellowship, and is occasionally invited to lecture at Aalto University,…
134 Jane Martin of City to Sea: powering refill & reuse on-the-go16th June 2024
Circular economy
food
Packaging
plastic
refills
reuse
To mark World Refill Day 2024, we talk to Jane Martin, the CEO of City to Sea, a campaigning non-profit with a mission to prevent plastic pollution at source. World Refill Day is a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste. It’s a day of action each year, designed to create an alternative vision…
133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff9th June 2024
Circular economy
design
materials
repurpose
social value
This is the 4th and final episode in the special 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and we’re focusing on repurposing – using creativity and craft skills to breathe new life into unwanted outdoor gear, clothing and workwear. We’ll hear from the founders of two small repurposing businesses: First, Jen Dickinson, founder of Dirtbags Climbing, an upcycling workshop in…
132 Re-Action – repairing: from radical to renaissance2nd June 2024
Circular economy
product design
sharing
social value
This is #3 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on repairing. We hear from the founders of three UK businesses that are helping people repair their outdoor clothing and equipment: Rosanna Watson at Snowdonia Gear Repair, Becky Kirby at Sheffield Clothing Repair, and Vicky Balfour of Vicky Bikes. The strapline for this episode was inspired…
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There is a simple solution to conserve, and reuse, more of the nutrients from food waste.
In today’s episode, I’m talking to Julia Brenner, a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming waste management and soil health. Julia and her business partner founded Melta in 2020, to solve two interconnected challenges faced by rural municipalities: the lack of accessible and cost-effective food waste solutions, and the difficulty of transporting organic fertilizers to remote areas.
This is a brilliant example of something that is needs little investment, saves money, time and space, and can be adopted easily, all around the world. It is easy to scale out, and a great example of a local, regenerative solution to the typical ineffective, expensive and resource-intensive solutions that we see in western society.
The Melta system uses the Bokashi process which is thought to originate from East Asia, centuries ago. The Bokashi process converts food waste and similar organic matter into a nutrient-rich soil additive which also improves soil texture.
Melta’s innovative system for organic waste collection, processing, and utilization can reduce municipal waste transport by 70%, and producing a nutrient-rich fertilizer that is cheaper and easier for farmers to access.
Julia studied soil restoration at the University of Iceland and then delved further into nutrient cycling and climate models at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She continues to engage in collaborative field experiments with the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland and Icelandic Agricultural University. Julia is passionate about making “sustainability” a realistic and attainable goal, and is committed to bridging the gap between practical waste management and soil health.
We discover why dealing with household food waste is such a big headache for rural municipalities; and how the bokashi process can easily become part of a system that’s better for households, farmers and the local council.
Julia explains how the Bokashi process works in practice, and why households prefer it over other methods like putting food waste in with other refuse, or have separate food waste collection bins. As we’ll hear, the results are amazing – and the system is very simple, so it could be easily used in rural areas around the world.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* Melta website https://melta.is/ * Melta on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/melta__melta/ * Julia Brenner on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliambrenner/
Guest bioJulia Brenner is a soil scientist and co-founder of Melta, a company dedicated to transforming waste management and soil health. Julia and her business partner, Björk Brynjarsdóttir, founded Melta in 2020 to confront two interconnected challenges unique to rural municipalities: the lack of accessible and cost-effective waste management solutions, and the difficulty of transporting organic fertilizers to remote areas. Their innovative system for organic waste collection, processing, and utilization can reduce municipal waste transport by 70% while producing a nutrient-rich fertilizer accessible to farmers.
Julia studied soil restoration at the University of Iceland, delved into nutrient cycling and climate models at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and continues to engage in collaborative field experiments with the Soil Conservation Service of Iceland and Icelandic Agricultural University. Passionate about making “sustainability” a realistic and attainable goal, Julia is committed to bridging the gap between practical waste management and soil health.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….135 Tuomo Laine: unlocking circular business models30th June 2024
business models
Circular economy
enablers
rental
resell
sharing
software
technology
Tuomo Laine is the CEO and co-founder of Twice Commerce, which provides software to help its clients unlock a range of circular business models. Tuomo is known for being straightforward and action-oriented, and for his dedication to using entrepreneurship for societal good. He is a member of the Unreasonable Group Fellowship, and is occasionally invited to lecture at Aalto University,…
134 Jane Martin of City to Sea: powering refill & reuse on-the-go16th June 2024
Circular economy
food
Packaging
plastic
refills
reuse
To mark World Refill Day 2024, we talk to Jane Martin, the CEO of City to Sea, a campaigning non-profit with a mission to prevent plastic pollution at source. World Refill Day is a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste. It’s a day of action each year, designed to create an alternative vision…
133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff9th June 2024
Circular economy
design
materials
repurpose
social value
This is the 4th and final episode in the special 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and we’re focusing on repurposing – using creativity and craft skills to breathe new life into unwanted outdoor gear, clothing and workwear. We’ll hear from the founders of two small repurposing businesses: First, Jen Dickinson, founder of Dirtbags Climbing, an upcycling workshop in…
132 Re-Action – repairing: from radical to renaissance2nd June 2024
Circular economy
product design
sharing
social value
This is #3 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on repairing. We hear from the founders of three UK businesses that are helping people repair their outdoor clothing and equipment: Rosanna Watson at Snowdonia Gear Repair, Becky Kirby at Sheffield Clothing Repair, and Vicky Balfour of Vicky Bikes. The strapline for this episode was inspired…
131 Re-Action – Sharing: Serving more people with less stuff26th May 2024
Circular economy
rental
sharing
social value
This is #2 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on sharing and ‘pay to use’. We hear from the founders of three startups enabling people to have convenient and affordable access to high-quality outdoor gear: Anna Smoothy from Cirkel Supply, Rebecca Heaps from Tentshare and Bruce Leishman from KitUp Adventures. The strapline for this episode…
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4
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Tuomo Laine is the CEO and co-founder of Twice Commerce, which provides software to help its clients unlock a range of circular business models.
Tuomo is known for being straightforward and action-oriented, and for his dedication to using entrepreneurship for societal good. He is a member of the Unreasonable Group Fellowship, and is occasionally invited to lecture at Aalto University, to share his venture building experiences.
Twice Commerce’s mission is to uncouple economic growth from the extraction of new materials, and it helps a broad spectrum of clients, from large retailers to individual sellers.
The platform aims to enhance the value of any kind of object – by extending product lifecycles, unlocking more usage and sales from each item, conserving resources, improving value chain gross margin and reducing the need for new manufacturing. This is all about creating more value through circularity, not finding ways to reduce quality or reduce the pay for workers.
Twice Commerce’s clients include Decathlon, Rab Outdoors, Intersport, Motonet and many others, covering clothing, outdoor equipment, tools and much more, and by enabling improvements to the bottom line, Twice Commerce helps clients align profitability with environmental stewardship.
Tuomo and his colleagues are getting to the crux of how to redesign the typical one-way commerce software to facilitate circular solutions and to address the elements that are adding cost, complexity or dysfunctionality.
This is all about unlocking productivity – not just labour productivity, but thinking about how to leverage more value from the inputs you’ve invested in every unit that comes off the production line.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* https://www.linkedin.com/company/twicecommerce * https://www.twicecommerce.com/ * https://www.youtube.com/@twicecommerce
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* 128 Tara Button: products that say ‘Buy Me Once’ https://www.rethinkglobal.info/128-tara-button-products-that-say-buy-me-once/
Guest bioTuomo Laine is the CEO and co-founder of Twice Commerce, a commerce platform focused on enabling sustainable commerce and speeding up the adoption of the circular economy globally. Tuomo is known for his straightforward and action-oriented attitude and his dedication to using entrepreneurship for societal good. He is a member of the Unreasonable Group Fellowship, and occasionally invited lecturer at Aalto University regarding his experiences in venture building.
Twice’s mission is to uncouple economic growth from the extraction of new materials. It enables a broad spectrum of businesses, from large retailers to individual sellers, to prosper sustainably. The platform’s vision is to enhance the value of any thing – by extending product lifecycles, facilitating more usage and sales from each item, conserving resources, improving value chain gross margin and reducing the need for new manufacturing— without forgetting that your purchase is someone else’s salary. Searching for bottom line improvement both for businesses and the planet, thereby aligning profitability with environmental stewardship.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….134 Jane Martin of City to Sea: powering refill & reuse on-the-go16th June 2024
Circular economy
food
Packaging
plastic
refills
reuse
To mark World Refill Day 2024, we talk to Jane Martin, the CEO of City to Sea, a campaigning non-profit with a mission to prevent plastic pollution at source. World Refill Day is a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste. It’s a day of action each year, designed to create an alternative vision…
133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff9th June 2024
Circular economy
design
materials
repurpose
social value
This is the 4th and final episode in the special 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and we’re focusing on repurposing – using creativity and craft skills to breathe new life into unwanted outdoor gear, clothing and workwear. We’ll hear from the founders of two small repurposing businesses: First, Jen Dickinson, founder of Dirtbags Climbing, an upcycling workshop in…
132 Re-Action – repairing: from radical to renaissance2nd June 2024
Circular economy
product design
sharing
social value
This is #3 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on repairing. We hear from the founders of three UK businesses that are helping people repair their outdoor clothing and equipment: Rosanna Watson at Snowdonia Gear Repair, Becky Kirby at Sheffield Clothing Repair, and Vicky Balfour of Vicky Bikes. The strapline for this episode was inspired…
131 Re-Action – Sharing: Serving more people with less stuff26th May 2024
Circular economy
rental
sharing
social value
This is #2 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on sharing and ‘pay to use’. We hear from the founders of three startups enabling people to have convenient and affordable access to high-quality outdoor gear: Anna Smoothy from Cirkel Supply, Rebecca Heaps from Tentshare and Bruce Leishman from KitUp Adventures. The strapline for this episode…
130 Heather Davies: the Re-Action Collective19th May 2024
Circular economy
repair
reuse
sharing
social value
It’s now 5 years since I started the podcast, and to celebrate, I’m doing a 5th anniversary mini-series. I’ve invited several guests from the Re-Action Collective, a group of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be hearing from them and exploring 3 different types of circularity – sharing, repairing and repurposing. The…
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To mark World Refill Day 2024, we talk to Jane Martin, the CEO of City to Sea, a campaigning non-profit with a mission to prevent plastic pollution at source.
World Refill Day is a global campaign to prevent plastic pollution and help people live with less waste. It’s a day of action each year, designed to create an alternative vision of the future and to accelerate the transition away from single-use plastic towards refill & reuse systems.
City to Sea develops and supports upstream solutions to give individuals, communities and businesses practical ways to replace single-use plastic in their lives, shopping baskets and operations.
City to Sea are specialists in behaviour change and creative communications and they develop innovations including the Refill app and Refill Return Cup to shift the dial from linear to circular.
For the past five years Jane Martin has been working as Head of Development at City to Sea, leading project work developing refill and reuse infrastructure in food-to-go and retail sectors, and she has recently been promoted to CEO.
Jane has broad experience across environmental, FMCG, retail, and culture sectors. In ten years’ time Jane wants to “look back and see a transformed circular economy where we value all the precious resources in the system and where we’ve abandoned our damaging throwaway culture.”
Jane summarises a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which categorizes packaging refill & reuse systems into four types: refill on-the-go, refill at home, return from home, and return on-the-go.
Each of those four categories has its own challenges around user needs, logistics, infrastructure and control systems. City to Sea focuses on refill on-the-go and return on-the-go, and we unpack those.
Jane talks about some of the practical schemes that City to Sea has supported, and shares the insights and learnings gleaned so far.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* City to Sea citytosea.org.uk * Refill refill.org.uk * Cup Guide Report The Future Is Returnable * News story on our website on attitudes to reuse in the UK * Sing the DINE IN Petition * Find resources to support World Refill Day Here * Reuse systems, including the 4 types of reuse and refill packaging systems https://www.refill.org.uk/about/what-is-reuse/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned:* Jeremy Grantham interviewed on Nate Hagens’ The Great Simplification podcast: https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/episode/99-jeremy-grantham (Nate Hagens and co-founder of GMO Financial Holdings, Jeremy Grantham, discuss how finance, human population, ecology, and pollution interact to shape current trends and what they could tell us about the future.) * GoUnpackaged https://gounpackaged.com/ * Episode 36 – Dan Dicker of Circular&Co Circular&Co invent award-winning products and solutions that keep our materials and finite resources in use for as long as possible, whilst preventing them from ever reaching landfill or our oceans. They work with global brands, reinventing today’s waste into tomorrow’s Circular products. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-36-dan-dicker-of-circular&co/ * 97 Alice Mah – Plastic propaganda. Alice Mah, Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, helps us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/97-alice-mah-unpicking-plastic-propaganda/ * 107 Sian Sutherland – plastic is last century’s material. Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, says plastic is last century’s material. Solutions platform PlasticFree.com empowers us to replace it. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/107-sian-sutherland-plastic-is-last-centurys-material/82 * 108 Sian Sutherland (part 2) fixing plastics can fix so much else… Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, says we can reinvent a happier, healthier future: by fixing plastics, we can fix so much else. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/108-sian-sutherland-fixing-plastics-can-fix-so-much-else/ * Maria Westerbos – Plastic Soup Foundation. Maria Westerbos founded the Plastic Soup Foundation to raise awareness about the health risks from plastic in everyday products, and how we can switch away from it. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/82-maria-westerbos-plastic-soup-foundation/ * 84 Jo Chidley – Reposit – reusable packaging. Jo Chidley is co-founder of Reposit (the new brand name for ReRe), a buy anywhere, return anywhere, reuse anywhere alternative to single-use packaging for a wide range of consumer products. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/jo-chidley-reposit/ * 73 Tom Szaky – Loop – the convenience of prefill. Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, tells us how big brands use the Loop reusable packaging platform to bring the convenience of prefill to high streets everywhere. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/73-tom-szaky-loop-the-convenience-of-prefill/ * 103 Algramo – Refill the future. Reusable packaging startup Algramo is going from strength to strength, and we hear why customers in Chile, the US and the UK are buying into this. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/103-algramo-refill-the-future/ * 42 – Brian Bauer of Algramo. A Chilean startup that refills product by the gram from vending machines. These refills provide better value for money as well as offering convenience and reducing waste. Algramo is working with Unilever, Colgate Palmolive and other brands, and is expanding to the US and Europe. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-42-brian-bauer-of-algramo/ * 36 – Dan Dicker of Circular&Co. Circular&Co invent award-winning products and solutions that keep our materials and finite resources in use for as long as possible, whilst preventing them from ever reaching landfill or our oceans. They work with global brands, reinventing today’s waste into tomorrow’s Circular products. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-36-dan-dicker-of-circular&co/ * 13 – Beth Massa of ARK Reusables. Ozarka offers returnable, responsible, sustainable, zero-waste takeaway boxes for prepared food businesses, through food outlets in Amsterdam and Utrecht in the Netherlands. Its ARK Reusables food-to-go containers are made from reusable recyclable silicone, and pack flat so they are easy to carry. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-13-beth-massa-ark-reusables/ * UNEP’s interactive page and maps on plastic packaging, which includes tips for what we can all do https://www.unep.org/interactives/beat-plastic-pollution/
Jane Martin, CEO of City to SeaJane says: “City to Sea is a not-for-profit campaigning organisation on a mission to prevent plastic pollution at source. Our upstream solutions give individuals, communities and businesses practical solutions to replace single-use plastic in their lives, shopping baskets and operations. We are specialists in behaviour change and creative communications and develop innovations such as the Refill app and Refill Return Cup to shift the dial from linear to circular.
As Head of Development at City to Sea for the past five years I have been leading our project work developing refill and reuse infrastructure in food-to-go and retail sectors. Working with public sector partners, funders and innovators we have undertaken extensive consumer research and designed innovative solutions to shopping with less waste.
Personally, I have broad experience across environmental, FMCG, retail, and culture sectors and have recently completed a master’s at University of Bristol in Strategy, Change and Leadership. My new role as CEO will put all this to the service of our vital mission. In ten years’ time I hope to look back and see a transformed circular economy where we value all the precious resources in the system and have abandoned our damaging throwaway culture.”
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff9th June 2024
Circular economy
design
materials
repurpose
social value
This is the 4th and final episode in the special 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and we’re focusing on repurposing – using creativity and craft skills to breathe new life into unwanted outdoor gear, clothing and workwear. We’ll hear from the founders of two small repurposing businesses: First, Jen Dickinson, founder of Dirtbags Climbing, an upcycling workshop in…
132 Re-Action – repairing: from radical to renaissance2nd June 2024
Circular economy
product design
sharing
social value
This is #3 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on repairing. We hear from the founders of three UK businesses that are helping people repair their outdoor clothing and equipment: Rosanna Watson at Snowdonia Gear Repair, Becky Kirby at Sheffield Clothing Repair, and Vicky Balfour of Vicky Bikes. The strapline for this episode was inspired…
131 Re-Action – Sharing: Serving more people with less stuff26th May 2024
Circular economy
rental
sharing
social value
This is #2 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on sharing and ‘pay to use’. We hear from the founders of three startups enabling people to have convenient and affordable access to high-quality outdoor gear: Anna Smoothy from Cirkel Supply, Rebecca Heaps from Tentshare and Bruce Leishman from KitUp Adventures. The strapline for this episode…
130 Heather Davies: the Re-Action Collective19th May 2024
Circular economy
repair
reuse
sharing
social value
It’s now 5 years since I started the podcast, and to celebrate, I’m doing a 5th anniversary mini-series. I’ve invited several guests from the Re-Action Collective, a group of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be hearing from them and exploring 3 different types of circularity – sharing, repairing and repurposing. The…
129 Alex Holland: SolarPunk Stories for a circular future5th May 2024
Circular economy
policy
social value
strategy
How do we draw people towards a deliciously sustainable future? In this episode, we’re going off at a slight tangent: to explore how we can bring people into this world, to feel they have agency and to see an exciting, meaningful future where we do better, with less. We’re going to hear about a way of telling stories – that…
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This is the 4th and final episode in the special 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and we’re focusing on repurposing – using creativity and craft skills to breathe new life into unwanted outdoor gear, clothing and workwear.
We’ll hear from the founders of two small repurposing businesses:
First, Jen Dickinson, founder of Dirtbags Climbing, an upcycling workshop in the English Lake District, which turns retired outdoor textiles into hand-made bags.
And secondly, Beccy Evans, founder of Utilifolk, who gives things fresh appeal and new life by re-working unwanted garments that are no longer fit for their original use, and makes new pieces from preloved and remnant textiles.
Ironically, nearly every outdoor gear brand uses sophisticated marketing to hijack our brain chemicals, encouraging us to buy yet more stuff to do the things we love, to excel and enjoy them. And yet, those same things, when discarded, are destroying the very essence of the places and living things we love so much.
We discuss the ethos and design principles for their businesses, why we need to avoid sucked into the ‘fast-fashion’ and ‘compartmentalising’ approaches of brands that want to sell more stuff, and how repurposing can help people create their own identity, instead of looking like they’re wearing other people’s stuff.
Rebecca Heaps, founder of Tentshare, who we met in Episode 131, says “when we buy secondhand, the earth breaths a sigh of relief” – and I think that applies to repurposed things, too. Everything we do to keep our clothes, tools and equipment alive is a way to sustain life on earth – for us, and for the future of our living world. And of course, emotional engagement and well-crafted kit helps Re-Action’s mission to make the outdoors more affordable and accessible.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guests:Beccy Evans – Utilifolk and Feral Crayon:* https://www.instagram.com/utilifolk/ * https://www.feralcrayon.com/
Dirtbags* dirtbagsclimbing.co.uk * instagram.com/dirt_bags
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Catherine’s blog: Less, but better: a design for life * Re-Action Collective website: https://re-action-collective.org/ * Re-Action Collective on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/re_action_collective/ * Re-Action Collective on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-action-collective/ * Let My People Go Surfing, by Yvon Chouinard: https://www.patagonia.com/shop/books * Dieter Rams – ten principles for ‘good design’ * Rebecca Heaps, founder of Tentshare https://www.tentshare.co.uk/
Podcast episodes on Repurposing* #109 Janina Nieper – Connecting new designs to leftover materials. Janina Nieper is an architect and designer with Furnify, helping clients create circular spaces by connecting new designs to leftover materials. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/109-janina-nieper-connecting-new-designs-to-leftover-materials/ * #92 Elmar Stroomer – circular textile solutions in Africa – Elmar Stroomer founded Africa Collect Textiles, which collects locally used textiles across Africa, for reuse, recycling and upcycling, creating jobs and sharing the benefits. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/92-elmar-stroomer-circular-textile-solutions-in-africa/ * #71 Rob Thompson – scaling up circular marine plastic solutions. Rob Thompson tells us how Odyssey Innovations’ brilliant circular model for marine plastics is expanding further afield. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-71-rob-thompson-scaling-up-circular-marine-plastic-solutions/ * #68 Kresse Wesling – Elvis & Kresse – luxury products from discarded materials. Kresse Wesling, CBE of Elvis and Kresse, rescues and transforms discarded materials, including decommissioned fire hose, into innovative lifestyle products. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-68-kresse-wesling-elvis-kresse/
Guest bios:Beccy Evans – Utilifolk and Feral CrayonBeccy Evans says: UtiliFolk is my microbrand. Utilifolk is about prolonging the life of clothing that already exists and keeping textiles out of landfill. I re-work unwanted garments, and items no longer fit for their original use, to give them fresh appeal and new life. Everything I create has a functional utility edge. I often use military outdoor and other functional clothing as a basis for my re-makes. I use preloved and remnant textiles to add interest to reworked garments as well as to make new pieces from scratch.
Feral Crayon is my freelance apparel design consultancy; specialising in technical, outdoor, performance sports, and active lifestyle clothing. The cornerstones of my design practice are Function, Durability and Product Longevity.
Having worked in the industry for 20 years, I have a broad range of experience designing for a range of end uses. I cover all elements of the design process, and work with brands of all sizes. Previous clients include Finisterre, Salomon, Shackleton and Wolverine.
Jennifer Dickinson of Dirtbags ClimbingJennifer Dickinson is the co founder of Dirtbags Climbing, an upcycling workshop in the Lake District where they hand make bags from retired outdoor textiles. She also heads Outdoor Gear for Good, a CIC project working with outdoor brands aiming to redistribute excess inventory of outdoor gear to those in need.
Dirtbags is a small Kendal based workshop who redirect textiles generated by the outdoor recreation industry from landfill. They upcycle outdoor gear (things like climbing rope, tents, wetsuits and waterproofs) into products made for the outdoors. They work with manufacturing offcuts and end of life products to make their bags as sustainable as possible.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….132 Re-Action – repairing: from radical to renaissance2nd June 2024
Circular economy
product design
sharing
social value
This is #3 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on repairing. We hear from the founders of three UK businesses that are helping people repair their outdoor clothing and equipment: Rosanna Watson at Snowdonia Gear Repair, Becky Kirby at Sheffield Clothing Repair, and Vicky Balfour of Vicky Bikes. The strapline for this episode was inspired…
131 Re-Action – Sharing: Serving more people with less stuff26th May 2024
Circular economy
rental
sharing
social value
This is #2 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on sharing and ‘pay to use’. We hear from the founders of three startups enabling people to have convenient and affordable access to high-quality outdoor gear: Anna Smoothy from Cirkel Supply, Rebecca Heaps from Tentshare and Bruce Leishman from KitUp Adventures. The strapline for this episode…
130 Heather Davies: the Re-Action Collective19th May 2024
Circular economy
repair
reuse
sharing
social value
It’s now 5 years since I started the podcast, and to celebrate, I’m doing a 5th anniversary mini-series. I’ve invited several guests from the Re-Action Collective, a group of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be hearing from them and exploring 3 different types of circularity – sharing, repairing and repurposing. The…
129 Alex Holland: SolarPunk Stories for a circular future5th May 2024
Circular economy
policy
social value
strategy
How do we draw people towards a deliciously sustainable future? In this episode, we’re going off at a slight tangent: to explore how we can bring people into this world, to feel they have agency and to see an exciting, meaningful future where we do better, with less. We’re going to hear about a way of telling stories – that…
128 Tara Button: products that say ‘Buy Me Once’21st April 2024
Circular economy
durability
repairability
Tara Button is the founder and CEO of Buy Me Once, a platform which helps people buy the longest-lasting products on the planet. If you’ve heard me talking about the 3 essential strategies for circular businesses, you’ll know that one of those 3 strategies is Keeping things in use for longer, through durability, repairability and resellability. I get frustrated by…
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This is #3 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on repairing. We hear from the founders of three UK businesses that are helping people repair their outdoor clothing and equipment: Rosanna Watson at Snowdonia Gear Repair, Becky Kirby at Sheffield Clothing Repair, and Vicky Balfour of Vicky Bikes.
The strapline for this episode was inspired by Rose Macario, former CEO of Patagonia Inc, who wrote a blog back in 2015 declaring that ‘repair is a radical act’. But repairing and caring for our things used to be the norm, until we’ve gradually been persuaded to treat our stuff as disposable, and to think that newer is always better. But many of us are discovering that’s not true, and that repairing, customising and caring for our clothing and equipment is better for us, for our wallets, and for our futures.
Now, repairing is having a renaissance, with millions of people finding ways to do DIY repairs, or find repairers with specialist skills and the relevant spare parts.
We speak to the founders of these three disruptive businesses to discover what motivates people to repair, why repaired items can be better than replacements, and what to look out to make sure your gear is easy to care for and repair.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:Catherine’s work:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guests:Rosanna Watson – Snowdonia Gear Repair
- Snowdonia Gear Repair Website https://www.snowdoniagearrepair.co.uk/
- Snowdonia Gear Repair on Instagram and Facebook @snowdoniagearrepair
Becky Kirby – Sheffield Clothing Repair
- Instagram @sheffieldclothingrepair
Vicky Balfour – Vicky Bikes
- Vicky Bikes newsletter sign-up
- Website http://www.vickybikes.co.uk
- Instagram @vickybikes
- Facebook Vicky Bikes
Re-Action Collective
- Re-Action Collective website: https://re-action-collective.org/
Re-Action Collective on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/re_action_collective/ - Re-Action Collective on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-action-collective/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Catherine’s blog on durability: Less, but better: a design for life https://www.rethinkglobal.info/less-but-better-a-design-for-life/ * iFixit https://www.ifixit.com/ * SOJO https://www.sojo.uk/ * Repair What You Wear https://repairwhatyouwear.com/ * Repair Cafés https://www.repaircafe.org/ and Episode 52 – Elizabeth Knight – Repair Revolution! https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-52-elizabeth-knight–repair-revolution/ * The Restart Project https://therestartproject.org/ and Episode #112 – Fiona Dear: Reviving repair and reuse for our tech https://www.rethinkglobal.info/112-fiona-dear-reviving-repair-and-reuse-for-our-tech/ * Episode 41 – Fixup and Fixation Sandra Goldmark is a designer, teacher, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on circular economy solutions to overconsumption and climate change. She is the author of Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet, published in October 2020. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-41-sandra-goldmark-fixup-and-fixation/ * Rose Marcario, Repair is a Radical Act, Patagonia, (25 Nov 2015). Available from: https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/stories/repair-is-a-radical-act/story-17637.html
Guest biosRosanna Watson – Snowdonia Gear Repair
Rosanna Watson is the owner and founder of Snowdonia Gear Repair, an outdoor clothing repair and alterations business based in North Wales.
Originally from South West Scotland, Rosanna spent most of her childhood either outside or making things. She trained as an engineer but continued to sew, and in her 20s began to make her own outdoor gear.
The idea for Snowdonia Gear Repair was born on a visit to Llanberis (where Jos, Rosanna’s partner grew up). The two now run the business full time from their workshop in Y Felinheli with the help of another two repair technicians and a shop dog Alma.
Becky Kirby – Sheffield Clothing Repair
Becky Kirby, owner and Chief Repairer at Sheffield Clothing Repair, says: “I grew up in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, where I learned basic hand stitching and machine sewing from my Mum, and DIY skills from my Dad. I’ve always been a very hands on, practical person, happiest when my hands and mind are being kept busy. I now live on the northern outskirts of Sheffield with my partner Sam and our cat Tiki.
Where did SCR come from?
In between leaving home at 19, and the present time, I did a small amount of travelling, then got stuck into ‘grown-up’ life, working different office jobs. At 27, I decided to follow a dream I’d had since childhood, and returned to college to gain my Plumbing Qualifications. Working in that sector, you really go through many knees in trousers, and so I started to repair my own kit, as well as my partners. Once our friends started to hear about my expanding skills, the requests started to come in thick and fast. The word around Repair was on the rise, so at the suggestion of Sam to ‘get ahead of the curve’, I started Sheffield Clothing Repair in October 2020. Obviously this was during lockdown, but it meant that I was able to continue working, without having to leave my home…. something I wasn’t able to do as a Plumber.
Where is Sheffield Clothing Repair going? Three and a half years after opening our workshop doors, we’re having our most successful year yet. We are building our client base weekly, just by word of mouth and a small amount of Social Media. We have many returning customers, and even new customers just swinging in off the street. We have a fantastic working relationship with some well known and well loved brands, and have already toured Scotland on a two week repair adventure. We are also part of the Re-Action Collective, an ever expanding group of Repairers, Menders, Festival Salvage experts, and others who are all working towards creating the foundations for a circular economy. We are exploring sustainability, by taking responsibility. SCR’s plans for the future are bright and full of repairs, and we’ll also be delving into education and open repair sessions for groups.
Why does Becky repair? The long and short of it is that I love it, and I have the skills to do it. Even on my days off, I find it hard to stay away from the machines, but at that point I’ll still find something else practical to do with my hands. I love the challenges that come with repairs, and no two are the same. I really feed off being able to return a fully functioning garment back to a customer, when they thought it was beyond hope. It’s a really joyful area to work in, especially knowing you’re keeping someones beloved item in their life, rather than them having to say goodbye, and build a relationship with something new. Repair isn’t anything new, it’s just regaining popularity through both fashion and necessity.
Vicky Balfour – Vicky Bikes
Vicky Balfour rediscovered a love of cycling as an adult and relishes the joyful freedom it brings. She went on to train as a bike mechanic while working at her local bike shop, before branching out into event mechanics for Chain Reaction Cycles and teaching at a local Bike Project.
In 2020 Vicky set up VickyBikes, a platform to teach Mindful Mechanics 1:1 and in small groups as well as at events. Starting with online teaching, Vicky pulled on her experiences as a special needs Mum to focus on communication to ensure that clients are comfortable and happy learning. Vicky has a YouTube channel with free-to-all mechanics videos and writes regularly for BikeRadar and MBUK Magazine.
Alongside this Vicky is an advocate for womens and adaptive cycling, encouraging matriarchal spaces and supporting disabled riders. Vicky’s daughter rides an adaptive trike and they have made a couple of films about Mum’s bikepacking in Norfolk and North Yorkshire.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….132 Re-Action – repairing: from radical to renaissance2nd June 2024
Circular economy
product design
sharing
social value
This is #3 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on repairing. We hear from the founders of three UK businesses that are helping people repair their outdoor clothing and equipment: Rosanna Watson at Snowdonia Gear Repair, Becky Kirby at Sheffield Clothing Repair, and Vicky Balfour of Vicky Bikes. The strapline for this episode was inspired…
131 Re-Action – Sharing: Serving more people with less stuff26th May 2024
Circular economy
rental
sharing
social value
This is #2 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective, and focuses on sharing and ‘pay to use’. We hear from the founders of three startups enabling people to have convenient and affordable access to high-quality outdoor gear: Anna Smoothy from Cirkel Supply, Rebecca Heaps from Tentshare and Bruce Leishman from KitUp Adventures. The strapline for this episode…
130 Heather Davies: the Re-Action Collective19th May 2024
Circular economy
repair
reuse
sharing
social value
It’s now 5 years since I started the podcast, and to celebrate, I’m doing a 5th anniversary mini-series. I’ve invited several guests from the Re-Action Collective, a group of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be hearing from them and exploring 3 different types of circularity – sharing, repairing and repurposing. The…
129 Alex Holland: SolarPunk Stories for a circular future5th May 2024
Circular economy
policy
social value
strategy
How do we draw people towards a deliciously sustainable future? In this episode, we’re going off at a slight tangent: to explore how we can bring people into this world, to feel they have agency and to see an exciting, meaningful future where we do better, with less. We’re going to hear about a way of telling stories – that…
128 Tara Button: products that say ‘Buy Me Once’21st April 2024
Circular economy
durability
repairability
Tara Button is the founder and CEO of Buy Me Once, a platform which helps people buy the longest-lasting products on the planet. If you’ve heard me talking about the 3 essential strategies for circular businesses, you’ll know that one of those 3 strategies is Keeping things in use for longer, through durability, repairability and resellability. I get frustrated by…
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This is #2 in the 5th Anniversary mini-series featuring the Re-Action Collective focuses on sharing and ‘pay to use’.
We hear from the founders of three startups enabling people to have convenient and affordable access to high-quality outdoor gear: Anna Smoothy from Cirkel Supply, Rebecca Heaps from Tentshare and Bruce Leishman from KitUp Adventures.
The title of this episode – serving more people with less stuff – was inspired by Anna Smoothy at Cirkel Supply. I loved their aim, to serve more people with less products. and that aligns with one of my favourite phrases at the moment, about the need for businesses to do better, with much less.
Sharing and ‘pay to use’ systems are one of the 3 key CE strategies that I encourage businesses to focus on. Sharing can be a catch-all term for commercial arrangements that make it easy to use something for a short period, rather than owning it. These systems can help organisations to serve other organisations, to serve individuals, or for people to serve other users.
For decades, we’ve been happy to rent houses, holiday accommodation, cars, skis and bicycles, movies and more – and now people are branching out into other categories. Rental and subscription services are popping up for technology, fashion and accessories, home appliances, furniture and more, avoiding the need to buy things you aren’t sure you’ll want to use over the long term.
Often, these are disruptive startups using online platforms to provide convenient, flexible ways to access high-quality brands at affordable prices.
Sharing is really coming to the forefront, in particular for younger people who want access to the stuff they need and see ownership as a burden, not a benefit.
Global revenue growth for sharing and renting is forecast to grow at 30% each year, and is key to helping us do much more, with much less. In other words, we get more use – or productivity – from underutilised assets – meaning we need fewer of them in the overall system. This is sometimes referred to as ‘decoupling’*.
*The UN defines Absolute Decoupling as “a situation in which resource productivity grows faster than economic activity (GDP) and resource use is absolutely declining.”
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guests:Cirkel Supply* Cirkel Supply website: https://www.cirkelsupply.com/ * Cirkel Supply on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cirkelsupply * Cirkel Supply on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cirkelsupply/
KitUp Adventures* KitUp website https://kitupadventures.com/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitupadventures/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KitUpAdventures * Bruce Leishman on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-leishman-1b11bb84/
Tentshare* Email: hello@tentshare.co.uk * Website: https://www.tentshare.co.uk/ * https://www.instagram.com/tent_share/ * https://www.facebook.com/tentshare.co.uk * https://twitter.com/Tentshare1 * Alexis Hindle (software guy), Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loopadventures/ Website: https://in-the-loop.co/ * Eamonn Galvin founder of Know Carbon Website: https://knowcarbon.com/ * Tentshare element: https://knowcarbon.com/tentshare * Camplight website: https://camplight.co.uk/ * Camplight Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camplighttents/
Podcast episodes on sharing and purchasing habits* Episode 101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! https://www.rethinkglobal.info/101-circular-is-better-for-people-planet-and-profit/ * Episode 124 Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things https://www.rethinkglobal.info/124-share-shed-the-worlds-first-travelling-library-of-things/ * Episode 106 Yael Shemer of Tulu – everyday essentials on-demand https://www.rethinkglobal.info/106-yael-shemer-of-tulu-everyday-essentials-on-demand/ * Episode 105 Gene Homicki – getting more from less with MyTurn https://www.rethinkglobal.info/105-gene-homicki-getting-more-from-less-with-myturn/ * Episode 37 – Lieke van Kerkhoven of FLOOW2 Healthcare https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-37-lieke-van-kerkoven-of-floow2/ * Episode 28 Chris Diplock – The Thingery https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-28-chris-diplock-the-thingery/ * Episode 27 Chris Hellawell – Edinburgh Tool Library https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-27-chris-hellawell-edinburgh-tool-library/ * Trojan Electronics research on refurbishment purchasing habits https://www.rethinkglobal.info/117-james-rigg-a-refurbishment-revolution-for-electricals/
Guest biosRebecca Heaps of TentshareRebecca Heaps, founder of Tentshare, is on a mission to make camping and the outdoors more affordable and accessible for all. With a passion for community and sharing, she created Tentshare, an online sharing platform. Here, people can share their tents and camping equipment, creating income for campers and providing affordable access to camping gear.
She is also a Director of the Camplight Cooperative and helps to run the family property development business. Camplight rescues tents abandoned at festivals, cleans and repairs them, and rents them back to festival-goers at an affordable price.
Anna Smoothy of Cirkel SupplyAnna is the co-founder of the Swiss circular business, Cirkel Supply Co. As an ex-competitive freeride skier, and ski industry expert, Anna lives and breathes alpine culture. Over the past decade, Anna has worked with top outdoor brands: from leading marketing at Faction Skis, to team management at Mons Royale.
In 2022, while finishing her MBA, Anna focused her final project on circular business – investigating the sustainability of skiwear rental, using Cirkel as a case study. Upon completing the project, Anna joined Cirkel as a co-founder and now spends her days leveraging Cirkel’s convenient and accessible skiwear rental service to help ski tourists buy less, use more, and go explore.
Cirkel Supply specialises in premium skiwear rental. Their wide assortment offers nine top brands, and caters to women, men, and children of all ages. To drive a consumer shift from linear to circular, Cirkel focuses on making rental of high quality and ultimate convenience: customers simply order their favourite outfit online, and Cirkel deliver directly to their hotel or accommodation in the Swiss Alps.
Bruce Leishman of KitUpPrior to building KitUp, Bruce served as an Officer in the British Army. As a skiing and mountaineering instructor, he was able to take groups of soldiers away each winter and open their eyes to adventure in the mountains. Having experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to travel with all of the equipment you need and how expensive it is to buy, he asked himself what a better solution would be? This was the birth of KitUp – the idea that anyone can rent to or from anyone else, whatever their adventure. He has loved watching this sharing community grow and help each other out when it comes to equipment access.
KitUp is Europe’s only marketplace dedicated to sports equipment. It has never been easier to buy, sell or rent the gear you need, in a sustainable and affordable way. Whether you are looking to sell a mountain bike or rent a surfboard for the weekend, we are here for you! The KitUp community is free to join and we encourage all passionate adventurers to list their gear and help others enjoy the great outdoors.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….130 Heather Davies: the Re-Action Collective19th May 2024
Circular economy
repair
reuse
sharing
social value
It’s now 5 years since I started the podcast, and to celebrate, I’m doing a 5th anniversary mini-series. I’ve invited several guests from the Re-Action Collective, a group of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be hearing from them and exploring 3 different types of circularity – sharing, repairing and repurposing. The…
129 Alex Holland: SolarPunk Stories for a circular future5th May 2024
Circular economy
policy
social value
strategy
How do we draw people towards a deliciously sustainable future? In this episode, we’re going off at a slight tangent: to explore how we can bring people into this world, to feel they have agency and to see an exciting, meaningful future where we do better, with less. We’re going to hear about a way of telling stories – that…
128 Tara Button: products that say ‘Buy Me Once’21st April 2024
Circular economy
durability
repairability
Tara Button is the founder and CEO of Buy Me Once, a platform which helps people buy the longest-lasting products on the planet. If you’ve heard me talking about the 3 essential strategies for circular businesses, you’ll know that one of those 3 strategies is Keeping things in use for longer, through durability, repairability and resellability. I get frustrated by…
127 Yann Toutant: getting started with As-a-Service7th April 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Yann Toutant is the founder of Black Winch, which helps businesses understand the opportunities, practicalities and benefits of shifting to ‘as a service’ models, and supports them in making it happen. Yann has been implementing subscription-based models for hardware in the ICT industry for 25 years, including over a decade as CEO of Econocom’s Dutch operations. Today with his own…
126 Ruth Taylor: closing our circular values gap24th March 2024
Circular economy
social value
Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation guides us through the field of social psychology, to explore how our personal values drive behaviour, and what that means for sustainability and the circular economy. I recently completed ‘Values 101’, a short course run by the Common Cause Foundation. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about our…
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It’s now 5 years since I started the podcast, and to celebrate, I’m doing a 5th anniversary mini-series. I’ve invited several guests from the Re-Action Collective, a group of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector. Over the next few episodes, we’ll be hearing from them and exploring 3 different types of circularity – sharing, repairing and repurposing.
The Re-Action Collective was formed in 2022, by Gavin Fernie-Jones and his friend, Heather Davies. We met Gavin back in Episode 72, talking about One Tree at a Time, a circular social enterprise to repurpose outdoor gear and ski-wear and to share value with the community and nature.
In this episode, we’ll meet Gavin’s co-founder, Heather Davies, a freelance sustainability-focused content creator and communications trainer. Heather is motivated by a love of nature and the outdoors, and she works with a range of organisations, helping them communicate their sustainability stories and strategies, without greenwashing. She also offers training, including carbon literacy courses.
The Re-Action Collective is all about Making the outdoors more affordable and accessible, and over the next few episodes, we’ll meet some of the member organisations, with business models based on sharing, repairing and repurposing.
Heather and Gavin formed Re-Action to challenge product marketing that tells us we need shiny new, highly technical kit to access the outdoors. They say “We live in the outdoors and we know this isn’t true. We also know a lack of access to basic outdoor kit and absence of community are barriers to people getting outside and active for the benefit of their physical and mental health.”
The Re-Action Collective wants to amplify the voice and impact of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector, for example running, cycling, climbing, surfing, sailing and snow sports. Member organisations rescue products and revive them through repair, rebranding and repurposing. They then redistribute items through resale, rental and donation and reallocate profits to regenerate the outdoors.
Re-Action is focused on community-first solutions and wants to empower citizens to be more mindful about how they buy, maintain and dispose of their outdoor clothing and equipment.
We’ll hear how the collective works in practice, and how they’ve developed ways to avoid the pitfalls of shared interest groups that end up being hard to engage with, because they generate too much information and conversation.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* Re-Action Collective website: https://re-action-collective.org/
Re-Action Collective on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/re_action_collective/
* Re-Action Collective on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/re-action-collective/
* Heather Davies on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-davies-communicating-sustainability/
* Heather’s website: smallfootprintagency.com
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Jon Alexander, author of Citizens: Why the key to fixing everything is all of us https://www.jonalexander.net/ * Rapanui https://rapanuiclothing.com * Episode 124 Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things: https://www.rethinkglobal.info/124-share-shed-the-worlds-first-travelling-library-of-things/ * Episode 72 Gavin Fernie-Jones of One Tree at a Time https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode72-gavin-fernie-jones-one-tree-at-a-time/ * The Berkana Institute – Changing a paradigm requires patience and compassion, by Margaret Wheatley and Deborah Frieze https://berkana.org/our-work/pioneering-a-new-paradigm/
Guest bioHeather Davies co-founded the Re-Action Collective in 2022 with friend, Gavin Fernie-Jones, to amplify the voice and impact of circular economy pioneers in the outdoor sports sector. Member organisations rescue products and revive them through repair, rebranding and repurposing. Items are redistributed through resale, rental and donation and profits are reallocated to regenerate the outdoors.
Re-Action is focused on community-first solutions and wants to empower citizens to be more mindful about how they procure, maintain and dispose of their outdoor clothing and equipment. They created the #CitizenFriday campaign as a counter to Black Friday in 2023 which challenged people not to shop, but to “Share, Repair and Get out in the Fresh Air”.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….129 Alex Holland: SolarPunk Stories for a circular future5th May 2024
Circular economy
policy
social value
strategy
How do we draw people towards a deliciously sustainable future? In this episode, we’re going off at a slight tangent: to explore how we can bring people into this world, to feel they have agency and to see an exciting, meaningful future where we do better, with less. We’re going to hear about a way of telling stories – that…
128 Tara Button: products that say ‘Buy Me Once’21st April 2024
Circular economy
durability
repairability
Tara Button is the founder and CEO of Buy Me Once, a platform which helps people buy the longest-lasting products on the planet. If you’ve heard me talking about the 3 essential strategies for circular businesses, you’ll know that one of those 3 strategies is Keeping things in use for longer, through durability, repairability and resellability. I get frustrated by…
127 Yann Toutant: getting started with As-a-Service7th April 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Yann Toutant is the founder of Black Winch, which helps businesses understand the opportunities, practicalities and benefits of shifting to ‘as a service’ models, and supports them in making it happen. Yann has been implementing subscription-based models for hardware in the ICT industry for 25 years, including over a decade as CEO of Econocom’s Dutch operations. Today with his own…
126 Ruth Taylor: closing our circular values gap24th March 2024
Circular economy
social value
Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation guides us through the field of social psychology, to explore how our personal values drive behaviour, and what that means for sustainability and the circular economy. I recently completed ‘Values 101’, a short course run by the Common Cause Foundation. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about our…
125 Walter R Stahel: signs of circular progress10th March 2024
Circular economy
materials
policy
remanufacturing
reuse
services
social value
Professor Walter R Stahel, widely acknowledged as a circular economy pioneer, talks about progress, barriers and missed opportunities. Walter is the founder and director of the Product-Life Institute in Switzerland, founded in 1982 and now Europe’s oldest sustainability-based consultancy and think tank. These days, his is a keynote speaker and author on sustainability and circular economy and says he has…
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How do we draw people towards a deliciously sustainable future?
In this episode, we’re going off at a slight tangent: to explore how we can bring people into this world, to feel they have agency and to see an exciting, meaningful future where we do better, with less.
We’re going to hear about a way of telling stories – that could be fiction to help people understand circular solutions, or it might be stories to help them imagine how circular products and services work in real life, helping them see how that’s more fulfilling than buying yet more stuff and adding to the problems of waste and pollution.
Alex Holland is the Founder of SolarPunk Stories, and has worked as a journalist in the UK, Venezuela and India.
Alex has an MA in Leadership for Sustainable Development and created the world’s first Tea Pub which was also Crowdcube’s most-shared startup.
SolarPunk is a much more optimistic genre than dystopian fiction – it’s more like the Thrutopian concept set out by Professor Rupert Read in an article for the Huffington Post, a few years ago.
Utopias are too fantastical, whereas dystopias can be useless, even dangerously doom-mongering. Instead, we can create Thrutopias: stories that help us see a way through the challenges we face, that help us build a vision for the future we want to be part of: a regenerative, fair and inclusive future that we can be proud of. Stories that help us to imagine, to feel what it would be like, and to design the political and economic systems to get us through.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest: Sign up to SolarPunk Stories fortnightly substack newsletter: https://solarpunkstories.substack.com/ * A Solar Punk story:* https://www.solarpunkstories.com/buy-our-1st-story * Deep dive article on What SolarPunk is, isn’t and why it matters here > * https://www.solarpunkstories.com/blog/what-is-solarpunk-one-thing-or-many * A shout-out for CoFounders for SolarPunk Style here https://www.solarpunkstories.com/cofounders-wanted * Yogurt commercial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-Ng5ZvrDm4 * Alex Hollands’s communications agency, Merlin Branding: helping mission-led business build their tribe of customers by telling their origin story in a way that works https://www.merlinbranding.com/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Katie Patrick’s podcast How to Save the Planet https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/katiepatrick * Futerra’s Sell the Sizzle report https://www.wearefuterra.com/thinks/sell-the-sizzle or https://climate-pact.europa.eu/get-inspired/resources/sell-sizzle_en * Solarpunk VC https://solarpunkvc.com/ * Sojo – fixing the fashion industry by powering online tailoring and repairs https://www.sojo.uk/ * Ken Webster talking about the circular ECONOMY, including the importance of the global commons and Universal Basic Dividends, in Episodes 119 and 119 Bonus https://www.rethinkglobal.info/119-ken-webster-the-circular-economy/ https://www.rethinkglobal.info/119-bonus-ken-webster-the-circular-economy-part-2/ * Rupert Read’s article on Thrutopian fiction https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/rupert-read/thrutopia-why-neither-dys_b_18372090.html
Guest bioAlex Holland is the Founder of SolarPunk Stories. He has worked as a journalist in the UK, Venezuela and India. After that he led the campaign to stop Brixton Market getting knocked down and went on to represent Brixton Hill as a local government Councillor.
He’s got an MA in Leadership for Sustainable Development and created the world’s first Tea Pub which was Crowdcube’s most-shared startup.
He loves reading, writing and is one of these lost tribes of posh people who was born in Brixton.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….128 Tara Button: products that say ‘Buy Me Once’21st April 2024
Circular economy
durability
repairability
Tara Button is the founder and CEO of Buy Me Once, a platform which helps people buy the longest-lasting products on the planet. If you’ve heard me talking about the 3 essential strategies for circular businesses, you’ll know that one of those 3 strategies is Keeping things in use for longer, through durability, repairability and resellability. I get frustrated by…
127 Yann Toutant: getting started with As-a-Service7th April 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Yann Toutant is the founder of Black Winch, which helps businesses understand the opportunities, practicalities and benefits of shifting to ‘as a service’ models, and supports them in making it happen. Yann has been implementing subscription-based models for hardware in the ICT industry for 25 years, including over a decade as CEO of Econocom’s Dutch operations. Today with his own…
126 Ruth Taylor: closing our circular values gap24th March 2024
Circular economy
social value
Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation guides us through the field of social psychology, to explore how our personal values drive behaviour, and what that means for sustainability and the circular economy. I recently completed ‘Values 101’, a short course run by the Common Cause Foundation. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about our…
125 Walter R Stahel: signs of circular progress10th March 2024
Circular economy
materials
policy
remanufacturing
reuse
services
social value
Professor Walter R Stahel, widely acknowledged as a circular economy pioneer, talks about progress, barriers and missed opportunities. Walter is the founder and director of the Product-Life Institute in Switzerland, founded in 1982 and now Europe’s oldest sustainability-based consultancy and think tank. These days, his is a keynote speaker and author on sustainability and circular economy and says he has…
124 Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things25th February 2024
Circular economy
sharing
social value
Mirella Ferraz is co-founder of Share Shed, the world’s first travelling library of things. The Share Shed van visits rural communities, so people can borrow a wide range of useful things, including tools, household appliances, camping and gardening equipment, sewing machines, suitcases and much more! Share Shed aims to • Help people save money, space and resources, and reduce clutter…
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Tara Button is the founder and CEO of Buy Me Once, a platform which helps people buy the longest-lasting products on the planet.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman says “If you’ve heard me talking about the 3 essential strategies for circular businesses, you’ll know that one of those 3 strategies is Keeping things in use for longer, through durability, repairability and resellability. I get frustrated by how difficult it is to find good examples of companies doing this, and so it was brilliant to discover Buy Me Once, which is all about finding products that meet that criteria and helping people find them.”
Back in 2015, Tara was a frustrated advertising creative, tasked with increasing the chocolate consumption of children, when the gift of an heirloom cooking pot sparked the idea of Buy Me Once.
The platform went spectacularly viral in 2016, allowing Tara to leave Ad Land. Since then, Buy Me Once has partnered with 100s of ethical brands to help consumers buy for the long term, for a wide range of products from kitchenware to bedlinen, home furnishings to electronics, and for clothing.
Tara explains what led her to start Buy Me Once, and the ethos underpinning the choice of featured brands and products.
We hear what is driving the push for more durable, repairable products, and how the feedback from customers can help brands to improve their products.
Tara has also become a disruptive voice, speaking about product durability at events, on TV, podcasts and BBC radio.
Tara’s early career in marketing and advertising meant she could unpack the psychology of consumerism, and she has written a very engaging and insightful book on mindful consumption, A Life Less Throwaway, published by Harper Collins. We touch on a few aspects of the book, which has some great tips to help us spot the various kinds of marketing tactics before we get sucked into the ‘buy it now’ decision.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* buymeonce.co.uk * co.uk * https://www.instagram.com/buymeonce/ * https://www.youtube.com/@buymeonce8642 * Tara’s book: A Life Less Throwaway https://tarabutton.co.uk/alifelessthrowaway
Books, people and organisations we mentionedA study by the German Environment Agency showed that the number of large household appliances replaced within the first five years of their service due to a defect increased from 3.5% in 2004 to 8.3% in 2013. EPRS Briefing – Consumers and repair of products PE 640.158 – September 2019
Guest bioTara Button was a frustrated advertising creative, tasked with increasing the chocolate consumption of children, when the gift of an heirloom cooking pot sparked the idea of Buy Me Once.
The Buy Me Once platform, which finds the longest-lasting products on the planet, went spectacularly viral in 2016, allowing her to leave Ad Land. Since then, Button’s company has partnered with 100s of ethical brands to help consumers buy for the long term.
She has become a disruptive voice, speaking about product durability at Cambridge University, on TV, podcasts and BBC radio. Her book on mindful consumption, A Life Less Throwaway, was published by Harper Collins in 2018. She also plays the Ukulele.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….127 Yann Toutant: getting started with As-a-Service7th April 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Yann Toutant is the founder of Black Winch, which helps businesses understand the opportunities, practicalities and benefits of shifting to ‘as a service’ models, and supports them in making it happen. Yann has been implementing subscription-based models for hardware in the ICT industry for 25 years, including over a decade as CEO of Econocom’s Dutch operations. Today with his own…
126 Ruth Taylor: closing our circular values gap24th March 2024
Circular economy
social value
Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation guides us through the field of social psychology, to explore how our personal values drive behaviour, and what that means for sustainability and the circular economy. I recently completed ‘Values 101’, a short course run by the Common Cause Foundation. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about our…
125 Walter R Stahel: signs of circular progress10th March 2024
Circular economy
materials
policy
remanufacturing
reuse
services
social value
Professor Walter R Stahel, widely acknowledged as a circular economy pioneer, talks about progress, barriers and missed opportunities. Walter is the founder and director of the Product-Life Institute in Switzerland, founded in 1982 and now Europe’s oldest sustainability-based consultancy and think tank. These days, his is a keynote speaker and author on sustainability and circular economy and says he has…
124 Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things25th February 2024
Circular economy
sharing
social value
Mirella Ferraz is co-founder of Share Shed, the world’s first travelling library of things. The Share Shed van visits rural communities, so people can borrow a wide range of useful things, including tools, household appliances, camping and gardening equipment, sewing machines, suitcases and much more! Share Shed aims to • Help people save money, space and resources, and reduce clutter…
123 Topolytics: making waste visible, verifiable and valuable11th February 2024
big data
Circular economy
manufacturing
recovery
resources
We explore why it’s important for business to map, and understand their waste flows: what it is, specifically; where it comes from and goes to; how much there is – and why!; and to understand the opportunities for wasting less and circulating more value. Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making the world’s waste visible, verifiable and valuable.…
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Yann Toutant is the founder of Black Winch, which helps businesses understand the opportunities, practicalities and benefits of shifting to ‘as a service’ models, and supports them in making it happen.
Yann has been implementing subscription-based models for hardware in the ICT industry for 25 years, including over a decade as CEO of Econocom’s Dutch operations.
Today with his own company, Black Winch, Yann Toutant helps CEOs and their teams to focus on the user experience by incorporating all components of an As-A-Service offer into a single in-house comprehensive, scalable subscription model. Yann sees offering a doorway to circular economy as one of the main drivers, making it possible to centralise ownership and to industrialise circularity at scale.
We discuss why ‘as a service’ is becoming more popular, for business customers as well as for people in general, and then Yann talks about some of the benefits for service-based businesses, and how Black Winch helps its clients take the first, easy steps to ignite that journey.
Yann explains how, for some products, ‘as a service’ is likely to exist alongside traditional ownership models, and what he sees as the motivators for that.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yann-toutant/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yanntoutant/?hl=en (@yanntoutant) * Linkedin Black Winch: https://www.linkedin.com/company/71717245/ * Web site: https://www.blackwinch.eu/ * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD_6x-H1xlVSLVBCtWbafig
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Download Yann’s book: https://www.blackwinch.eu/book/as-a-service-turn-your-product-based-business-into-a-subscription-model * Riversimple’s founder Hugo Spowers talks to Manda Scott on the Accidental Gods podcast. Podcast player and transcript here: https://accidentalgods.life/cars-of-the-future-not-evs-transforming-transport-and-business-with-hugo-spowers-of-riversimple-movement/ or find it on your favourite podcast app (S16 Ep11 or # 210) * Kaer – Cooling as a Service https://www.kaer.com/ * Clayton Christensen’s book – The Innovators Dilemma https://claytonchristensen.com/books/the-innovators-dilemma/ – here’s a good overview on Medium https://medium.com/datadriveninvestor/why-do-big-companies-fail-the-tale-of-disruptive-innovation-74ba76cfd70d
Guest bioYann Toutant is a European from France; he has lived and worked in the U.S., Spain, Belgium, and Scandinavia. He now bases from The Netherlands whilst embracing the location-independent entrepreneur leadership style.
He is passionate about bridging cultural gaps between countries which has materialised in his role as President of the French Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands. He takes pleasure in supporting the business corridors between the two countries; animating the community of French/Dutch entrepreneurs and C-level executives to foster and reinforce the strong economic link between these main players on the European scene.
Impressions versus possessions: the new key driver of many decisions in our society.
Yann is a strong believer that the ‘location independence’ movement, focusing on impressions versus possessions, offers new opportunities to corporates and is a great booster for As-A-Service offers, especially in these post-pandemic times. From his own experience as a CEO, he knows that many CEOs are dealing with three major stones in their shoes: shifting business models, integrating startups, and attracting the “Y” generation. The mind shift from possessions to impressions provides solutions from the inside. He loves to integrate this way of working in the projects he runs as well as in his personal lifestyle.
Along with his 20+ years of professional journey, he has taken up demanding roles in sales, change management, general management and consulting. As a manager, speaker, coach or mediator, he always strives to integrate the professional growth of those he interacts with. This requires getting people out of their comfort zones. He firmly believes that this helps them grow faster. Delivering results by developing people at the same time energizes him to move to the next challenge.
When not dedicating time to work, Yann loves sailing to unwind and leave the shore for a few days. Yann enjoys the opportunity to embrace the world he lives in with a single glance. Being able to stand at the back of a boat and see how it represents a limited space containing all the resources and goods needed to make a journey, to reach his goal. “Tame the elements without shouting it from the rooftops” is one of his taglines.
About Black Winch
Black Winch supports organisations in turning a product-based business into a subscription model and moving from transferring ownership to providing usership.
Today’s consumers and businesses want to use instead of owning. But that doesn’t have to mean that in this service-based economy, product-based businesses have a limited shelf-life. The successful subscription model approach can be applied to product-based businesses and create new business models.
All along his 18 years of experience in the ICT industry, he has supported a significant number of manufacturers or service providers to implement As-A-Service business models, always including a product. And, when a product is part of an As-A-Service solution, it has its challenges to implement since it requires specific skills such as marketing and commercial cultural change. But most of all it requires the mastership of a skill called “financial engineering” to secure the scalability of the offers.
As a founder of Black Winch, he has gathered a team of experts from the industry to concentrate expertise in the key areas necessary to a successful and long-lasting As-A-Service business model.
The mission nowadays with Black Winch is to bring this knowledge and expertise from the IT world to any type of industry. The aim of Black Winch is to help entrepreneurs to shift business models in a secure way, to satisfy their existing customers or acquire new ones, whilst generating new profit streams.
Each Black Winch customer has a different setting: from evaluating the potential and feasibility of an As-A-Service go-to market, to improving the profitability of existing ones.
Black Winch covers the large scope of requests in supporting customers and shareholders reach their strategic goals thanks to As-A-Service solutions.
Book: As A Service
Yann’s first Book, ‘As-A-Service’ – How to turn your product based business into a subscription model was published in 2022 with the aim of spreading his commitment to connect As-A-Service and circularity.
Yann is a passionate advocate for the circular economy and believes manufacturers have the power to make steps towards preserving our earth’s precious resources. One way to do this is to shift their business from being product-based to an “As-A-Service” subscription model. As-A-Service allows manufacturers to remain owners of their products, transferring “usership” instead of ownership, to their customers. This means being responsible for creating a great customer experience and service, as well as reusing and recycling materials – something customers are increasingly requesting.
But how do you turn a product-based business into As-A-Service? How to navigate from using this buzzword to actually implementing a successful and scalable in-house AS-A-Service business model? There is a large selection of books available about software As-A-Service, but none of them addressed product-based businesses. This, along with Yanns years of experience both personally and within his career lead him to the decision to write his first book on the subject.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….126 Ruth Taylor: closing our circular values gap24th March 2024
Circular economy
social value
Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation guides us through the field of social psychology, to explore how our personal values drive behaviour, and what that means for sustainability and the circular economy. I recently completed ‘Values 101’, a short course run by the Common Cause Foundation. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about our…
125 Walter R Stahel: signs of circular progress10th March 2024
Circular economy
materials
policy
remanufacturing
reuse
services
social value
Professor Walter R Stahel, widely acknowledged as a circular economy pioneer, talks about progress, barriers and missed opportunities. Walter is the founder and director of the Product-Life Institute in Switzerland, founded in 1982 and now Europe’s oldest sustainability-based consultancy and think tank. These days, his is a keynote speaker and author on sustainability and circular economy and says he has…
124 Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things25th February 2024
Circular economy
sharing
social value
Mirella Ferraz is co-founder of Share Shed, the world’s first travelling library of things. The Share Shed van visits rural communities, so people can borrow a wide range of useful things, including tools, household appliances, camping and gardening equipment, sewing machines, suitcases and much more! Share Shed aims to • Help people save money, space and resources, and reduce clutter…
123 Topolytics: making waste visible, verifiable and valuable11th February 2024
big data
Circular economy
manufacturing
recovery
resources
We explore why it’s important for business to map, and understand their waste flows: what it is, specifically; where it comes from and goes to; how much there is – and why!; and to understand the opportunities for wasting less and circulating more value. Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making the world’s waste visible, verifiable and valuable.…
122 Iain McKechnie: steps to a services-led strategy28th January 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Iain McKechnie of the Advanced Services Group helps clients develop services-led strategies, improving circularity and outcomes for the businesses and their customers. The market for services, including rental, subscriptions and ‘X-as-a-service’ is growing rapidly, both for business to business and business to consumer markets, and services can be a gamechanger for businesses looking to shrink their footprint and adopt circular…
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Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation guides us through the field of social psychology, to explore how our personal values drive behaviour, and what that means for sustainability and the circular economy.
Catherine Weetman says “I recently completed ‘Values 101’, a short course run by the Common Cause Foundation. It opened my eyes to a whole new way of thinking about our behaviour and what motivates our choices, actions and interactions.”
The course tutors were Ruth and her colleague Tom Crompton, and today, Catherine talks to Ruth about some of the main takeaways from the course.
The Common Cause Foundation works at the intersection of culture change and human values, and is driven by the belief that it is possible to design societies that magnify and strengthen the cooperative and caring parts of human nature. By doing that together, we can build ways of living that are equitable and just, and lie within our planetary boundaries.
The Common Cause Foundation sees Values playing a pivotal role in shaping our cultures and systems. The dominant global culture is out of balance, prioritising extrinsic values such as wealth, power and social status, in a way that has led us to the brink of destruction; with crises of poverty, inequality and climate change. Common Cause Foundation’s work shows that balance can be restored by elevating intrinsic values instead – values like community, creativity and unity with nature.
Ruth Taylor has worked in the field of social and environmental change for close to 15 years. She is driven by the question of how more people can be encouraged to think, feel and act differently when it comes to the multiple and interconnected challenges we are experiencing globally.
Ruth explains what values mean, and how they impact our daily lives, and we talk about the Perception Gap – the mistaken beliefs we have about other people’s values, and why that matters. We also talk about why we might not always act in line with our values, and how we can overcome that.
We explore how engaging certain values could influence more sustainable and circular behaviours, and how it’s relatively easy for people to become interested in topics and actions that have similar underlying principles – for example, being passionate about women’s rights makes it more likely that you’ll be interested in supporting other movements for equality and fairness, both for humans and other-than humans.
We find out how values are like muscles, and can be strengthened, and we discover why we misunderstand other people’s values, and how that’s holding back our shift to a circular and regenerative world.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* Common Cause Foundation website and LinkedIn * Ruth Taylor on LinkedIn * Values 101 – a workshop series introducing participants to cultural values and how their work can further strengthen the values we need to lead to greater demand for social and environmental transformation * A blog on the deep narratives and values found in the cultural phenomena of the Barbie movie * Ruth’s most widely shared and referenced piece of work, a report on deep narratives called Transforming Narrative Waters
Guest bioRuth Taylor has worked in the field of social and environmental change for close to 15 years. She is driven by the question of how more people can be encouraged to think, feel and act differently when it comes to the multiple and interconnected challenges we are experiencing globally.
Currently, Ruth splits her time between working for the Common Cause Foundation, a small not-for-project working to rebalance the values we see championed in our cultures, and as a freelance narrative strategist, supporting a range of different organisations from NGOs to cultural institutions to consider how their work could help shift harmful narratives towards more regenerative and just alternatives. Ruth also loves to write and her work can be found on Medium.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….125 Walter R Stahel: signs of circular progress10th March 2024
Circular economy
materials
policy
remanufacturing
reuse
services
social value
Professor Walter R Stahel, widely acknowledged as a circular economy pioneer, talks about progress, barriers and missed opportunities. Walter is the founder and director of the Product-Life Institute in Switzerland, founded in 1982 and now Europe’s oldest sustainability-based consultancy and think tank. These days, his is a keynote speaker and author on sustainability and circular economy and says he has…
124 Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things25th February 2024
Circular economy
sharing
social value
Mirella Ferraz is co-founder of Share Shed, the world’s first travelling library of things. The Share Shed van visits rural communities, so people can borrow a wide range of useful things, including tools, household appliances, camping and gardening equipment, sewing machines, suitcases and much more! Share Shed aims to • Help people save money, space and resources, and reduce clutter…
123 Topolytics: making waste visible, verifiable and valuable11th February 2024
big data
Circular economy
manufacturing
recovery
resources
We explore why it’s important for business to map, and understand their waste flows: what it is, specifically; where it comes from and goes to; how much there is – and why!; and to understand the opportunities for wasting less and circulating more value. Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making the world’s waste visible, verifiable and valuable.…
122 Iain McKechnie: steps to a services-led strategy28th January 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Iain McKechnie of the Advanced Services Group helps clients develop services-led strategies, improving circularity and outcomes for the businesses and their customers. The market for services, including rental, subscriptions and ‘X-as-a-service’ is growing rapidly, both for business to business and business to consumer markets, and services can be a gamechanger for businesses looking to shrink their footprint and adopt circular…
121 Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown: Contemporary Hempery14th January 2024
Circular economy
design
fashion & textiles
materials
Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown are two inspiring people who are passionate about the properties and potential of hemp, especially for textiles. Their journey together led them to found a UK business, Contemporary Hempery. Hemp has amazing potential, for a wide range of products, and it’s brilliant for regenerative farming practices – so why aren’t we doing more with…
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Professor Walter R Stahel is widely acknowledged as one of the founding fathers of what is now known as the circular economy.
Catherine Weetman says: I first heard Walter speak at an circular economy event in London, back in 2015, and then had the opportunity to work with him as on the SFB for the Circular Economy Alliance. We wrote a paper together on Intelligent Decentralisation, one of the concepts he introduced in his latest book, The Circular Economy: A Users Guide.
Walter describes himself as An architect by training, an industrial analyst by compassion, and a researcher in risk management to earn an exciting living.
These days, his is a keynote speaker and author on sustainability and circular economy and says he has always been interested in what he does not know.
Walter is the founder and director of the Product-Life Institute in Switzerland, founded in 1982 and now Europe’s oldest sustainability-based consultancy and think tank.
With over 500 publications since 1975, he holds a number of visiting professor and lecturing roles, and a long list of awards and advisory roles, including being a Full Member of the Club of Rome.
Walter sees the circular economy as a ‘changer of the globalised industrial game’, creating societal resilience and providing protection against disruptive events. Walter created the idea of the performance economy, as a way of extending the concepts of the circular economy, and says that many of the opportunities are either untapped, or criticised by those who benefit from the Rentier Economy. If you want to know more about the problems of the rentier economy, have a listen back to ep 119 with Ken Webster.
Walter summarised his main concepts in Nature magazine a while ago, and I’ve included a link in the shownotes.
As Walter has been pioneering these concepts for almost 50 years, I was keen to hear how he views things now, where he sees signs of progress, and how we can help accelerate the shift towards circular strategies.
We talk about the business case for the circular economy, and Walter highlights some of the aspects that are often missed, especially for the future value of materials. We discuss the opportunities offered by platforms, digital twins and passports for products and materials, and why we need better ways to assess the remaining life of expensive products and components.
We discuss the need to shift from a mindset of owning to using, and the need to change how we frame things for customers and businesses. Walter describes how we might rethink designs to minimise risks and liabilities, and how caring for our things opens up lots of interesting career opportunities, especially for young people.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* Walter R Stahel on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-r-stahel-68b87893/ * Walter’s website http://www.product-life.org/ (as Walter explained, this is mainly archive material, and Walter mainly posts on LinkedIn these days) * Circular economy: A new relationship with our goods and materials would save resources and energy and create local jobs, explains Walter R. Stahel. Nature (24 Mar 2016), Volume 531, p435. Available from: http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.19594!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/531435a.pdf
Books, people and organisations we mentioned Burckhardt Compression – operations and maintenance for a clients full compressor fleet, independently of manufacturer https://www.burckhardtcompression.com/de/home-2/, * Andrew J. Hagen and team’s research paper, The license to mine: Making resource wealth work for those who need it most – “In this concept paper, we will address several critical questions: how can we enhance smart use of precious resources, support environmental sustainability and assist the developing world in their growth process? We put forward a policy framework that can potentially address these three questions and in addition could represent a critical step towards a circular economy eliminating the need for a post-resource discussion.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301420717305445 * Gordon Battelle, who pioneered value recovery from tin mine tailings in the early 1900s, and who believed that profit should be used for social benefits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Battelle * Episode 67 Megan O’Connor Of Nth Cycle – a big leap forward for metal & mineral recovery. Megan O’Connor of Nth Cycle evolved wastewater treatment technology to create a more sustainable, efficient way of extracting valuable metals from e-waste and mining waste https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-67-megan-oconnor-of-nth-cycle/ * 122 Iain McKechnie: steps to a services-led strategy. Iain McKechnie of Advanced Services Group helps clients develop services-led strategies, improving circularity and outcomes for businesses and their customers. https://www.rethinkglobal.info/122-iain-mckechnie-steps-to-a-services-led-strategy/ * The De Haviland Comet aircraft disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet * Intelligent Decentralisation – the article Walter and Catherine wrote for the Circular Economy Alliance – see pages 9-18* https://circulareconomyalliance.com/strategic-foresight-board/strategic-foresight-board-report-2023/ * Clayton Christensen – The Innovator’s Dilemma https://claytonchristensen.com/books/the-innovators-dilemma/
Guest bioWalter R. Stahel, member of the Strategic Foresight Board of circulareconomyalliance.com
Walter R. Stahel – Wikipedia
Walter R. Stahel is the former Head of Risk Management at the Geneva Association (Switzerland), a respected business advisor, and the founder and director of the Product-Life Institute (Geneva, Switzerland) Europe’s oldest sustainability-based consultancy and think tank founded 1982. Stahel’s pioneering research and collaborative work in the field of sustainability stretch back several decades – firmly establishing him as one of the subject’s founders.
Currently, he is visiting professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Surrey (UK) and was guest lecturer at Université de Montréal and the graduate department of Tohoku University (Japan), among many other. An alumnus of ETH, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Zurich, Switzerland), Stahel is the author of several prize-winning academic papers and pioneering books including The Limits to Certainty (1989/1993), written with Orio Giarini and published in six languages, The Performance Economy (2010) and The Circular Economy, a user’s guide (2019), translated into Italian and several other languages.
HONOURS
- 2005, appointed as a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences of the University of Surrey, Guildford, for the period 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2008. renewed in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020 for another three-year term.
- 2013, awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of the University by the University of Surrey, Guildford, Great-Britain.
- 2014, nominated as a finalist of the Fortune Awards for Circular Economy Leadership 2015, at the WEF 2015 Davos.
- 2015, elected Full Member of the Club of Rome.
- 2016, awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of the University by the Université de Montréal, Canada, and appointed Visiting Professor at l’Institut EDDEC à Montréal.
- 2020, awarded the Thornton Medal by the IOM3 London.
- 2020 appointed Senior Research Fellow at the Circular Economy Research Centre of Ecole des Ponts Business School.
- 2021 appointed member of the Scientific Foresight Board of the circulareconomyalliance.com
- membre honoraire de l’Institut Fredrik R. Bull, Les-Clayes-sous-Bois.
Over 500 publications since 1975.
If you have two minutes, read my COMMENT published in Nature, 2016, a three page synthesis: http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.19594!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/531435a.pdf
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….124 Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things25th February 2024
Circular economy
sharing
social value
Mirella Ferraz is co-founder of Share Shed, the world’s first travelling library of things. The Share Shed van visits rural communities, so people can borrow a wide range of useful things, including tools, household appliances, camping and gardening equipment, sewing machines, suitcases and much more! Share Shed aims to • Help people save money, space and resources, and reduce clutter…
123 Topolytics: making waste visible, verifiable and valuable11th February 2024
big data
Circular economy
manufacturing
recovery
resources
We explore why it’s important for business to map, and understand their waste flows: what it is, specifically; where it comes from and goes to; how much there is – and why!; and to understand the opportunities for wasting less and circulating more value. Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making the world’s waste visible, verifiable and valuable.…
122 Iain McKechnie: steps to a services-led strategy28th January 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Iain McKechnie of the Advanced Services Group helps clients develop services-led strategies, improving circularity and outcomes for the businesses and their customers. The market for services, including rental, subscriptions and ‘X-as-a-service’ is growing rapidly, both for business to business and business to consumer markets, and services can be a gamechanger for businesses looking to shrink their footprint and adopt circular…
121 Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown: Contemporary Hempery14th January 2024
Circular economy
design
fashion & textiles
materials
Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown are two inspiring people who are passionate about the properties and potential of hemp, especially for textiles. Their journey together led them to found a UK business, Contemporary Hempery. Hemp has amazing potential, for a wide range of products, and it’s brilliant for regenerative farming practices – so why aren’t we doing more with…
120 Priorities are changing31st December 2023
Circular economy
social value
strategy
People’s priorities are changing, as we realise more stuff doesn’t make us happier– so how can businesses thrive by doing better, with less? In this episode, Catherine suggests it’s time to bust one of the myths of the modern economy – people don’t want more and stuff! Priorities are changing, people are realising that more stuff doesn’t make us happier.…
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Mirella Ferraz is co-founder of Share Shed, the world’s first travelling library of things. The Share Shed van visits rural communities, so people can borrow a wide range of useful things, including tools, household appliances, camping and gardening equipment, sewing machines, suitcases and much more!
Share Shed aims to:
- Help people save money, space and resources, and reduce clutter
- Build bridges between people’s needs and wants and the resources already available in their community
- Support more collaborative and sustainable lifestyles and inspire people to engage in social change
Mirella Ferraz has worked for over 10 years at the Network of Wellbeing, which supports Share Shed, and she is proud to set up and run community projects that support the wellbeing of people and the planet. Mirella grew up in Brazil, and currently lives in Devon, UK.
We find out how Share Shed works in practice, and how it’s been evolving as it expands to serve more communities – including finding was to make the service more convenient for those who can’t make it to the Shed’s pick up and drop off locations and schedule.
Mirella tells us how perceptions and attitudes are changing, too – for a variety of reasons.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* networkofwellbeing.org * shareshed.org.uk * Mirella Ferraz on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirella-ferraz-2622489a/ * Video that Robin Greenfield made on the day we opened the Share Shed (1.3M views!) * Campaign video fo the People’s Project Fund * Webinar on How to Set Up a Library of Things * Ethical Consumer’s directory of Libraries of Things in the UK https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/home-garden/library-things-directory and Share: Totnes’s ’10 top tips for setting up a Library of Things https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/home-garden/how-create-library-things-10-top-tips
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* The ReStore in Dartington, Devon UK https://www.refurnish.org.uk/stores/dartington/ * Lend Engine – software for lending libraries https://www.lend-engine.com/ * Positive News – free daily newsletter and quarterly print magazine https://www.positive.news/
Guest bioMirella Ferraz has been working for over 10 years at the Network of Wellbeing, proudly running community projects that support the wellbeing of people and the planet. She is one of the co-founders of the Share Shed, which is the world’s first travelling library of things. She grew up in Brazil, and currently lives in Devon, UK.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….123 Topolytics: making waste visible, verifiable and valuable11th February 2024
big data
Circular economy
manufacturing
recovery
resources
We explore why it’s important for business to map, and understand their waste flows: what it is, specifically; where it comes from and goes to; how much there is – and why!; and to understand the opportunities for wasting less and circulating more value. Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making the world’s waste visible, verifiable and valuable.…
122 Iain McKechnie: steps to a services-led strategy28th January 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Iain McKechnie of the Advanced Services Group helps clients develop services-led strategies, improving circularity and outcomes for the businesses and their customers. The market for services, including rental, subscriptions and ‘X-as-a-service’ is growing rapidly, both for business to business and business to consumer markets, and services can be a gamechanger for businesses looking to shrink their footprint and adopt circular…
121 Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown: Contemporary Hempery14th January 2024
Circular economy
design
fashion & textiles
materials
Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown are two inspiring people who are passionate about the properties and potential of hemp, especially for textiles. Their journey together led them to found a UK business, Contemporary Hempery. Hemp has amazing potential, for a wide range of products, and it’s brilliant for regenerative farming practices – so why aren’t we doing more with…
120 Priorities are changing31st December 2023
Circular economy
social value
strategy
People’s priorities are changing, as we realise more stuff doesn’t make us happier– so how can businesses thrive by doing better, with less? In this episode, Catherine suggests it’s time to bust one of the myths of the modern economy – people don’t want more and stuff! Priorities are changing, people are realising that more stuff doesn’t make us happier.…
119 BONUS Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY! Part 217th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This is the 2nd part of the conversation with Ken Webster, one of the foremost thinkers in the circular economy field, where we explore concepts for a critical aspect that’s being ignored – the economy itself! In this episode, we go deeper into the possibilities offered by a universal basic dividend, especially as we move to a world where artificial…
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We explore why it’s important for business to map, and understand their waste flows:
- what it is, specifically;
- where it comes from and goes to;
- how much there is – and why!;
- and to understand the opportunities for wasting less and circulating more value.
Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making the world’s waste visible, verifiable and valuable.
Catherine Weetman talks to Michael Groves and Fleur Ruckley, to find out how data analytics, mapping and machine learning can make waste and resource management more transparent, efficient and effective, both commercially and environmentally.
Founder and CEO Michael Groves is a geographer with a PhD in aerial and satellite earth observation. Michael has over 20 years’ experience in environmental management and sustainability reporting.
Fleur Ruckley is Topolytics’ Head of Implementation, using Topolytics’ WasteMap® platform to generate actionable waste and resources analytics for clients and their supply chains.
Fleur has a degree in Natural Sciences and a Masters in Environmental Management, and has worked in the charity, public and private sector supporting organisations, communities and schools to develop and implement sustainable and circular policies and practices. Fleur is a Chartered Waste Manager and is a member of the Circular Economy Steering Group for the Institute for Environmental Management & Assessment.
Leveraging Topolytics waste map means companies can identify areas for improvement, such as preventing or reducing the waste or by re-designing processes and products, to support reuse and to achieve more efficient and sustainable outcomes.
Mike explains how those sectors with significant waste generation are showing increasing interest in this. Business that understand what materials they produce and consume, can then make better decisions about recovery, reuse and recycling, and Geospatial analysis can help reduce waste by identifying material flow and leakage.
Fleur tells us how companies are starting to see the benefits of using data and modeling to reduce waste in their supply chains, with improvements in ESG reporting, supplier management, and overall performance.
Mike also highlights the potential for industrial symbiosis, using unwanted materials to create resources for another organisation – in other words, new by-products and value opportunities!
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guests:* Michael Groves on LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/michaelanthonygroves * Fleur Ruckly on LinkedIn https://uk.linkedin.com/in/fleurruckley * Topolytics website: https://topolytics.com/ * Topolytics LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/topolytics/ * Topolytics on X: https://twitter.com/topolytics * See Topolytics WasteMap through the eyes of the World Economic Forum https://bit.ly/3vuBMUj * Topolytics position paper – Putting the ‘W’ into ESG https://bit.ly/3V6RgJc
Guest biosMichael Groves is a geographer with a PhD in aerial and satellite earth observation, with over 20 years’ experience in environmental management and sustainability reporting. He is the founder and CEO of Topolytics – a data analytics business that is making the world’s waste visible, verifiable and valuable.
Fleur is Head of Implementation at Topolytics, with a focus on generating actionable waste and resources analytics for customers and their supply chains through implementation of WasteMap®. Topolytics’ WasteMap® platform uses data analytics, mapping and machine learning to make waste and resource management more transparent, more efficient and more effective commercially and environmentally.
Fleur has a BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences and an MSc in Environmental Management. She has worked in the charity, public and private sector supporting businesses, universities, government agencies, communities and schools to develop and implement sustainable and circular policies and practices. Fleur is a Chartered Waste Manager and a member of the Institute for Environmental Management CircularEconomy Network Steering Group and international committees developing circular economy standards.
Topolytics is a data analytics business that is making waste visible, verifiable and valuable. Our WasteMap® platform generates insights for waste producing companies in sectors such as manufacturing, transport, property, mining and retail that identify efficiencies, measure impact, improve ESG reporting and drive closed loops for products and packaging. WasteMap brings granular waste and recycling supply chain data into one place and one standardised view. It can operate across any number of sites, material types, contractors and operating territories. Our customers use WasteMap to meet key corporate KPIs on waste, circularity and NetZero and to generate higher quality, validated data for ESG reports.
Check out WasteMap in this film from the World Economic Forum https://bit.ly/3vuBMUj
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….122 Iain McKechnie: steps to a services-led strategy28th January 2024
Circular economy
services
strategy
Iain McKechnie of the Advanced Services Group helps clients develop services-led strategies, improving circularity and outcomes for the businesses and their customers. The market for services, including rental, subscriptions and ‘X-as-a-service’ is growing rapidly, both for business to business and business to consumer markets, and services can be a gamechanger for businesses looking to shrink their footprint and adopt circular…
121 Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown: Contemporary Hempery14th January 2024
Circular economy
design
fashion & textiles
materials
Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown are two inspiring people who are passionate about the properties and potential of hemp, especially for textiles. Their journey together led them to found a UK business, Contemporary Hempery. Hemp has amazing potential, for a wide range of products, and it’s brilliant for regenerative farming practices – so why aren’t we doing more with…
120 Priorities are changing31st December 2023
Circular economy
social value
strategy
People’s priorities are changing, as we realise more stuff doesn’t make us happier– so how can businesses thrive by doing better, with less? In this episode, Catherine suggests it’s time to bust one of the myths of the modern economy – people don’t want more and stuff! Priorities are changing, people are realising that more stuff doesn’t make us happier.…
119 BONUS Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY! Part 217th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This is the 2nd part of the conversation with Ken Webster, one of the foremost thinkers in the circular economy field, where we explore concepts for a critical aspect that’s being ignored – the economy itself! In this episode, we go deeper into the possibilities offered by a universal basic dividend, especially as we move to a world where artificial…
119 Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY!10th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This episode is different – I’m talking to Ken Webster and we explore some big themes and concepts for a critical part of the circular economy that often gets ignored – the economy itself! Catherine says: Ken Webster is right up there as one of my circular economy heroes, and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers in…
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Iain McKechnie of the Advanced Services Group helps clients develop services-led strategies, improving circularity and outcomes for the businesses and their customers.
The market for services, including rental, subscriptions and ‘X-as-a-service’ is growing rapidly, both for business to business and business to consumer markets, and services can be a gamechanger for businesses looking to shrink their footprint and adopt circular strategies.
It’s all part of a shift from a culture of ‘ownership’ to ‘usership’, with services emerging as a way to provide more convenient, flexible options for customers, avoiding the burden and hassle of ownership. Meanwhile, businesses can benefit from the stability of recurring revenue, predictable income streams and easier financial planning; and improve sustainability by using resources more efficiently. And providing services helps businesses get closer to their customers, with many more opportunities for contact and dialogues, discovering more about what customers value, and how to improve things.
The Advanced Services Group are specialists in servitization research and practice, with work that is grounded in the latest academic research, real industry insight, business know-how and experience.
The Advanced Services Group helps manufacturing companies and technology innovators on their servitization journey to develop services-led strategies and ultimately transform their business model to compete through advanced services. ASG has worked with over 300 businesses, multinational companies and SMEs to develop their growth strategies through services.
Iain tells us a bit about what Advanced Services Group does, and which kind of sectors are starting to move towards service-based models. Iain then explains how companies can transition from selling products, to moving along what ASG calls the ‘Services Staircase’, developing different kinds of services to create value for their customers.
Iain talks about the kind of benefits these companies are seeing – and how this is better for their customers, too. We hear what typically holds companies back from switching to services, and how they might get started.
Iain shares a couple of diagrams from the resources on ASG’s website – the Transformation Roadmap and the Services Staircase, and you’ll find links to those in the shownotes.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* ASG website advancedservicesgroup.co.uk * @TheASGroup – LinkedIn * unlockyourinsight.co.uk – simple tool to test strategic bias towards services. * businessmodelblueprint.co.uk – ASG ‘App’ to help businesses create their own business model. * The Services Staircase; the Transformation Roadmap and other ASG resources: https://www.advancedservicesgroup.co.uk/research/publications/frameworks-tools/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Tim Baines’ new book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Servitization-Strategy-Delivering-Customer-Centric-Innovation/dp/3031454251/ * Tim Baines’ previous book https://uk.bookshop.org/book/9781118585313 * Goodyear’s Proactive services https://www.goodyear.eu/en_gb/truck/tyre-management.html
Guest bioIain McKechnie LCGI DipMgt CMgr FCMI, Director of Strategic Partnerships, The Advanced Services Group, Aston Business School, UK.
At the Advanced Services Group, within Aston Business School, Iain leads on activities that bring new business models, manufacturers and academics together. Iain works with small & global businesses alike – those that are seeking to develop ‘X-as-a-Service’ where opportunities are identified that reduce waste and improve circularity by designing a new business model. Iain will talk about how this should be the driving force to improve ‘outcomes’ for customers and businesses alike.
Iain’s career began at the National Engineering Laboratory in Scotland as a professional engineer (20-years), which included 5-years working with the UK Government on R&D funding strategies for manufacturing firms in the UK. Since joining the Advanced Services Group in 2012, he has worked with over 300 manufacturing or technology-innovating firms to help them change their business model to take advantage of the benefits that servitization (adding services to support a product in use) brings to both manufacturer and customer alike. By creating a new business model, businesses are able to explore ways to extend the life of the ‘product’, reduce the use of resources or materials required and offer their customers alternative ways to ‘adopt services’.
Iain is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, holds post-graduate qualifications in management and, in 2016, was awarded ‘Freeman Citizen of Glasgow’ status for his work in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.
About The Advanced Services Group:The Advanced Services Group are specialists in servitization research and practice. Our work is grounded in the latest academic research, real industry insight, business know-how and experience.
We help manufacturing companies and technology innovators on their servitization journey to develop services-led strategies and ultimately transform their business model to compete through advanced services. We have worked with over 300 businesses, multinational companies and SMEs to develop their growth strategies through services.
There are three pathways for you to choose from: as a member of one of our partnership groups; through our advisory services that are tailored to your organisation or in a DIY approach through our resources and training offers.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit.
- #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too.
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….121 Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown: Contemporary Hempery14th January 2024
Circular economy
design
fashion & textiles
materials
Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown are two inspiring people who are passionate about the properties and potential of hemp, especially for textiles. Their journey together led them to found a UK business, Contemporary Hempery. Hemp has amazing potential, for a wide range of products, and it’s brilliant for regenerative farming practices – so why aren’t we doing more with…
120 Priorities are changing31st December 2023
Circular economy
social value
strategy
People’s priorities are changing, as we realise more stuff doesn’t make us happier– so how can businesses thrive by doing better, with less? In this episode, Catherine suggests it’s time to bust one of the myths of the modern economy – people don’t want more and stuff! Priorities are changing, people are realising that more stuff doesn’t make us happier.…
119 BONUS Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY! Part 217th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This is the 2nd part of the conversation with Ken Webster, one of the foremost thinkers in the circular economy field, where we explore concepts for a critical aspect that’s being ignored – the economy itself! In this episode, we go deeper into the possibilities offered by a universal basic dividend, especially as we move to a world where artificial…
119 Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY!10th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This episode is different – I’m talking to Ken Webster and we explore some big themes and concepts for a critical part of the circular economy that often gets ignored – the economy itself! Catherine says: Ken Webster is right up there as one of my circular economy heroes, and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers in…
118 Ann Stevenson: minding our language26th November 2023
Circular economy
enablers
Let’s talk about how we talk about the circular economy – the language we use, and whether it’s helping us… or getting in the way. Ann Stevenson is the circular economy lead at Resource Futures, an employee-owned and non-profit distributing BCorp environmental consultancy in the UK. Ann has been working in the field of environmental consultancy for over 25 years,…
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Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown are two inspiring people who are passionate about the properties and potential of hemp, especially for textiles. Their journey together led them to found a UK business, Contemporary Hempery. Hemp has amazing potential, for a wide range of products, and it’s brilliant for regenerative farming practices – so why aren’t we doing more with it? It’s useful as a textile, in construction, in food and personal care products, and as an alternative to plastic. It’s one of the earliest cultivated plants in our history – but although cultivation is increasing and being encouraged by the European Union, elsewhere it’s a different picture.
Kitty and Claire outline some of the uses of hemp across different sectors, about the little-known history of hemp growing in the UK, and some of the ways it was used – many of them absolutely essential to our industrial evolution. We’ll also hear about some of the current issues, in terms of hemp production and processing.
Kitty and Claire also share the story of how they came together, the amazing coincidences that sparked their interest and what drove them to start Contemporary Hempery, to embark on this long and complex journey to rescue hemp for regenerative, contemporary textiles.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* Kitty Wilson Brown on LinkedIn * Claire O’Sullivan https://www.linkedin.com/in/contemporaryhempery/ * Website contemporaryhempery.com * @contemporaryhempery on Instagram (We like instagram best for communications) * Contemporary Hempery on LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/contemporaryhempery
Businesses using hemp:* hempen.org– fantastic not for profit who consult on hemp growing and produce the best organic complete cold pressed CBD * wakelyns.co.uk– longest established organic agroforestry site in Europe, where Contemporary Hempery is growing hemp * margentfarm.com– farm in Cambridgeshire, house built of hemp now producing hemp architectural products * Harrison Spinks beds, they are doing fantastic work with hemp https://www.harrisonspinks.co.uk/ * Hempwood organic flooring hempwood.com * Bespoke sunglasses and optical eyewear handmade in UK hempeyewear.com * Largest hemp farm in the UK currently: East Yorkshire Hemp, specialist hemp growers since 2002 eastyorkshirehemp.co.uk * Alliance for hemp and flax growers, showing just how much other countries in Europe are growing, and getting away from us due to restrictive UK government policies allianceflaxlinenhemp.eu * Hemp clothing in the UK, from www.baukjen.com and www.babbleandhemp.com
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* European Commission – lots of great information on uses of hemp https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/farming/crop-productions-and-plant-based-products/hemp_en * A T M Faiz Ahmed, Md Zahidul Islam, Md Sultan Mahmud, Md Emdad Sarker, Md Reajul Islam, Hemp as a potential raw material toward a sustainable world: A review, Heliyon, Volume 8, Issue 1, 2022, e08753, ISSN 2405-8440, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e08753 or https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402200041X
Guest biosClaire O’Sullivan, co-founder of Contemporary Hempery is a studio jeweller with an MA in Entrepreneurship for Creative Practice. Her interest is in the place where art and commerce meet, and in processes which take raw material to product. Claire’s involvement in hemp sprung from a sense of place, living in the centre of what was once the centre of a thriving and economically important hemp growing and processing industry.
Kitty Wilson Brown, co-founder of Contemporary Hempery is a textile artist and weaver. Kitty graduated BA at Chelsea College of Art, UAL in June 2021. She studied weaving in Tokyo and completed an internship at the Liverpool Weaving Company. Her work is focused on sustainability. Kitty grows flax, hemp and natural dye plants for her work and is co-founder of Contemporary Hempery.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….121 Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown: Contemporary Hempery14th January 2024
Circular economy
design
fashion & textiles
materials
Claire O’Sullivan and Kitty Wilson Brown are two inspiring people who are passionate about the properties and potential of hemp, especially for textiles. Their journey together led them to found a UK business, Contemporary Hempery. Hemp has amazing potential, for a wide range of products, and it’s brilliant for regenerative farming practices – so why aren’t we doing more with…
120 Priorities are changing31st December 2023
Circular economy
social value
strategy
People’s priorities are changing, as we realise more stuff doesn’t make us happier– so how can businesses thrive by doing better, with less? In this episode, Catherine suggests it’s time to bust one of the myths of the modern economy – people don’t want more and stuff! Priorities are changing, people are realising that more stuff doesn’t make us happier.…
119 BONUS Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY! Part 217th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This is the 2nd part of the conversation with Ken Webster, one of the foremost thinkers in the circular economy field, where we explore concepts for a critical aspect that’s being ignored – the economy itself! In this episode, we go deeper into the possibilities offered by a universal basic dividend, especially as we move to a world where artificial…
119 Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY!10th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This episode is different – I’m talking to Ken Webster and we explore some big themes and concepts for a critical part of the circular economy that often gets ignored – the economy itself! Catherine says: Ken Webster is right up there as one of my circular economy heroes, and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers in…
118 Ann Stevenson: minding our language26th November 2023
Circular economy
enablers
Let’s talk about how we talk about the circular economy – the language we use, and whether it’s helping us… or getting in the way. Ann Stevenson is the circular economy lead at Resource Futures, an employee-owned and non-profit distributing BCorp environmental consultancy in the UK. Ann has been working in the field of environmental consultancy for over 25 years,…
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People’s priorities are changing, as we realise more stuff doesn’t make us happier– so how can businesses thrive by doing better, with less?
In this episode, Catherine Weetman suggests it’s time to bust one of the myths of the modern economy – people don’t want more and stuff! Priorities are changing, people are realising that more stuff doesn’t make us happier. Instead, people are discovering that life is better when we care for, share and treasure our stuff, and what’s more, that’s better for our planet and society.
But this presents a big challenge – a paradox – how can businesses succeed without selling more stuff, every year? Many of the Circular Economy Podcast guests are already doing just that, using circular strategies to thrive by doing better with less.
You probably already have big questions on this. It feels logical to say that new designs and innovations will always make life better, that people want to keep up with trends and the status that comes from having the latest thing,
And of course, that making new products underpins the success of a business … but Catherine shares research and insights from guests in the last series of podcasts to show why we need to question conventional wisdom, and choose alternative strategies that are fit for the current business landscape.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links for this episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Episode 101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit https://www.rethinkglobal.info/101-circular-is-better-for-people-planet-and-profit/ * This 2018 study is the largest known study of stress levels in the UK, using an online poll by YouGov with a sample size of 4,619 respondents – Stress: Are we coping? https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/stress-statistics * Andrew Oswald’s study, discussed in Harvard Business Review – Advertising makes us unhappy: https://hbr.org/2020/01/advertising-makes-us-unhappy * IKEA and Globescan study on people’s priorities for the relationship with things, in IKEA Circular Product Design Guide (2019), using survey data from Globescan: * https://about.ikea.com/en/newsroom/2021/09/01/ikea-circular-open-source-blueprint * Article on increase in pre-loved fashion: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/whats-driving-the-rise-in-pre-loved-fashion * Vinted’s Climate Impact Report https://company.vinted.com/sustainability and the survey summary https://press-center-static.vinted.com/Climate_Impact_Report_Summary_EN_2023_89b136c376.pdf * Article on sales of secondhand across categories: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/29/online-marketplaces-report-surge-in-sales-of-secondhand-goods * The Common Cause Foundation and its work on values https://commoncausefoundation.org/ You can hear more from Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation on Manda Scott’s Accidental Gods podcast – https://accidentalgods.life/transforming-narrative-waters-with-ruth-taylor-of-the-common-cause-foundation/ * Tara Button, author of A Life Less Throwaway https://tarabutton.co.uk/alifelessthrowaway and founder of Buy Me Once https://uk.buymeonce.com/ * An article about the Converse+Beyond Retro remanufactured sneakers: https://www.fastcompany.com/90821217/converse-velvet-sneakers-vintage-dresses * Riversimple’s Future Guardian Model and Circular Business Model: https://www.riversimple.com/sustainability/ * Article introducing Michel Bauwens’ thoughts on the peer-to-peer economy: https://medium.com/dark-mountain/michel-bauwens-an-introduction-to-p2p-8bcfbdc421ed
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….119 BONUS Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY! Part 217th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This is the 2nd part of the conversation with Ken Webster, one of the foremost thinkers in the circular economy field, where we explore concepts for a critical aspect that’s being ignored – the economy itself! In this episode, we go deeper into the possibilities offered by a universal basic dividend, especially as we move to a world where artificial…
119 Ken Webster: the circular ECONOMY!10th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This episode is different – I’m talking to Ken Webster and we explore some big themes and concepts for a critical part of the circular economy that often gets ignored – the economy itself! Catherine says: Ken Webster is right up there as one of my circular economy heroes, and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers in…
118 Ann Stevenson: minding our language26th November 2023
Circular economy
enablers
Let’s talk about how we talk about the circular economy – the language we use, and whether it’s helping us… or getting in the way. Ann Stevenson is the circular economy lead at Resource Futures, an employee-owned and non-profit distributing BCorp environmental consultancy in the UK. Ann has been working in the field of environmental consultancy for over 25 years,…
117 James Rigg: a refurbishment revolution for electricals12th November 2023
Circular economy
electricals
electronics
refurbishment
repair
reuse
WEEE
James Rigg is CEO of Trojan Electronics in Wales, and has a wealth of expertise in value-adding circular solutions for electrical and electronics manufacturers and retailers. James has built on his experience across retail and more recently, leading growth across the Buy It Direct Group, and is now focussed on expanding Trojan Electronics Circular Solutions to help retailers and manufacturers…
116 Chuck Fuerst: circularity for product returns29th October 2023
Circular economy
enablers
repair
reuse
supply chain
Chuck Fuerst is Chief Marketing Officer for software provider ReverseLogix. ReverseLogix is the only end-to-end, centralized, and fully integrated returns management system built specifically for retail, eCommerce, manufacturing and 3PL organizations. The ReverseLogix platform facilitates, manages, and reports on the entire returns’ lifecycle. When I first worked in logistics, back in the late 1980s, for most companies, most of the…
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This is the 2nd part of Catherine’s conversation with Ken Webster, one of the foremost thinkers in the circular economy field, where we explore concepts for a critical aspect that’s being ignored – the economy itself!
In this episode, we go deeper into the possibilities offered by a universal basic dividend, especially as we move to a world where artificial intelligence might completely change the nature of work.
Ken mentions his work with Earth4all, supporting the discourse and new thinking marking the 50th anniversary of the Club of Rome’s ground-breaking Limits to Growth report.
We move on to Ken’s mission to make these concepts easier to grasp and to help people get excited, plus the importance of getting really clear on the core idea, before trying to make this work in practical terms.
Ken explains the overlaps between the thinking around circular economy and complex, adaptive systems and highlights some of the glaring faultlines in mainstream economic thinking.
That leads us back to the Commons and regenerative and open systems, together with the key questions that should be at the heart of designing circular products, components and materials,
And we finish by hearing a bit more about Ken’s most recent books, including ABC&D: Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All – co-written with Craig Johnson, and his latest book, The Wonderful Circles of Oz: A Circular Economy Story, written with Alex Duff.
If you haven’t already, please do listen to the previous episode to hear Ken talk about the Universal Basic Dividend (not Universal Basic Income), and the importance of reviving the concepts of commoning, and the Commons.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/ken-webster-28825110 * Email: ken@circulareconomy.co.uk
Books, people and organisations we mentioned The Wonderful Circles of Oz: A Circular Economy Story, by Ken Webster and Alex Duff – a new and compelling narrative about the future direction of our economy, calling for macro-economic system design. https://www.routledge.com/The-Wonderful-Circles-of-Oz-A-Circular-Economy-Story/Webster-Duff/p/book/9781032109107 and https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wonderful-circles-of-oz-a-circular-economy-story-ken-webster/18110152?ean=9781032109107 * The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows by Ken Webster (2nd edition) https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-circular-economy-a-wealth-of-flows-2nd-edition-revised-preface-and-conclusion-plus-additional-chapter-ken-webster/6577289?ean=9780992778460 * ABC&D by Craig Johnson and Ken Webster https://bookshop.org/p/books/abc-d-creating-a-regenerative-circular-economy-for-all-craig-johnson/17863262 * Sense and Sustainability https://bookshop.org/p/books/sense-and-sustainability-ken-webster/12266285?ean=9780955983108 https://bookshop.org/p/books/sense-and-sustainability-ken-webster/12266285?ean=9780955983108 * Michel Bauwens and the Peer to Peer Foundation – http://p2pfoundation.net * David Bollier – news and perspectives on the commons – https://www.bollier.org/ * Christian Felber’s book Change Everything: Creating an Economy for the Common Good https://christian-felber.at/en/books/ * Guy Standing – https://www.guystanding.com/ and a short YouTube video on rentier capitalism – The Wealth Paradox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ5gAiY5-ZY * Massimo de Angelis, author of The Beginning of History: Value Struggles and Global Capital, and editor of The Commoner web journal, at http://commoner.org.uk. * Elinor Ostrom – awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2009 for her “analysis of economic governance, especially the commons”, which she shared with Oliver E. Williamson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elinor_Ostrom * Earth4all – a vibrant collective of leading economic thinkers, scientists, and advocates, convened by The Club of Rome, the BI Norwegian Business School, the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the Stockholm Resilience Centre. Building on the legacies of The Limits to Growth and the Planetary Boundaries frameworks, science is at the heart of our work. Leading scientists have developed state of the art systems dynamic models and run different scenarios for possible plausible futures. https://earth4all.life/ * Club of Rome – Limits to Growth +50 – a range of resources published to mark the 50th anniversary of the Limits to Growth report in 1972 https://www.clubofrome.org/ltg50/ * Tipping Point – the true story of the Limits to Growth. “50 years ago, they told us what was coming. Why were they ignored? A 3-part podcast about the true-crime story of “The Limits to Growth”: The study, the backlash – and its legacy” https://tippingpoint-podcast.com/* * Materiom – “the next generation of materials is waste-free and regenerative by design.” https://materiom.org/
Guest bioKen Webster is a Visiting Professor at Cranfield University and a Fellow of CISL (Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership). From 2010 – end 2018 he was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy pioneer organization, where he helped shape current notions of a ‘circular economy’. More recently he has worked at Univ of Exeter Business School (2019-2021). Ken was awarded a DSc from Univ. of Brighton in 2023.
His book The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows (2nd Edition 2017) relates the connections between systems thinking, economic and business opportunity and the transition to a circular economy. He makes regular contributions to conferences and seminars around the world. His current interests include; open vs closed circular economy approaches, construction and the built environment, extended producer ownership and materials data management. Ken is on the supervisory board of the Madaster Foundation in Amsterdam – a materials passport organisation.
He contributed to the new Handbook of the Circular Economy (Eds. Alexander, Pascucci and Charnley (2023) and was a contributor and editor on Earth for All from the Club of Rome. He is a lead author on circular economy for UNEP’s GEO-7 report (in development).
A recent book with an emphasis on exploring different scales, especially in food and agriculture is ABC&D Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All (with Craig Johnson), published in 2022.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….119: Ken Webster – the circular ECONOMY!10th December 2023
Circular economy
citizens
global commons
social value
This episode is different – I’m talking to Ken Webster and we explore some big themes and concepts for a critical part of the circular economy that often gets ignored – the economy itself! Catherine says: Ken Webster is right up there as one of my circular economy heroes, and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers in…
118 Ann Stevenson: minding our language26th November 2023
Circular economy
enablers
Let’s talk about how we talk about the circular economy – the language we use, and whether it’s helping us… or getting in the way. Ann Stevenson is the circular economy lead at Resource Futures, an employee-owned and non-profit distributing BCorp environmental consultancy in the UK. Ann has been working in the field of environmental consultancy for over 25 years,…
117 James Rigg: a refurbishment revolution for electricals12th November 2023
Circular economy
electricals
electronics
refurbishment
repair
reuse
WEEE
James Rigg is CEO of Trojan Electronics in Wales, and has a wealth of expertise in value-adding circular solutions for electrical and electronics manufacturers and retailers. James has built on his experience across retail and more recently, leading growth across the Buy It Direct Group, and is now focussed on expanding Trojan Electronics Circular Solutions to help retailers and manufacturers…
116 Chuck Fuerst: circularity for product returns29th October 2023
Circular economy
enablers
repair
reuse
supply chain
Chuck Fuerst is Chief Marketing Officer for software provider ReverseLogix. ReverseLogix is the only end-to-end, centralized, and fully integrated returns management system built specifically for retail, eCommerce, manufacturing and 3PL organizations. The ReverseLogix platform facilitates, manages, and reports on the entire returns’ lifecycle. When I first worked in logistics, back in the late 1980s, for most companies, most of the…
115 Paddy Le Flufy: Building future-fit systems15th October 2023
Circular economy
economics
social value
systems
We’re exploring the broader context of a future-fit economy, asking questions like: How do we create the conditions for circular solutions to gain traction? What’s holding us back, particularly when we think about our economic systems, and the way companies are set up? In today’s episode, I’m talking to Paddy Le Flufy about his book, Building Tomorrow: Averting Environmental Crisis…
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This episode is different – I’m talking to Ken Webster and we explore some big themes and concepts for a critical part of the circular economy that often gets ignored - the economy itself!Catherine says: Ken Webster is right up there as one of my circular economy heroes, and is widely acknowledged as one of the foremost thinkers in the field. From 2010 – 2018, Ken was Head of Innovation for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, shaping current concepts of a ‘circular economy’.. Ken also co-wrote the book that first opened my eyes to the circular economy back in 2011 – Sense and Sustainability, co-written with Craig Johnson. One of Ken’s best-known books, The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows, relates the connections between systems thinking, economic and business opportunity and the transition to a circular economy. I’m very keen to read one of Ken’s most recent books, co-written with Alex Duff. Ken and Alex use a storytelling approach based on the The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to offer a new and compelling narrative about the future direction of our economy, calling for macro-economic system redesign. It’s called The Wonderful Circles of Oz: A Circular Economy Story – you’ll find links in the shownotes.Ken’s written several more thought-provoking works on the circular economy, including ABC+D: Creating a Regenerative Circular Economy for All - also co-written with Craig Johnson, and we mention some of these as we go along. This was a wide-ranging conversation about system-scale issues and concepts. I tried my best to keep up with Ken’s thinking as we explored some of the big ideas he has been working on, including:•A Universal Basic Dividend – not to be confused with UBI, or Universal Basic Income. We discuss why a Universal Basic Dividend would be a good thing, how it would be funded and where the money would flow to. •We move onto The Commons – what that really means, and how it could be better accommodated in our modern economies, in a meaningful and sustainable way. •Ken talks about the rentier economy, and rentiers. If you’re not familiar with that term, it’s someone who earns income from capital without working – for example by owning property or land that is rented out to tenants; by owning shares or bonds that pay dividends or interest, and so on.•We discuss why the economy isn’t working for the vast majority of people around the world, and what’s getting in the way of an ‘economy for all’. •We talk about some of the signals for change, with people are starting to see the potential of a future with community, connection and caring – caring for each other, and for our Mother Earth. The potential of a future that’s not all about ‘Work, Buy, Consume, Die’.I’ve split our conversation into two parts – the 2nd part will be out next week as a bonus episode.
Let’s talk about how we talk about the circular economy – the language we use, and whether it’s helping us… or getting in the way. Ann Stevenson is the circular economy lead at Resource Futures, an employee-owned and non-profit distributing BCorp environmental consultancy in the UK. Ann has been working in the field of environmental consultancy for over 25 years, and one of her specialisms is understanding and managing risks in transitioning to a circular economy. Ann became curious to know more about how we use language to explain and make the case for the circular economy, and to discover whether that is affecting how SMEs are moving towards more circular practices. The academic term for this kind of research is discourse analysis – aiming to understand how language is used in real life situations.Ann recently completed a PhD, using discourse analysis to investigate perceptions of risks around the CE for established small manufacturing businesses, or SMEs, and she’s written a chapter with her key findings for a newly released book: Circular Economy: Meeting Sustainable Development Goals, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry. We’ve included links to Ann’s phD and the book in the shownotes.We discuss some surprising findings, in particular how we tend to frame the workings and outcomes of a circular economy in ways that actually encourage and embed the wrong behaviours! For example, Ann explains how focusing on economic cost savings can lead us to focus on outcomes that are too narrow, and that might ignore important benefits – especially over the long term. We can end up with unintended consequences, too - one example is when we talk about waste being a valuable resource – and Ann explains why that’s tricky.
James Rigg is CEO of Trojan Electronics in Wales, and has a wealth of expertise in value-adding circular solutions for electrical and electronics manufacturers and retailers. James has built on his experience across retail and more recently, leading growth across the Buy It Direct Group, and is now focussed on expanding Trojan Electronics Circular Solutions to help retailers and manufacturers recover value and at the same time, reduce e-waste. Trojan provides services to high-profile brands, and we’ll hear about some examples.E-waste – the waste from end-of-life or unwanted electricals and electronics – is the world’s fastest growing waste stream, and is forecast to grow by 30% over this decade. The Trojan Electronics team provides electrical repair, refurb and resell services in several ways – through their client’s own marketplace stores, through direct integration into the clients’ ecommerce stores, and through Amazon, eBay, Tik Tok, Wowcher and others. Trojan is a £20M turnover business based in Swansea, south Wales, employing 150 staff in a purpose-built warehouse housing repairs and all its other services, and refurbishing over half a million items each year.Ahead of our conversation, James sent me some customer research, digging into people’s attitudes to refurbished products, with some very encouraging findings, and we’ll hear more about that in the conversation. I can share a few of the standout figures now: over a third of the respondents had bought a refurbished or repaired electrical item in the previous 12 months, including smartphones, laptops or tablets, and household appliances. Only 1% of those people had a bad experience with that purchase, and almost 80% said they’d buy refurbished in the future. And even though people knew they’d bought a refurbished item, 24% of customers couldn’t tell the difference from the equivalent new product.The survey includes some market research, highlighting predictions for the growth of refurbished electronics – the market was valued at around $85bn in 2021 and is forecast to grow at 12% each year over the next decade. James is happy to share the research, and I’ve included a link to the research paper in the shownotes.James also shared information from Trojan’s clients who are offering refurbished products alongside new versions, and the results are very exciting. However, at some clients, attitudes are slow to change, with people reluctant to make the transition to selling refurbished products as well as new versions, and James explains some of the reasons behind this.
Chuck Fuerst is Chief Marketing Officer for software provider ReverseLogix. ReverseLogix is the only end-to-end, centralized, and fully integrated returns management system built specifically for retail, eCommerce, manufacturing and 3PL organizations. The ReverseLogix platform facilitates, manages, and reports on the entire returns’ lifecycle.When I first worked in logistics, back in the late 1980s, for most companies, most of the time, returns were a minor issue. When e-commerce came along, starting in the 1990’s, product returns began to increase, and over the last few decades – especially as companies have moved towards cheaper products, with less reliable information on sizing for things like clothing - returns have become a major issue for many businesses – whether that’s for manufacturers and retailers, and for both B2B and B2C models. Chuck explains how the ReverseLogix software helps companies improve the process for getting products back into the system – whether that’s from e-commerce returns, returns of faulty goods, for repairs and warranty claims, and more. We’ll hear how ReverseLogix improves the customer returns experience, saves employee time with faster workflows, and helps businesses get insights into returns data – all of which improve profits and circular outcomes.
We’re exploring the broader context of a future-fit economy, asking questions like:How do we create the conditions for circular solutions to gain traction? What’s holding us back, particularly when we think about our economic systems, and the way companies are set up?In today’s episode, I’m talking to Paddy Le Flufy about his book, Building Tomorrow: Averting Environmental Crisis With a New Economic System, which was published in March 2023. Paddy’s aim is to work out how we can improve our own society AND improve the lives of the billions of people currently affected by the dominant global systems. In A Circular Economy Handbook, I included a chapter on Enablers and Accelerators for the circular economy, and today we’re going to explore a couple of important ideas that fit into those categories – concepts that aren’t circular in themselves, but are important ways to help circular approaches have even more impact.Before embarking on this project, in 2015, Paddy had a somewhat different life. After a degree in mathematics at Cambridge University then qualifying as an accountant at KPMG in London, he lived something of a double life. He worked as a finance specialist in London for six months at a time, but then used his money to live in remote places, alongside people whose lives were drastically different from his own – and we’ll hear a bit more about that later.Paddy’s book is featured on the 2023 Financial Times Best Book of Summer reading list, and has earned praise from Jeremy Lent.“The book aims directly at creating systemic change by providing people with both a holistic vision of a new economic system and the tools with which to build it… Positive real-world examples and potential future developments show how people throughout society can help build the new system. Those that do will be creating a better world.”Paddy will give us an overview of the 6 themes in the book, one of which is the circular economy, and we’ll then go a bit deeper with a couple of them, exploring different forms of company structures and learning more about regenerative organisations.
Daniel Kietzer is Director of Ecosystem Growth at Rheaply, a digital sharing platform scaling reuse by making resources discoverable, easily transferable and more valuable.Rheaply was started in 2016, and has won lots of awards, including Most Innovative Reuse Company at the Reusies in 2021. It’s backed by a number of early-stage investors, including Microsoft and Salesforce. Daniel Kietzer provides strategic, organizational, and technical support to Rheaply clients and their partners. He’s a circular economy and sustainability professional with 10+ years of experience designing and leading impact-focused projects with forward-thinking companies and organizations across the globe. Daniel’s speciality is reuse and recycling market development is his specialty, but he also dabbles in social entrepreneurship, sustainability in the built environment, water, carbon, and a variety of other sustainability-related efforts. We’ll get an update on how Rheaply has evolved since my original conversation with Tom Fecarotta back in 2020, in particular how data aggregation unlocks opportunities for cost and carbon savings, as well as supporting your zero waste targets. So many organisations could be tapping into these solutions to help them do better, with less.
Steven Bethell is a thought leader and pioneer in the post-consumer textile space for over 20 years, who’s creating innovative and relevant solutions to the crisis of stuff.Steven is co-founder of the Bank and Vogue family of companies, which includes a major remanufacturing plant where the circular economy for textiles is brought to life. Taking post-consumer waste and transforming it into relevant products, Steven works with big brands to help them bring their sustainability platforms to the next level.Steven is also behind Beyond Retro, the largest vintage retailer in the UK and the Nordics which launched in 2002 and now has 15 retail outlets and an online shop, offering a wide selection of handpicked vintage clothing.When we donate clothes and shoes to a charity shop, how many of those end up being put on display and successfully sold? You might be surprised by the stats that Steven shares. Steven explains how he at the leverage points in the overall system, to work out where B&V could get involved and how to retain more value, in particular by reselling. Steven then took this further, finding ways to repurpose and remanufacture clothing and footwear – at scale. Steven explains how this works in the retail business he set up – Beyond Retro – and how he then looked upstream to develop remanufacturing services for a major US footwear retailer.Steven thinks at a system level, looking at the whole value network both upstream and downstream to see where he can intervene to make the biggest impact, and how to create the critical mass needed to create value, and overcome the sticking points.In his spare time Steven lives off the grid in the Canadian wilderness. He is an avid woodsman: fishing, paddling and learning about the outdoors and its many wonders.
We meet Fiona Dear, a Co-Director at The Restart Project, which aims to keep our electronics in use for longer through repair and reuse. The Restart Project champions community repair, supporting regular Restart Parties where people teach each other how to repair their broken and slow devices. The Restart Project uses the data and stories they collect to help demand better, more sustainable electronics for all.
Having recognised that there’s only so much we can do to prevent waste downstream, the Restart Project is making waves upstream, campaigning for stronger regulations for better design, our right to repair and more support for the repair economy.
Before Restart, Fiona spent over 15 years working to engage public audiences in environmental issues. At the Restart Project, she oversees UK programmes and campaigning.
Fiona tells us about some of the many initiatives that the Restart Project has worked with partners to pioneer, including the Right to Repair movement (now with 100 organisations in the coalition), Restart Parties and more recently, Fixing Factories and FixFest.
I’m a big supporter of open sourcing, and this is central to what the Restart Project does – helping people collaborate and learn from others, providing online toolkits and guidelines to help people around the world fledge their own repair projects. This is about scaling out, rather than scaling up – something that Ken Webster and Craig Johnson advocate in their latest book on regenerative and circular economies, ABC& D.
Systems thinking is at the heart of The Restart Project’s approach, going upstream to understand the root causes of the problems, and Fiona tells us about some of their data collection on common faults.
It was fascinating to hear about how people’s mindsets are changing, and how a simple repair can spark all sorts of positive effects.
International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people help people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity.
Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ * Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com * Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ * A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 * Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ * Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Links for our guest:* https://twitter.com/restartproject * https://www.facebook.com/RestartProject * https://www.instagram.com/restartproject/ * https://therestartproject.org/podcast/ * https://therestartproject.org/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* + Book – The Human Element by Loran Nordgren and David Schonthal https://www.humanelementbook.com/ + ABC & D: Creating a regenerative circular economy for all, by Craig Johnson and Ken Webster https://bookshop.org/p/books/abc-d-creating-a-regenerative-circular-economy-for-all-craig-johnson/17863262
Guest bioFiona Dear is Co-Director at The Restart Project, which aims to keep our electronics in use for longer through repair and reuse. The Restart Project champions community repair, supporting regular Restart Parties where people teach each other how to repair their broken and slow devices, and using the data and stories they collect to help demand better, more sustainable electronics for all. Recognising that there’s only so much we can do to prevent waste downstream, Restart also campaigns for better regulations for better design, right to repair and support for the repair economy.
Before Restart, Fiona spent over 15 years working to engage public audiences in environmental issues. At the Restart Project, she oversees UK programmes and campaigning.
The Restart Project aims to keep our electronics in use for longer through repair and reuse. The Restart Project champions community repair, supporting regular Restart Parties where people teach each other how to repair their broken and slow devices, and developing Fixing Factories, fixed highstreet repair hubs. Recognising that there’s only so much we can do to prevent waste downstream, Restart also uses the data and stories they collect to help demand better, more sustainable electronics for all.
Playlist: getting started with the circular economy…Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business? Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!)
- #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business.
- #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation.
- #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints).
- #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit
And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?
Want to dig deeper?
Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
Previous episodes….112 Fiona Dear: reviving repair and reuse for our tech3rd September 2023
accelerators
Circular economy
consumer tech
design
repair
reuse
social value
Fiona Dear is a Co-Director at The Restart Project, which aims to keep our electronic technology in use for longer through repair and reuse
111 Sara Howard: symbiotic circular ceramics20th August 2023
Circular economy
design
industrial symbiosis
materials
How might we design and make ceramics in a circular economy? Ceramic products make our lives better in all kinds of ways. Some have been around for centuries (think bricks, tiles, pottery), and some are much more modern, in microchips and more. To help us learn about circular ceramics, we’re going to meet Sara Howard, a very impressive and award-winning…
110 Katie Beverley: designing a circular economy6th August 2023
Circular economy
design
social value
sustainability
Are we designing a circular economy – or just designing circular products and materials? Today we’re catching up with Dr. Katie Beverley. Katie is a Senior Research Officer at PDR International Centre for Design and Research, at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She works with academic partners and the public and private sector, to embed ecodesign, circular economy and sustainable thinking into…
109 Janina Nieper – Connecting new designs to leftover materials23rd July 2023
Circular economy
design
reuse
Janina Nieper is an Architect and Designer, working at Furnify, a design agency in the Netherlands. Janina Nieper is passionate about concepts that promote the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants, including using the Circular Economy to help us stay within planetary boundaries. At Furnify, a company dedicated to creating circular spaces, Janina is in charge of Business Development…
108 Sian Sutherland – fixing plastics can fix so much else…9th July 2023
Circular economy
design
health
materials
plastics
reuse
In the 2nd part of the conversation with Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet and PlasticFree.com, Sian tells Catherine Weetman why, instead of seeing a miserable picture of the future, we can reinvent a better, brighter future. As Sian says, by “fixing the plastic crisis, we will fix so much else” A Plastic Planet is one of the most…
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How might we design and make ceramics in a circular economy? Ceramic products make our lives better in all kinds of ways. Some have been around for centuries (think bricks, tiles, pottery), and some are much more modern, in microchips and more. To help us learn about circular ceramics, we’re going to meet Sara Howard, a very impressive and award-winning ceramic designer and materials researcher, whose practice is focussed on reducing the environmental and societal impacts of ceramic production. Sara graduated from Central St. Martins in 2020, with a BA Honours Degree in Ceramic Design. In her final year, Sara designed an industrial symbiosis around the ceramics industry, in which waste from one industry replaces the raw materials in ceramic production. Sara wrote a book, Circular Ceramics, to openly share her methods and processes and help fellow ceramicists to adopt these sustainable processes in their own practices. On top of that, since graduating just 3 years ago, Sara has created two groundbreaking projects, collaborating with ceramic producers, artists and other industries to implement the use of industrial waste on a larger scale. Sara tells us how she’s set up a project for ceramics made with excavation waste from construction sites, and is launching a circular tableware startup in Bali, complete with its own factory. We’ll also find out about the key problems with modern ceramic production and why making new ceramics from ceramic waste is pretty much impossible.
Are we designing a circular economy – or just designing circular products and materials? Today we’re catching up with Dr. Katie Beverley. Katie is a Senior Research Officer at PDR International Centre for Design and Research, at Cardiff Metropolitan University. She works with academic partners and the public and private sector, to embed ecodesign, circular economy and sustainable thinking into products and services. Back in Episode 5, Katie helped us understand more about ecodesign. She describes herself as a ‘critical friend’ of the circular economy, and that feels like a great starting point to explore what’s going well, and what isn’t.
Janina Nieper is an Architect and Designer, working at Furnify, a design agency in the Netherlands. Janina Nieper is passionate about concepts that promote the well-being of our planet and its inhabitants, including using the Circular Economy to help us stay within planetary boundaries. At Furnify, a company dedicated to creating circular spaces, Janina is in charge of Business Development and Consulting, merging her expertise in spatial design and Circular Design. Janina wants to accelerate the Circular Economy through connecting, collaboration, and sharing, and she founded the Circular Economy Club in Amsterdam, with regular events to create a network of Circular Pioneers in Amsterdam. Furnify is a design agency, designing interior spaces for office work, education, and other activities. Furnify aims to turn its client’s sustainable ambitions into a circular reality by offering 2nd life alternatives for new designs. Furnify’s offers four services: consulting, design, realization, and story telling. We hear about how client needs are evolving and broadening. On top of the aesthetic and practical requirements around what do we need to do in this space – now, organisations want to reduce carbon, make a positive impact on other sustainability measures, and create healthier spaces for their teams and customers. That could include improving mental wellbeing, as well as reducing synthetic materials, chemicals like flame retardents and more.
In the 2nd part of the conversation with Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet and PlasticFree.com, Sian tells Catherine Weetman why, instead of seeing a miserable picture of the future, we can reinvent a better, brighter future. As Sian says, by "fixing the plastic crisis, we will fix so much else" A Plastic Planet is one of the most recognised and respected organisations tackling the plastic crisis and PlasticFree, the first materials and systems solutions platform, empowering global creatives to design waste out at source.
Sian Sutherland, an award-winning serial entrepreneur across several industries, wants to ignite social change, and. At the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC2), this year, Sian and A Plastic Planet partnered with the Plastic Soup to launch the Plastic Health Council. This brings expert scientists to the UN Plastics Treaty negotiating process with the irrefutable proof of plastic chemicals impact on human health.
In the 21st century, we find plastic in almost every part of our lives – but that doesn’t mean it’s the best, or only solution. Many of those people who resist the idea of a move away from plastics tell us that it’s a fantastic material, that it enables us to create a wide range of products to solve all kinds of challenges.
On LinkedIn, you can see people – mostly with roles that depend on the continued use of plastics – cherry-picking examples of plastics used in medical and safety products, such as syringes, PPE, safety glasses, life jackets and so on. But those examples don’t mean that plastics are necessarily safe in use, or at the end of use. Nor do they mean that we should go along with the continued expansion of single-use plastics.
The plastics industry spends millions on promote plastic as the perfect material for thousands of products, being cheap, lightweight, clean, and convenient. But we’re becoming more aware of serious downsides, for our health, and for the health of our living planet.
Who says we can’t find better ways to design products, packaging and systems to meet the needs of people, planet and prosperity? Sian is passionately pro-business and solutions focused, and believes the plastic crisis gives us all a way in to changing both materials and systems to create a different future for next generations.
In the first part, which went out in the last episode, 107, we discussed the new PlasticFree.com solutions platform for creatives, showcasing plastic-free materials and products, such as the Degenerative sneaker. We moved onto greenwash, and why Sian thinks the word 'recyclable' should be banned. Then, we explored the importance of understanding chemistry, especially in helping designers and material technologists get clear on the good and bad aspects of chemical processes - and we discussed some of the very new scientific advances that are shining a light on the links between plastics and a wide range of serious health conditions.
In this episode we talk about plastic free.com, a new systems and solutions platform for creatives, including designers technologists marketers strategists - that has thousands of case studies and proof points for plastic free solutions. We cover greenwash, vegan leathers, why chemistry is now essential for designers and makers, plus recent science on plastics and health.
Sian Sutherland, co-founder of A Plastic Planet, tells Catherine Weetman why there are compelling reasons to design plastic out of our lives, and how and PlasticFree.com helps us do that...
Plastic is embedded in pretty much every part of our lives. The plastics industry promotes it as the perfect material for thousands of products, being cheap, lightweight, clean, and convenient. But is that really true? And are there better ways to design products, packaging and systems to meet the needs of people, planet and prosperity? I've been a long time admirer of Sian Sutherland and her work. Sian co-founded A Plastic Planet, one of the most recognised and respected organisations tackling the plastic crisis, and PlasticFree, the first materials and systems solutions platform, empowering global creatives to design waste out at source. Sian is passionate about igniting social change, and creating brands and businesses with soul, and is a serial entrepreneur with a varied background across industries. In 2023 at the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations (INC2), in partnership with Plastic Soup Foundation, A Plastic Planet launched the Plastic Health Council, bringing the expert scientists to the negotiating process with the irrefutable proof of plastic chemicals impact on human health. Sian is passionately pro-business and solutions focused, and believes the plastic crisis gives us all a way in to changing both materials and systems to create a different future for next generations. I particularly like the courageous way that Sian helps us unpack the key issues around plastics and is actively creating and powering up a range of solutions of plastic-free solutions. As Sian says, by "fixing the plastic crisis, we will fix so much else" I felt this was a really rich conversation. Sian and A Plastic Planet are involved in so many initiatives and I didn't want you to miss out on any of Sian's insights and ideas, so I've split the conversation into two episodes. In this episode we talk about plastic free.com, a new systems and solutions platform for creatives, including designers technologists marketers strategists - that has thousands of case studies and proof points for plastic free solutions. We cover greenwash, vegan leathers, why chemistry is now essential for designers and makers, plus recent science on plastics and health.
In episode 106, we hear from another disruptive start up, helping people ‘get more, from less’ - shrinking the footprint of production and consumption by improving the utilization of under-used objects. Today, I’m talking to Yael Shemer, an environmental entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief customer officer of TULU. Tulu is an on-demand service, enabling people to access things to help them cook, host, clean, and do DIY. Tulu operates in residential buildings and student housing, with customers renting things by the hour. It curates the kinds of items residents are looking for, installs a smart unit to display and stock the items, with a one-click app to manage access. Tulu is already in 22 cities across 3 continents, servicing 70,000 households. It was founded in 2018, by Yael and her co-founder, architect Yishai Lehavi. Tulu is now part of the MIT DesignX venture program, and has already raised nearly $30 million dollars. Yael Shemer has led several ventures in the field of urban communities and sustainable living. This year, Yael was selected as a Forbes 30 under 30. We'll hear how Tulu provides benefits for everyone in the system - landlords are able to create a better experience for their tenants, tenants get access to equipment and other things that make life easier or more enjoyable, and the equipment brands can create deeper, two-way relationships with customers.
We’re going to hear about some amazing software that helps with the 2nd of the 3 key circular strategies Catherine Weetman advises people to use… getting more, from less. Finding ways to get more use out of under-utilized objects can have big benefits, especially by reducing costs.
When we think about it, there are probably lots of things – both tools and toys – that we don’t use all day, every day. Sometimes we only use these things once or twice a year! But often, we want to be sure we can have access to that equipment, or that product, whenever we want. Those needs might be planned, say for camping equipment, or unplanned – like repair tools.
Today, we’ll hear from Gene Homicki, founder and CEO at MyTurn, a B2B platform that transforms idle equipment into value. MyTurn helps organizations to optimize asset usage, reduce waste, and generate revenue by making it easy to offer rental, lending, and product subscription services.
Gene is a serial entrepreneur and technology strategist who is dedicated to advancing the circular economy and sustainable systems. Over his career, he’s led teams delivering cutting-edge solutions for organizations like SEGA, ABC News, The Economist, and the National Science Foundation.
Gene co-founded the West Seattle Tool Library which has helped provide affordable access to thousands of people in the community. After seeing how much stuff people had in closets, garages and storage (while others had too little) and knowing that businesses, universities and governments had even more assets sitting idle, Gene founded myTurn.
MyTurn’s customers include businesses, communities, universities, and public sector organizations, and it is a for-profit public benefit corporation.
MyTurn’s platform has a wide range of features, from admin dashboards to online marketplaces, helping organizations of all shapes and sizes to identify and rent underutilized tools, equipment and other resources – either within the organisation, or by collaborating with others.
MyTurn’s customers are seeing big benefits from this circular solution, often increasing product reuse by 10 to 100 times compared to traditional ownership.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * Gene Homicki on LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/homicki * MyTurn website https://myturn.com/ * MyTurn on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/myturn/ * West Seattle Tool Library https://www.wstools.org/ * The Thingery https://thethingery.com/ and have a listen to Ep 28 https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-28-chris-diplock-the-thingery/ * Cynthia Reynolds, founder of the Circular Economy Coalition https://circulareconomycoalition.org/ and Circular Regions https://circularregions.org/
Guest bioGene Homicki is the co-founder and CEO of myTurn.com, pbc., a B2B platform that transforms idle equipment into value. With features ranging from admin dashboards to online marketplaces, myTurn enables organizations to optimize asset usage, reduce waste, and generate revenue by making it easy to offer rental, lending, and product subscription services.
Gene is a serial entrepreneur and technology strategist dedicated to advancing the circular economy and sustainable systems. Previously, Gene led teams delivering cutting-edge solutions for organizations like SEGA, ABC News, The Economist, and the National Science Foundation.
While living in Seattle, Gene co-founded the West Seattle Tool Library, a community initiative providing thousands of people with affordable access to tools without them having to purchase them. This inspiring project, combined with his broad cross-sector experience, brought to light the issue of underutilized resources and waste is an even bigger issue for businesses and other organizations. This realization sparked the idea for myTurn.
Today, myTurn operates as a global platform embraced by diverse entities such as cities, universities, nonprofits, and enterprises. These organizations are harnessing the transformative power of the circular economy, often increasing product reuse by 10 to 100 times over traditional ownership. Gene’s work through myTurn allows him to align economics with social and environmental responsibility.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
104 Richard Burnett – Diversity and packaging innovation14th May 2023
Circular economy
materials
Packaging
recycling
Innovation and diversification is key to the success of James Cropper, a 6th generation family business, based in the English Lake District. Richard Burnett is Head of Technology and Innovation at James Cropper, a prestige supplier of custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers. Richard oversees the Technology & Innovation (T&I) function…
103 Algramo – Refill the future30th April 2023
Circular economy
Packaging
reuse
supply chain
Reusable packaging startup Algramo is going from strength to strength, and we hear from Brian Bauer and Chris Baker on why customers in Chile, the US and the UK are buying into this. Algramo’s founder, Jose Manuel Moller, came up with a brilliant idea for reusable packaging to help what he called the poverty tax, paid by people who shopped…
102 Jo Spolton – making second-hand our first choice16th April 2023
Circular economy
enablers
fashion
technology
Jo Spolton is the founder of Rumage, a brilliant online platform that makes it super-easy for people to find – and buy – exactly what they’re looking for across a wide range of secondhand marketplaces. Jo is a Fine Art graduate and was a professional racing sailor. Her adventures when sailing around the world opened a window, showing how badly…
101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit!2nd April 2023
business models
Circular economy
strategy
Episode 101 seems like a good time to update my ‘what is the circular economy’ summary from Episode 1, back in 2019. In that first episode, I outlined the 5 components in my CE Framework, one of the core themes in A CE Handbook. Those 5 components are product design, safe, sustainable materials, circular processes, recovery flows, and business models.…
100 Catherine Weetman – never too old to be bold19th March 2023
Circular economy
risks
strategy
Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit. Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a…
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Innovation and diversification is key to the success of James Cropper, a 6th generation family business, based in the English Lake District
Richard Burnett is Head of Technology and Innovation at James Cropper, a prestige supplier of custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers.
Richard oversees the Technology & Innovation function at James Cropper, with projects including the Colourform moulded packaging proposition and the acquisition of Technical Fibre Products Hydrogen, a world leader in green hydrogen technology.
Richard led the implementation of the CupCycling programme, introducing the world’s first upcycling process for take-away coffee cups.
They discuss the challenges facing the packaging industry, and how James Cropper is both innovating and diversifying, with innovations in speciality paper, bespoke luxury packaging, and advanced non woven and electrochemical materials. We hear about developments in materials, in packaging design, and in manufacturing technology.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover!
* Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
* James Cropper links:
https://www.jamescropper.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/james-cropper-plc/
https://www.instagram.com/jamescropperspecialitypaper/
https://www.youtube.com/@JamesCropperPaper
* Richard Burnett on LinkedIn:* https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-burnett-3a4b401/
Books, people and organisations we mentioned* Collabor(h)ate: How to build incredible collaborative relationships at work (even if you’d rather work alone) by Dr Deb Mashek https://www.debmashek.com/book * Renewcell https://www.renewcell.com/
About Richard BurnettRichard Burnett, Head of Technology and Innovation at James Cropper
Richard is responsible for overseeing the Technology & Innovation (T&I) function at James Cropper, which since its inception has been set up to explore and deliver step-change growth to the company. This has included establishing the Colourform moulded packaging proposition and the acquisition of Technical Fibre Products Hydrogen, a world leader in green hydrogen technology. Under Richard’s leadership T&I at James Cropper is entering into a new and exciting phase, accelerating current decarbonisation projects and developing new ones.
Richard graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Paper Science in 2002. From there, he worked for UPM for 12 years in roles across the business, starting in Operations and Technical before moving into Supply Chain and Sales. Richard joined James Cropper Paper eight years ago as Technical Sales Manager where he led the implementation of the CupCycling programme which saw the papermaker introduce the world’s first recycling process and award winning innovation dedicated to upcycling take-away coffee cups. Richard then moved into the role of Recovered Fibre Operations Manager in 2020, leading the growth in the use of Recovered Fibre in the Paper business.
James Cropper
James Cropper is a prestige paper innovator based in the English Lake District, supplying distinct, custom-made paper products to many of the world’s leading luxury brands, art galleries and designers. Throughout 176 years of high-quality paper production, the business has been carefully stewarded and nurtured by six generations of the Cropper family and is renowned globally for individual expertise in colour and fibre innovation.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
103 Algramo – Refill the future30th April 2023
Circular economy
Packaging
reuse
supply chain
Reusable packaging startup Algramo is going from strength to strength, and we hear from Brian Bauer and Chris Baker on why customers in Chile, the US and the UK are buying into this. Algramo’s founder, Jose Manuel Moller, came up with a brilliant idea for reusable packaging to help what he called the poverty tax, paid by people who shopped…
102 Jo Spolton – making second-hand our first choice16th April 2023
Circular economy
enablers
fashion
technology
Jo Spolton is the founder of Rumage, a brilliant online platform that makes it super-easy for people to find – and buy – exactly what they’re looking for across a wide range of secondhand marketplaces. Jo is a Fine Art graduate and was a professional racing sailor. Her adventures when sailing around the world opened a window, showing how badly…
101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit!2nd April 2023
business models
Circular economy
strategy
Episode 101 seems like a good time to update my ‘what is the circular economy’ summary from Episode 1, back in 2019. In that first episode, I outlined the 5 components in my CE Framework, one of the core themes in A CE Handbook. Those 5 components are product design, safe, sustainable materials, circular processes, recovery flows, and business models.…
100 Catherine Weetman – never too old to be bold19th March 2023
Circular economy
risks
strategy
Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit. Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a…
99 Ben Jeffreys – clean, low-carbon, circular cooking for all5th March 2023
Carbon
Circular economy
services
social value
technology
Ben Jeffreys, co-founder of ATEC, is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur making better things happen. Right now, he’s focused on decarbonising cooking 🍳, which is a leading cause of illness and death for women and children, The WHO says around a third of the global population cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung…
1
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4
…
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Reusable packaging startup Algramo is going from strength to strength, and we hear from Brian Bauer and Chris Baker on why customers in Chile, the US and the UK are buying into this.
Algramo’s founder, Jose Manuel Moller, came up with a brilliant idea for reusable packaging to help what he called the poverty tax, paid by people who shopped at convenience stores. Those small, local stores sell everyday groceries and household staples, but often in small format packages. That means people often paid around 40% more, per gram or per litre, for the same product they could buy in a bigger format in a supermarket.
In the last couple of years, Algramo has gone from strength to strength, and has started a trial in the UK with Lidl, a German international discount retail chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States.
Algramo is working with Nestle, Unilever, and Walmart in the US, and launched a user-app in 2022. It’s also won several big awards, including the Most Innovative Reuse Company for Consumer Packaging Goods, at the 2022 Reusies awards.
We hear about the Lidl trial, a new project for ‘on the go’ reusable packaging, and hear about innovative packaging and dispensers for liquid home care products. We’ll learn more about what motivates customers to choose reuse, and how reuse rates improve as the new concept becomes ‘normalised’. We also discuss the potential for gamification, and how that could help popularise reuse.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * Chris Baker on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-baker-9525966/ * Brian Bauer on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-bauer-chile/ * Brian Bauer’s email brian@algramo.com * Algramo UK – https://uk.algramo.com/ * Lidl Refill – https://www.lidl.co.uk/about-us/lidl-changes-for-the-better/refill * Algramo’s ReUsies 2022 award https://www.thereusies.org/reusies-2022 * Collaborative Advantage by Paul Skinner https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/paul-skinner/collaborative-advantage/9781408710746/ (who is now at Marketing Kind https://www.marketingkind.org/ ) * Algramo’s Brian Bauer’s first appearance on the podcast, back in Ep 42 https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-42-brian-bauer-of-algramo/ * Episode 17 with Nancy Bokken, co-founder of Homie pay-per-use home appliances https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-17-nancy-bocken-of-homie/
Guest biosChris Baker is the UK Country Manager at Algramo, a technology-led refill platform enabling consumers to purchase the amount of product they want at an affordable price. Chris launched Algramo UK in partnership with Lidl GB.
Prior to Algramo Chris was General Manager at KeepCup, known worldwide for its bright, bold and instantly recognisable reusable cups. Chris was responsible for all functions, focused on delivering low impact, socially responsible products that are fit for purpose, and challenge how we think about consumption.
Chris was a founding member of TerraCycle Europe – global leaders in ‘recycling the non-recyclable’ and one of the fastest growing environmental companies in the world. As a disrupter in the recycling world for nearly a decade, Chris has in-depth knowledge of the issues faced by the industry and understands the urgent need to reduce consumption.
Previously, Chris worked on sustainable packaging for food giant Kraft Foods, building on experience in product design, manufacturing and packaging technology.
Brian Bauer is able to move between academia where he co-instructed an Applied Circular Economics course at Harvard for 4 years and the startup world where he leads Circular Economy & Institutional Partnerships at Algramo.
He applies his knowledge in sustainability, technology & policy into creating value by leveraging the circular economy movement into business model innovation.
He connects a network of experts keen to collaborate on innovative upstream waste management solutions. He is keen to explore how plastic packaging can be used in a circular manner that provides the benefits of plastic, without the impacts of mismanaged plastic waste.
He is proud to have had his proposals win Algramo: Top Idea in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s $1 Million Circular Design Challenge, MIT Solve Circular Economy Challenge, and First place in the National Geographic’s Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge.
If you are interested in collaborating: brian@algramo.com
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
102 Jo Spolton – making second-hand our first choice16th April 2023
Circular economy
enablers
fashion
technology
Jo Spolton is the founder of Rumage, a brilliant online platform that makes it super-easy for people to find – and buy – exactly what they’re looking for across a wide range of secondhand marketplaces. Jo is a Fine Art graduate and was a professional racing sailor. Her adventures when sailing around the world opened a window, showing how badly…
101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit!2nd April 2023
business models
Circular economy
strategy
Episode 101 seems like a good time to update my ‘what is the circular economy’ summary from Episode 1, back in 2019. In that first episode, I outlined the 5 components in my CE Framework, one of the core themes in A CE Handbook. Those 5 components are product design, safe, sustainable materials, circular processes, recovery flows, and business models.…
100 Catherine Weetman – never too old to be bold19th March 2023
Circular economy
risks
strategy
Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit. Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a…
99 Ben Jeffreys – clean, low-carbon, circular cooking for all5th March 2023
Carbon
Circular economy
services
social value
technology
Ben Jeffreys, co-founder of ATEC, is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur making better things happen. Right now, he’s focused on decarbonising cooking 🍳, which is a leading cause of illness and death for women and children, The WHO says around a third of the global population cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung…
98 Barry O’Kane – Software as a circular enabler19th February 2023
business models
Circular economy
enablers
It’s episode 98, and Catherine Weetman is talking to Barry O’Kane about software, one of the key enablers for circular economy solutions. Barry O’Kane founded HappyPorch, a software engineering specialist and consultancy (and now a certified B Corp) in 2015, and I met Barry a few years ago when he asked me to help him find examples of software that…
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Jo Spolton is the founder of Rumage, a brilliant online platform that makes it super-easy for people to find – and buy – exactly what they’re looking for across a wide range of secondhand marketplaces.
Jo is a Fine Art graduate and was a professional racing sailor. Her adventures when sailing around the world opened a window, showing how badly global consumption is affecting our planet.
On the Rumage website, under a heading that says “let’s make secondhand first choice”, Jo explains why she’s driven to do this, saying: “I wanted my children to grow up knowing that as consumers they have a choice. Fast fashion, our disposable economy, always buying new is unsustainable. Buying second hand means less resources being used up, less energy, less manufacturing, less shipping, less landfill. The choice is ours. Rumage.com is here to make it easy.”
In this episode, Jo Spolton tells us how she came up with the idea for Rumage, and shares some of the challenges of starting up, including creating a basic test product, getting clear on what customers really want, and the difficulties of securing funding.
Jo talks us through her insights on customer trends, and how people are moving away from ownership and towards renting, sharing and subscriptions.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * Jo Spolton on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-spolton-46ab923/ * Rumage website https://rumage.com/ * Twitter and Instagram @GoRumage: https://twitter.com/GoRumage https://www.facebook.com/GoRumage https://www.instagram.com/gorumage/ * Rumage on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/7776848
Books, people and other companies we mentioned:
- The E-Myth Revisited, by Michael Gerber https://strategiesforinfluence.com/michael-gerber-the-e-myth/
- Episode 31 with Tom Fecarotta of Rheaply https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-31-tom-fecarotta-of-rheaply/
- Episode 32 with Christian van Maaren of Excess Materials Exchange https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-32-christian-van-maaren-of-excess-materials-exchange/
- Episode 37 with Lieke van Kerkoven of FLOOW2 https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-37-lieke-van-kerkoven-of-floow2/
About Jo SpoltonJo Spolton is a Central Saint Martins Fine Art graduate and was a professional sailor with the British Match Racing team. However it was her round the world sailing that unveiled the impact global consumption was having on the planet.
She grew her first website, a kids clothes and toys marketplace with a local twist, to national coverage, but observed fragmentation of the space was preventing people from making it their first choice.
It was an obvious solution to aggregate all the sites and surprisingly it was still unchartered water, so she pivoted and Rumage was the result.
About RumageRumage is an award winning business which provides a fast and efficient aggregation of the second-hand sector. We help people make second-hand a viable first choice. Changing consumption habits will reduce landfill and the environmental stresses resulting from consumer lead demand.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit!2nd April 2023
business models
Circular economy
strategy
Episode 101 seems like a good time to update my ‘what is the circular economy’ summary from Episode 1, back in 2019. In that first episode, I outlined the 5 components in my CE Framework, one of the core themes in A CE Handbook. Those 5 components are product design, safe, sustainable materials, circular processes, recovery flows, and business models.…
100 Catherine Weetman – never too old to be bold19th March 2023
Circular economy
risks
strategy
Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit. Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a…
99 Ben Jeffreys – clean, low-carbon, circular cooking for all5th March 2023
Carbon
Circular economy
services
social value
technology
Ben Jeffreys, co-founder of ATEC, is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur making better things happen. Right now, he’s focused on decarbonising cooking 🍳, which is a leading cause of illness and death for women and children, The WHO says around a third of the global population cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung…
98 Barry O’Kane – Software as a circular enabler19th February 2023
business models
Circular economy
enablers
It’s episode 98, and Catherine Weetman is talking to Barry O’Kane about software, one of the key enablers for circular economy solutions. Barry O’Kane founded HappyPorch, a software engineering specialist and consultancy (and now a certified B Corp) in 2015, and I met Barry a few years ago when he asked me to help him find examples of software that…
97 Alice Mah – unpicking plastics propaganda5th February 2023
Circular economy
Packaging
plastics
recycling
IT’S EPISODE 97, and today we’ll be talking about plastics, a familiar circular economy topic, from someone with a someone with a less familiar background… Alice Mah is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, in the UK, and she’ll help us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy I came across Alice’s work…
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Catherine Weetman says “episode 101 seems like a good time to update my ‘what is the circular economy’ summary from Episode 1, back in 2019.
In that first episode, I outlined the 5 components in my CE Framework, one of the core themes in A CE Handbook. Those 5 components are product design, safe, sustainable materials, circular processes, recovery flows, and business models. I see these as the intervention points in value chains, the places where you can start to develop circular solutions, so you get more value from less resources, and you eliminate the concept of waste.
For businesses, it’s often easier to start with strategy, and so when I talk to organisations today, I focus on 3 simple strategies that are better for people, planet, and profit. To unpack that a bit, these strategies make positive impacts for sustainability and create more value for all your stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders – and, crucially, for future generations. If you like, these 3 strategies target the sweetspot between sustainability and stakeholder value.
Today, we’ll explore those strategies and unpack some of the ways they create value – financial benefits, improving resilience, reducing risk – and providing solutions your customers will love.”
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Sarah Archer Social Media & Website Links:
- Signature Talk Masterclass: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/masterclass
- Website: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk
- Podcast: https://www.thespeakingclub.com
- Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraharcher15/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraharcher15/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahArcher15
Resources we mentioned…
- Episode 24 – Steve Haskew of Circular Computing https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-24-steve-haskew-of-circular-computing/
- Episode 77 Steve Haskew – The world’s first Kitemark for Remanufactured Laptops https://www.rethinkglobal.info/77-steve-haskew-remanufactured-laptops/
- Episode 33 – Greg Lavery of Rype Office https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-33-greg-lavery-of-rype-office/
- PlasticFree toolkit from A Plastic Planet “The world’s first innovation platform for materials and systems solutions, PlasticFree will become the trusted, global, authoritative resource to help the creative industry design out plastic waste at source and accelerate towards a better future.” https://aplasticplanet.com/trust-marks/
Catherine was interviewed by Sarah ArcherSpeaking is the most powerful marketing and motivational tool, and we use it everywhere in business, from pitches to presentations … but people often make mistakes that can sabotage their success, and that’s what Sarah Archer helps you avoid, so that you can get more success when you talk.
Sarah is on a mission to show authors, experts, coaches and aspiring change makers how to create a signature talk that uses stories to get more compliments and conversions. This is so that you can have more impact, invitations and income as a speaker – in a way that aligns to your values and without losing your personality!
Sarah is a speaking and marketing coach, writer, comedian, performer, ex-HR Director, and host of The Speaking Club Podcast, (which is in the top 1.5% of podcasts and in over 190 countries). This mix means she is uniquely qualified to teach you how to create content that makes your audience stop, engage and fall in love with your message.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
100 Catherine Weetman – never too old to be bold19th March 2023
Circular economy
risks
strategy
Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit. Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a…
99 Ben Jeffreys – clean, low-carbon, circular cooking for all5th March 2023
Carbon
Circular economy
services
social value
technology
Ben Jeffreys, co-founder of ATEC, is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur making better things happen. Right now, he’s focused on decarbonising cooking 🍳, which is a leading cause of illness and death for women and children, The WHO says around a third of the global population cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung…
98 Barry O’Kane – Software as a circular enabler19th February 2023
business models
Circular economy
enablers
It’s episode 98, and Catherine Weetman is talking to Barry O’Kane about software, one of the key enablers for circular economy solutions. Barry O’Kane founded HappyPorch, a software engineering specialist and consultancy (and now a certified B Corp) in 2015, and I met Barry a few years ago when he asked me to help him find examples of software that…
97 Alice Mah – unpicking plastics propaganda5th February 2023
Circular economy
Packaging
plastics
recycling
IT’S EPISODE 97, and today we’ll be talking about plastics, a familiar circular economy topic, from someone with a someone with a less familiar background… Alice Mah is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, in the UK, and she’ll help us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy I came across Alice’s work…
96 Nick Oettinger – keeping mattresses in circulation22nd January 2023
Circular economy
consumer durables
design
materials
recycling
reuse
Nick Oettinger is Founder and CEO of The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) in the UK. Nick has 12 years’ experience in recycling and waste management. He was previously Managing Director of a specialist construction company before moving into the waste and recycling sector, where he spent five years as an improvement consultant and nine years in product recycling. The…
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Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit:
Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a bit more about me and how I came to do this – my ‘why’, if you like.
I was feeling really uncomfortable talking about my story, and then fate stepped in to lend a hand… someone I’m a big fan of – Sarah Archer – invited me to be a guest for her very popular Speaking Club Podcast.
Sarah Archer is a speaking and marketing coach, writer, comedian, performer, and ex-HR Director. This mix means she is uniquely qualified to teach us how to create content that makes our audience stop, engage and fall in love with our message.
Sarah is on a mission to show authors, experts, coaches and aspiring change makers how to create a signature talk that uses stories – in a way that aligns to your values and without losing your personality! I’m trying to make more impact with my talks, and Sarah’s been helping me out with that.
In this episode, you’ll hear Sarah’s interview with me, asking what sparked my interest, why I decided to call time on my corporate career and go all-in with helping people shift towards the beautiful, fair, regenerative future that we know is possible.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
Sarah Archer Social Media & Website Links:
- Signature Talk Masterclass: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/masterclass
- Website: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk
- Podcast: https://www.thespeakingclub.com
- Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraharcher15/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraharcher15/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahArcher15
Books and people we mentioned…
- Sense and Sustainability by Ken Webster and Craig Johnson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7522358-sense-and-sustainability
- The Wicked7 Project: As the world faces a growing number of existential challenges, our governments and institutions are failing us precisely at the moment we need them most. What if we could come together to work on identifying and developing public, common-good solutions to the world’s most urgent wicked problems? https://www.wicked7.org/about/
- Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts (2008), by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson https://www.amazon.com/Mistakes-Were-Made-But-Not/dp/0156033909/
- Mark Steel – on BBC Radio 4 with Mark Steel’s In Town https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rtbk8/episodes/guide
About Sarah Archer…Speaking is the most powerful marketing and motivational tool, and we use it everywhere in business, from pitches to presentations … but people often make mistakes that can sabotage their success, and that’s what Sarah Archer helps you avoid, so that you can get more success when you talk.
Sarah is on a mission to show authors, experts, coaches and aspiring change makers how to create a signature talk that uses stories to get more compliments and conversions. This is so that you can have more impact, invitations and income as a speaker – in a way that aligns to your values and without losing your personality!
Sarah is a speaking and marketing coach, writer, comedian, performer, ex-HR Director, and host of The Speaking Club Podcast, (which is in the top 1.5% of podcasts and in over 190 countries). This mix means she is uniquely qualified to teach you how to create content that makes your audience stop, engage and fall in love with your message.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
99 Ben Jeffreys – clean, low-carbon, circular cooking for all5th March 2023
Carbon
Circular economy
services
social value
technology
Ben Jeffreys, co-founder of ATEC, is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur making better things happen. Right now, he’s focused on decarbonising cooking 🍳, which is a leading cause of illness and death for women and children, The WHO says around a third of the global population cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung…
98 Barry O’Kane – Software as a circular enabler19th February 2023
business models
Circular economy
enablers
It’s episode 98, and Catherine Weetman is talking to Barry O’Kane about software, one of the key enablers for circular economy solutions. Barry O’Kane founded HappyPorch, a software engineering specialist and consultancy (and now a certified B Corp) in 2015, and I met Barry a few years ago when he asked me to help him find examples of software that…
97 Alice Mah – unpicking plastics propaganda5th February 2023
Circular economy
Packaging
plastics
recycling
IT’S EPISODE 97, and today we’ll be talking about plastics, a familiar circular economy topic, from someone with a someone with a less familiar background… Alice Mah is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, in the UK, and she’ll help us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy I came across Alice’s work…
96 Nick Oettinger – keeping mattresses in circulation22nd January 2023
Circular economy
consumer durables
design
materials
recycling
reuse
Nick Oettinger is Founder and CEO of The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) in the UK. Nick has 12 years’ experience in recycling and waste management. He was previously Managing Director of a specialist construction company before moving into the waste and recycling sector, where he spent five years as an improvement consultant and nine years in product recycling. The…
95 Simone Andersson – social value from circular e-waste solutions8th January 2023
Circular economy
recycling
reuse
social value
technology
Simone Andersson is Chief Commercial Officer at WEEE Centre, a Kenyan social enterprise that’s been expanding safe e-waste management and circular solutions across East Africa, since 2012. Simone’s background is in communication and sustainability action around waste and water management, and before joining the WEEE Centre she was at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), where she led innovative developmental projects…
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Ben Jeffreys, co-founder of ATEC, is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur making better things happen. Right now, he’s focused on decarbonising cooking 🍳, which is a leading cause of illness and death for women and children,
The WHO says around a third of the global population cook using open fires or inefficient stoves fuelled by kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung and crop waste) and coal. That generates harmful household air pollution 🤒, and inhaling those toxic fumes kills more people than malaria, and creates emissions, in the form of black carbon. The IPCC says that replacing these with clean stoves could save between 0.6 and 2.4 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.
Ben and the ATEC team first got clear on the root cause of the key problems with existing biodigesters, in particular for regions like Cambodia, that are prone to annual floods. ATEC looked at how nature🌱 already solves this, and used that to create a ground-breaking biodigester design. Ben explains how ATEC has come up with other innovations, including using the IoT, to make the solution more affordable and circular, with potential for carbon credits.
We’ll hear about the many benefits for farmers and local households, how to design for unintended uses of manure, the role of methane in the environment, and some of the challenges of social media and social enterprise.
Before ATEC, Ben Jeffreys held leadership positions in strategy and growth with the likes of Oxfam, School for Social Entrepreneurs, and Westfield.
Ben describes his approach as unashamedly impatient and bold, and he believes that modern, decarbonised cooking can be a reality for a further 4 billion people by 2030. To Ben, this is not pipe-dream, but a technically solvable problem through disruptive technology, financial innovation, carbon markets and eCommerce. As well as being a trailblazer in his field, Ben is a family man, and puts purpose first, taking a big leap in 2015 when moving his young family to Cambodia to found the business.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * ATEC website https://www.atecglobal.io/ * ATEC on Twitter https://twitter.com/atecglobal1 * ATEC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/atecglobal1 * Ben Jeffreys on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/btjeffreys/ * Engineers without Borders https://ewb.org.au/ * World Health Organisation article on rural cooking and air pollution https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health * World Economic Forum article on the impacts of air pollution from cooking https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/polluting-cooking-fuels-deaths-women-climate/
About Ben JeffreysBen Jeffreys is a multi-award winning social entrepreneur driven to make better things happen. Right now, his focus is on decarbonising cooking globally, a leading cause of death for women which also generates 2% of global emissions.
Having previously held leadership positions in strategy and growth with the likes of Oxfam, School for Social Entrepreneurs, and Westfield, Ben is the CEO and co-founder of clean cooking and climate change startup, ATEC.
Unashamedly impatient and bold in his approach, Ben believes that modern, decarbonised cooking can be a reality for a further 4 billion people by 2030. To Ben, this is not pipe-dream, but a technically solvable problem through disruptive technology, financial innovation, carbon markets and eCommerce.
Ben is not only a trailblazer in his field, he’s a proudly present family man, big-hearted, and puts purpose before traditional notions of security. Like the leap he and his young family took in 2015 when moving to Cambodia to found ATEC.
Ben leads with questions, not statements – and it’s this insatiable curiosity that allows the ATEC team to learn, work at pace, and grow.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
98 Barry O’Kane – Software as a circular enabler19th February 2023
business models
Circular economy
enablers
It’s episode 98, and Catherine Weetman is talking to Barry O’Kane about software, one of the key enablers for circular economy solutions. Barry O’Kane founded HappyPorch, a software engineering specialist and consultancy (and now a certified B Corp) in 2015, and I met Barry a few years ago when he asked me to help him find examples of software that…
97 Alice Mah – unpicking plastics propaganda5th February 2023
Circular economy
Packaging
plastics
recycling
IT’S EPISODE 97, and today we’ll be talking about plastics, a familiar circular economy topic, from someone with a someone with a less familiar background… Alice Mah is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, in the UK, and she’ll help us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy I came across Alice’s work…
96 Nick Oettinger – keeping mattresses in circulation22nd January 2023
Circular economy
consumer durables
design
materials
recycling
reuse
Nick Oettinger is Founder and CEO of The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) in the UK. Nick has 12 years’ experience in recycling and waste management. He was previously Managing Director of a specialist construction company before moving into the waste and recycling sector, where he spent five years as an improvement consultant and nine years in product recycling. The…
95 Simone Andersson – social value from circular e-waste solutions8th January 2023
Circular economy
recycling
reuse
social value
technology
Simone Andersson is Chief Commercial Officer at WEEE Centre, a Kenyan social enterprise that’s been expanding safe e-waste management and circular solutions across East Africa, since 2012. Simone’s background is in communication and sustainability action around waste and water management, and before joining the WEEE Centre she was at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), where she led innovative developmental projects…
94 David Peck – navigating the risk of Critical Raw Materials18th December 2022
Circular economy
materials
risk
David Peck, Associate Professor at TU Delft, explains why we need to know more about critical raw materials – what they are used in, and how we might navigate the future challenges they present. David Peck is Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, at Delft University of…
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Catherine Weetman talks to Barry O’Kane about software, one of the key enablers for circular economy solutions.
Barry O’Kane founded HappyPorch, a software engineering specialist and consultancy (and now a certified B Corp) in 2015. Catherine met Barry a few years ago when he asked her to help him find examples of software that was supporting circular economy strategies. Barry interviewed a few of those companies for Happy Porch Radio, and has featured many more software-related circular businesses on his podcast.
Barry outlines the trends he’s seeing, as businesses and developers start to build software solutions to support circular economy business models and recovery systems. Barry explains the importance of context-specific solutions, and outlines some of the software related barriers that are making it difficult for bigger businesses to adopt circular systems and processes.
He also explains how software can help you get a much better understanding of the current system, and what the possibilities might be.
They discuss the potential uses of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, including visual Machine Learning, and about blockchain, and Barry shares his lessons learned from seeing businesses trying to get started with circular solutions.
Barry talks about infrastructure software, which in this context means software to help business organizations perform basic tasks such as business transactions, supply chain management, workforce management and other internal services and processes.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover!
* Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
* Happy Porch: https://www.happyporch.com/
* Happy Porch Radio – focusing on circular economy software solutions https://happyporchradio.com/
Barry O’Kane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barryokane/
* Tom Harper – Unusual Rigging – episode 3 https://www.rethinkglobal.info/tom-harper-circular-asset-management/
* Reath https://reath.id/ and Happy Porch Radio https://happyporchradio.com/season-5/episodes/e19-building-digital-infrastructure-circular-economy-claire-rampen-emily-rogers/
About Barry O’KaneBarry says: I founded HappyPorch (now a certified B Corp) in 2015.
HappyPorch is a software engineering specialist and consultancy. We work with entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, turning technology into action. Together with our clients and partners, we develop concepts into solutions that impact people’s lives, their business and the planet for the better.
The company also embodies two other values that are important to me: we’ve been fully remote and distributed since the beginning and we operate a radically transparent and open culture. That has allowed us to build an incredibly talented, aligned and inspiring team. It is humbling and an honour to be part of it.
Outside work I travel a lot and enjoy good whiskey and outdoor adventures. I’m also a charity trustee.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
97 Alice Mah – unpicking plastics propaganda5th February 2023
Circular economy
Packaging
plastics
recycling
IT’S EPISODE 97, and today we’ll be talking about plastics, a familiar circular economy topic, from someone with a someone with a less familiar background… Alice Mah is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, in the UK, and she’ll help us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy I came across Alice’s work…
96 Nick Oettinger – keeping mattresses in circulation22nd January 2023
Circular economy
consumer durables
design
materials
recycling
reuse
Nick Oettinger is Founder and CEO of The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) in the UK. Nick has 12 years’ experience in recycling and waste management. He was previously Managing Director of a specialist construction company before moving into the waste and recycling sector, where he spent five years as an improvement consultant and nine years in product recycling. The…
95 Simone Andersson – social value from circular e-waste solutions8th January 2023
Circular economy
recycling
reuse
social value
technology
Simone Andersson is Chief Commercial Officer at WEEE Centre, a Kenyan social enterprise that’s been expanding safe e-waste management and circular solutions across East Africa, since 2012. Simone’s background is in communication and sustainability action around waste and water management, and before joining the WEEE Centre she was at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), where she led innovative developmental projects…
94 David Peck – navigating the risk of Critical Raw Materials18th December 2022
Circular economy
materials
risk
David Peck, Associate Professor at TU Delft, explains why we need to know more about critical raw materials – what they are used in, and how we might navigate the future challenges they present. David Peck is Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, at Delft University of…
93 Guglielmo Mazza – helping communities refuse packaging waste4th December 2022
Circular economy
Packaging
recycling
social value
Guglielmo Mazzà is an environmental engineer and social entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a social enterprise based in Beirut [Lebanon] that offers community-based solid waste management services. Guglielmo worked in development initiatives and humanitarian response in the field of water, sanitation, hygiene and financial inclusion, across Europe and Africa. His passion is combining equitable access to resources…
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In this episode, Catherine talks about plastics, a familiar circular economy topic, with someone from less familiar background…
Alice Mah is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, in the UK, and she’ll help us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy
Catherine came across Alice’s work when IEMA’s Transform magazine interviewed her about her latest book, Plastic Unlimited: How Corporations are Fuelling the Ecological Crisis and What We Can Do About It. (IEMA is the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.)
Alice unpacked some of the ways the plastics industry is trying to improve our perception of plastics, including how it tries to reframe the circular economy as a recycling issue. She highlighted other worrying aspects of how the petrochemicals industry is operating, and we’ll hear some of those.
Alice Mah holds a PhD in Sociology from the London School of Economics and was Principal Investigator of the large-scale European Research Council project “Toxic Expertise: Environmental Justice and the Global Petrochemical Industry” from 2015-2020. Her research focuses on environmental justice, corporate power, and the politics of green industrial transformations. Her next book the is Petrochemical Planet: Multiscalar Battles of Industrial Transformation.
In today’s conversation, Alice helps bust some myths around plastics and their potential role in a circular economy…
Myth #1 Plastics can support a Net Zero economy
Myth #2 Plastics are safe – in other words, it’s wrong to link plastics to health issues
Myth #3 Plastics are essential for our quality of life
Myth #4 Exporting plastic waste to low-income countries helps the country, and/or the local people, create value from that plastic
Myth #5 Plastic recycling can play an important role in the circular economy.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * Alice Mah: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/alice_mah * Plastic Unlimited: How Corporations are Fuelling the Ecological Crisis and What We Can Do About It by Alice Mah, published by Polity Press (£14.99). * Alice’s article in the Guardian: How the plastic industry turned the pandemic to its advantage https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/24/how-the-plastic-industry-turned-the-pandemic-to-its-advantage * Alice’s interview for IEMA Transform magazine https://www.iema.net/articles/a-continuing-crisis-corporations-owning-the-circular-economy-narrative#sts=Alice%20Mah%20tells%20Chris%20Seekings%20how%20plastics%20and%20chemical%20companies%20are%20taking%20control%20of%20the%20circular%20economy%20narrative * Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives https://www.no-burn.org/ and their Zero Waste resources https://www.no-burn.org/going-zero-waste/ * Break Free from Plastic – which publishes the annual brand plastic waste audits https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/ * Report Plastic & Health: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet with Earthworks, GAIA, Healthy Babies Bright Futures, IPEN, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (t.e.j.a.s.), University of Exeter, and UPSTREAM https://www.ciel.org/project-update/plastic-and-human-health-a-lifecycle-approach-to-plastic-pollution/
About Alice MahAlice Mah is Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the London School of Economics and was Principal Investigator of the large-scale European Research Council project “Toxic Expertise: Environmental Justice and the Global Petrochemical Industry” from 2015-2020.
Her research focuses on environmental justice, corporate power, and the politics of green industrial transformations, which are the subjects of her two most recent books: Plastic Unlimited: How Corporations are Fuelling the Ecological Crisis and What We Can Do About It (Polity, 2022) and Petrochemical Planet: Multiscalar Battles of Industrial Transformation (Duke University Press, forthcoming).
She is the author of Industrial Ruination, Community, and Place, winner of the 2013 BSA Philip Abrams Memorial Prize, Port Cities and Global Legacies, and (with Thom Davies) Toxic Truths: Environmental Justice and Citizen Science in a Post-Truth Age.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
96 Nick Oettinger – keeping mattresses in circulation22nd January 2023
Circular economy
consumer durables
design
materials
recycling
reuse
Nick Oettinger is Founder and CEO of The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) in the UK. Nick has 12 years’ experience in recycling and waste management. He was previously Managing Director of a specialist construction company before moving into the waste and recycling sector, where he spent five years as an improvement consultant and nine years in product recycling. The…
95 Simone Andersson – social value from circular e-waste solutions8th January 2023
Circular economy
recycling
reuse
social value
technology
Simone Andersson is Chief Commercial Officer at WEEE Centre, a Kenyan social enterprise that’s been expanding safe e-waste management and circular solutions across East Africa, since 2012. Simone’s background is in communication and sustainability action around waste and water management, and before joining the WEEE Centre she was at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), where she led innovative developmental projects…
94 David Peck – navigating the risk of Critical Raw Materials18th December 2022
Circular economy
materials
risk
David Peck, Associate Professor at TU Delft, explains why we need to know more about critical raw materials – what they are used in, and how we might navigate the future challenges they present. David Peck is Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, at Delft University of…
93 Guglielmo Mazza – helping communities refuse packaging waste4th December 2022
Circular economy
Packaging
recycling
social value
Guglielmo Mazzà is an environmental engineer and social entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a social enterprise based in Beirut [Lebanon] that offers community-based solid waste management services. Guglielmo worked in development initiatives and humanitarian response in the field of water, sanitation, hygiene and financial inclusion, across Europe and Africa. His passion is combining equitable access to resources…
92 Elmar Stroomer – circular textile solutions in Africa20th November 2022
design
fashion & textiles
recycling
reuse
social value
upcycling
Elmar Stroomer is the founder of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT). Africa Collect Textiles does exactly that – collecting used textiles across Africa, for reuse, recycling and upcycling. Elmar Stroomer has a strong background in the circular economy and design, and lived in Kenya and Uganda between 2012 and 2017 to get Africa Collect Textiles up and running. Now, Elmar is…
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Catherine Weetman talks to Nick Oettinger, Founder and CEO of The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) in the UK. Nick has 12 years’ experience in recycling and waste management. He was previously Managing Director of a specialist construction company before moving into the waste and recycling sector, where he spent five years as an improvement consultant and nine years in product recycling.
The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) provides mattress recycling, rejuvenation and collection, working in the UK with bed retailers, local authorities, home delivery companies and waste management sites to keep mattresses and their materials in circulation. They rejuvenate and recycle over 10,000 mattresses each week, and are responsible for diverting nearly 9% of all UK mattresses away from landfill.
We’ll hear how online retailing has transformed the market for mattresses, and led to increased levels of returns. Nick explains the complexity of mattress designs, and how TFR Group is going beyond recycling to help its customers recover more value from unwanted mattresses.
Nick describes the broader circular services and advice offered to The Furniture Recyclng Group’s clients, and what makes mattresses such a challenging product to reuse or remake, including barriers created by our sub-conscious perceptions.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * Nick Oettinger on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-oettinger-a9452912/ * The Furniture Recycling Group https://www.tfrgroup.co.uk/ * TFR Group’s sister company, providing mattress UK from-home collection and recycling https://themattressrecyclingpeople.co.uk/ * Vojtech Vosecky’s LinkedIn post about IKEA’s circular economics for sofas https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vojtechvosecky_circulareconomy-sustainability-innovation-activity-6997816938336776193-Wsvs/ * Dan Dicker of Circular and Co in Episode 36 https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-36-dan-dicker-of-circular&co/ * Brandalism recent ‘subvert’ about Toyota, BMW, electric cars, greenwashing https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/01/16/brandalism-slams-toyota-and-bmw-greenwashing-latest-guerilla-billboard-campaign
About Nick OettingerNick Oettinger has extensive experience in the recycling and waste management industry, which has provided him with the knowledge and experience to lead on and implement circular economy principles in the real world.
He is responsible for leading the vision of TFR Group as the market leader in the industry. His role also includes offering strategic advice and support to clients, providing consultancy to the wider industry, and overseeing its innovative research and development programme to ensure TFR Group continues to improve its efficiencies and processes to grow sustainably.
Nick was recognised by The Global Recycling Foundation as one of the world’s recycling heroes due to his dedication to the circular economy, tackling the UK mattress recycling problem and heading up the firm’s extensive R&D programme.
The Furniture Recycling Group (TFR Group) is a mattress recycling, rejuvenation and collection firm, working with national bed retailers, local authorities, home delivery companies and waste management sites to divert this difficult waste stream from bursting landfill sites. They rejuvenate and recycle up to 11,000 mattresses each week, and are responsible for diverting nearly 9% of all UK mattresses away from landfill.
Research and development is at the heart of TFR Group, pioneering innovative new solutions to problems no one else had even identified, let alone tried to tackle. Mattresses are notoriously a time-intensive and manually arduous task. However, TFR Group is tackling this problem with innovative processes that will significantly reduce the time taken to breakdown all types of mattresses and increase their capacity, ultimately meaning more mattresses can be rejuvenated and/or recycled, rather than ending up in landfill.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
95 Simone Andersson – social value from circular e-waste solutions8th January 2023
Circular economy
recycling
reuse
social value
technology
Simone Andersson is Chief Commercial Officer at WEEE Centre, a Kenyan social enterprise that’s been expanding safe e-waste management and circular solutions across East Africa, since 2012. Simone’s background is in communication and sustainability action around waste and water management, and before joining the WEEE Centre she was at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), where she led innovative developmental projects…
94 David Peck – navigating the risk of Critical Raw Materials18th December 2022
Circular economy
materials
risk
David Peck, Associate Professor at TU Delft, explains why we need to know more about critical raw materials – what they are used in, and how we might navigate the future challenges they present. David Peck is Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, at Delft University of…
93 Guglielmo Mazza – helping communities refuse packaging waste4th December 2022
Circular economy
Packaging
recycling
social value
Guglielmo Mazzà is an environmental engineer and social entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a social enterprise based in Beirut [Lebanon] that offers community-based solid waste management services. Guglielmo worked in development initiatives and humanitarian response in the field of water, sanitation, hygiene and financial inclusion, across Europe and Africa. His passion is combining equitable access to resources…
92 Elmar Stroomer – circular textile solutions in Africa20th November 2022
design
fashion & textiles
recycling
reuse
social value
upcycling
Elmar Stroomer is the founder of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT). Africa Collect Textiles does exactly that – collecting used textiles across Africa, for reuse, recycling and upcycling. Elmar Stroomer has a strong background in the circular economy and design, and lived in Kenya and Uganda between 2012 and 2017 to get Africa Collect Textiles up and running. Now, Elmar is…
91 Michael Smith – Investing in regenerative startups6th November 2022
Catherine is talking to Michael Smith, General Partner of Regeneration.VC, an investment fund set up earlier in 2022 that is investing in solutions addressing the climate emergency. The Regeneration.VC advisory board includes Bill McDonough, one of the early and leading thinkers on the circular economy, and co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The board also…
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Catherine Weetman talks to Simone Andersson, Chief Commercial Officer at WEEE Centre, a Kenyan social enterprise that’s been expanding safe e-waste management and circular solutions across East Africa, since 2012.
Simone’s background is in communication and sustainability action around waste and water management, and before joining the WEEE Centre she was at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), where she led innovative developmental projects on resource efficiency, circular economy systems, traceability, precious materials and various solid and liquid wastes.
Her mission is to create awareness about the possibilities and prosperity of Green Business and Clean Tech.
The WEEE Centre focuses on people, planet and prosperity, in particular by helping young people improve their social and economic circumstances. It’s aiming to expand the collection infrastructure to cover all Kenyan Counties and to increase local recycling by bringing more advanced technologies. It also wants to reach other African countries, starting with neighboring Uganda and Tanzania.
By 2019, the WEEE Centre had recycled more than 10,000tons of e-waste, serving over 8,000 clients across Africa, and creating hundreds of jobs. It became the first and only e-waste management organization to be ISO certified with multiple awards. WEEE Centre has the capacity to recycle all types of e-waste, and has trained many other African countries on safe e-waste recycling.
We’ll hear about the operational complexities, some of the collaborations and partnerships they’ve fostered to overcome the challenges of being a relatively small enterprise, and how they’re trying to make sure they create value-adding circular flows, rather than focusing on recycling.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox
WEEE Centre
- YouTube: youtube.com/c/WEEECentre
- Facebook: facebook.com/WEEECentre
- Twitter: @TheWEEECentre
- Instagram: @weeecentre
- LinkedIn: The WEEE Centre linkedin.com/company/weeecentre/
- Website: weeecentre.com
Circular Innovation Hub, CIH
- Facebook: facebook.com/CircularIHub
- Twitter: @Circular_IHub
- Instagram: @circularinnovationhub
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/circularinnovationhub/
- Website: circularinnovationhub.com
About Simone AnderssonSimone Andersson is the Chief Commercial Officer at WEEE Centre, a Kenyan social enterprise, expanding safe e-waste management and circular solutions across East Africa, since 2012. With a BSc in Environment and Health from Umeå University, Sweden, she has +19 years’ experience of communication and sustainability action around waste and water management. Previously, at RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden), she led innovative developmental projects on resource efficiency, circular economy systems, traceability, precious materials and various solid and liquid waste in society.
Her mission is to push development of society positively forward by creating awareness about the possibilities and prosperity that lays in Green Business and Clean Tech. She takes pride in being an enabler and communicator – creating awareness, finding constructive collaborations and inspiring to action for holistic structures.
About WEEE Centre & the Circular Innovation Hub
WEEE Centre is a social enterprise with a mission to provide a green and safe environment through a circular vision for e-waste management – design and policy dialogues, collection, reuse and material recovery of electrical and electronic waste. In 2012, it sprung out of the NGO Computers For Schools Kenya, after some years of creating a take-back scheme from beneficiary Learning Institutions. The company is now ISO-certified for 9001 (quality) and 14001 (environment) and runs environment friendly operations with focus on people, planet and prosperity through involvement of youth to improve their social and economic circumstances. The aim is to expand the collection infrastructure to cover all Kenyan Counties and to increase the local recycling by bringing more advanced technologies and also open entities in other African countries, starting with neighboring Uganda and Tanzania.
To tackle issues regarding the lack of start-up and innovation support, as well and insufficient research and development infrastructure related to the Circular Economy in Kenya, WEEE Centre founded the Circular Innovation Hub (CIH) in September 2021. It highlights and supports solutions to Circular Economy problems through innovation, training, awareness creation and research & development. The CIH seeks to be the one-stop-shop where businesses, academia, entrepreneurs, authorities and investors can tackle common problems and find joint opportunities in the emerging Green/Clean Tech Industry.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
94 David Peck – navigating the risk of Critical Raw Materials18th December 2022
Circular economy
materials
risk
David Peck, Associate Professor at TU Delft, explains why we need to know more about critical raw materials – what they are used in, and how we might navigate the future challenges they present. David Peck is Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, at Delft University of…
93 Guglielmo Mazza – helping communities refuse packaging waste4th December 2022
Circular economy
Packaging
recycling
social value
Guglielmo Mazzà is an environmental engineer and social entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a social enterprise based in Beirut [Lebanon] that offers community-based solid waste management services. Guglielmo worked in development initiatives and humanitarian response in the field of water, sanitation, hygiene and financial inclusion, across Europe and Africa. His passion is combining equitable access to resources…
92 Elmar Stroomer – circular textile solutions in Africa20th November 2022
design
fashion & textiles
recycling
reuse
social value
upcycling
Elmar Stroomer is the founder of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT). Africa Collect Textiles does exactly that – collecting used textiles across Africa, for reuse, recycling and upcycling. Elmar Stroomer has a strong background in the circular economy and design, and lived in Kenya and Uganda between 2012 and 2017 to get Africa Collect Textiles up and running. Now, Elmar is…
91 Michael Smith – Investing in regenerative startups6th November 2022
Catherine is talking to Michael Smith, General Partner of Regeneration.VC, an investment fund set up earlier in 2022 that is investing in solutions addressing the climate emergency. The Regeneration.VC advisory board includes Bill McDonough, one of the early and leading thinkers on the circular economy, and co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The board also…
90 – Does circular mean it’s sustainable?23rd October 2022
Circular economy
social value
sustainability
Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Or, are companies just using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints)? In this episode, I want to shine a light on something that’s been worrying me. Over the last few years, I’ve come to realise that the circular economy is not fit for purpose. It’s not helping create the future we…
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Catherine Weetman talks to David Peck, Associate Professor at TU Delft. David explains why we need to know more about Critical Raw Materials – what they are used in, and how we might navigate the future challenges they present.
David Peck is Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft).
David researches and teaches in the field of circular design, focusing on remanufacturing and critical materials. He is a founding member of the Circular Built Environment Hub and works cross disciplinary on circular challenges, in particular on digital, ICT, mobility and renewables fields.
David explains how Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) are defined, helping us understand why they are ‘critical’ from the perspective of different countries or regions, and how they are assessed and scored.
We discuss the pressure on CRMs, particularly from the perspective of low-carbon technologies, and how this presents ethical dilemmas around ‘fair shares’ for countries, and even across different industry sectors.
I ask David about the conversations he’s having with businesses and policymakers, and whether he’s noticing positive trends towards a good understanding of CRMs, and a recognition of the complex issues and risks.
We discuss the ethics and other issues around mining, and David unpacks the dangers of over-simplifying the arguments for avoiding more mining.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * David Peck on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-peck-b47ba412/ * EU Critical Raw Materials https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/sectors/raw-materials/areas-specific-interest/critical-raw-materials_en * US list of 50 Critical Raw Materials for 2022 https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/us-geological-survey-releases-2022-list-critical-minerals * British Geological Survey Critical Raw Materials https://www.bgs.ac.uk/geology-projects/critical-raw-materials/ * David mentioned The Hirschman-Herfindahl index (also known as Herfindahl–Hirschman Index, HHI, or sometimes HHI-score) is a measure of the size of firms in relation to the industry they are in and is an indicator of the amount of competition among them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herfindahl%E2%80%93Hirschman_index * Greta Thunberg’s charity donated money to cover legal costs of Indigenous Sami people in Sweden’s Arctic north, to help them battle a British mining company over plans for an iron-ore mine on reindeer-herding lands https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/22/greta-thunbergs-charity-donates-to-sami-campaign * The free TU Delft MOOC on critical raw materials – https://www.edx.org/course/critical-raw-materials-managing-resources-for-a-sustainable-future * BBC Radio – The Scramble for Rare Earths – series of 5 short (~15 minute) podcast episodes about critical materials https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001cf5r – also available on podcast apps
About David PeckDavid Peck is Associate Professor, Climate Design & Sustainability, Circular Built Environment and Critical Materials, Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft).
David researches and teaches in the field of circular design, focusing on remanufacturing and critical materials. He is a founding member of the Circular Built Environment Hub there. David works cross disciplinary on circular challenges, in particular on digital, ICT, mobility and renewables fields.
David is also Honorary Associate Professor with University College London – The Bartlett and an adjunct Professor at MIP Politecnico di Milano, Graduate School of Business. David sits on the executive board of KIC EIT Raw Materials.
David also works with ad hoc committees in the EU, Brussels, and is a Horizon Europe reviewer. He is the TU Delft lead scientist for EU Horizons 2020 projects Pop Machina, ProSUM, ERN and FP7 CRM_Innonet, and now Horizon Europe Widening project CiRCLETECH.
David is TU Delft representative for the EU KIC EIT Raw Materials and represents the university in the programme, along with projects in EU KIC EIT Manufacturing. He leads a number of projects in this important programme that has a focus on critical materials and circular economy, in particular Remanufacturing.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
93 Guglielmo Mazza – helping communities refuse packaging waste4th December 2022
Circular economy
Packaging
recycling
social value
Guglielmo Mazzà is an environmental engineer and social entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a social enterprise based in Beirut [Lebanon] that offers community-based solid waste management services. Guglielmo worked in development initiatives and humanitarian response in the field of water, sanitation, hygiene and financial inclusion, across Europe and Africa. His passion is combining equitable access to resources…
92 Elmar Stroomer – circular textile solutions in Africa20th November 2022
design
fashion & textiles
recycling
reuse
socialvalue
upcycling
Elmar Stroomer is the founder of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT). Africa Collect Textiles does exactly that – collecting used textiles across Africa, for reuse, recycling and upcycling. Elmar Stroomer has a strong background in the circular economy and design, and lived in Kenya and Uganda between 2012 and 2017 to get Africa Collect Textiles up and running. Now, Elmar is…
91 Michael Smith – Investing in regenerative startups6th November 2022
Catherine is talking to Michael Smith, General Partner of Regeneration.VC, an investment fund set up earlier in 2022 that is investing in solutions addressing the climate emergency. The Regeneration.VC advisory board includes Bill McDonough, one of the early and leading thinkers on the circular economy, and co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The board also…
90 – Does circular mean it’s sustainable?23rd October 2022
Circular economy
social value
sustainability
Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Or, are companies just using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints)? In this episode, I want to shine a light on something that’s been worrying me. Over the last few years, I’ve come to realise that the circular economy is not fit for purpose. It’s not helping create the future we…
89 Simon Hombersley – plastics from plant protein9th October 2022
biomimicry
Circular economy
plastics
regeneration
Simon Hombersley, CEO of Xampla, shares the story of how this Cambridge University spin-out has created the world’s first plant protein material for commercial use, pioneering the replacement of the most polluting plastics with natural alternatives. Xampla’s ambition is to become the leader in natural polymers, and it’s been developing its natural polymer resin over the past 15 years. The…
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Catherine Weetman talks to Guglielmo Mazzà, an environmental engineer and social entrepreneur, and the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a social enterprise based in Beirut [Lebanon] that offers community-based solid waste management services.
Guglielmo worked in development initiatives and humanitarian response in the field of water, sanitation, hygiene and financial inclusion, across Europe and Africa. His passion is combining equitable access to resources with ecosystem justice and restoration.
ReFuse has a mission to work with underserved communities, enabling them to sort recyclables and get rewarded for it. ReFuse says: “Where most people see a pile of waste, we see opportunities to improve the lives of vulnerable people. Secondary raw-materials have an unexploited value.”
Guglielmo explains some of the issues faced by many people living in Beirut, where approximately one-third of the population are migrants, with many living in temporary tented communities. Poverty, inequality and lack of government funds are big issues, and there is a lack of basic infrastructure, including a reliable electricity supply.
We hear how the ReFuse operation works, how they’ve expanded the range of materials they can recycle, and what they do with it all. We find out what motivates people to bring their recyclables along to the ReFuse stations – surprisingly, for many people, it’s not about the cash.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).
Stay in touch for free insights and updates…
Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…
You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.
Links we mention in the episode:* A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover! * Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox * ReFuse on Linkedin ReFuse | LinkedIn * Instagram ReFuse (@refuse.lebanon) is on Instagram * Facebook ReFuse – Home – facebook.com * Website refuse.eco * Guglielmo Mazza on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/guglielmo-mazzà/ * Nestlé – net plastic neutrality in the Philippines https://www.nestle.com.ph/media/news/maintaining-plastic-neutrality
About Guglielmo MazzàGuglielmo Mazzà is an environmental engineer and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and CEO of ReFuse, a social enterprise based in Beirut that offers community-based solid waste management services. Guglielmo worked in development initiatives and humanitarian response in the field of water, sanitation, and hygiene and financial inclusion.
Projects implemented reach Italy, Kosovo, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda. As a member of the Green Inclusive and Climate Smart Finance Action Group of the European Microfinance Platform and working with Microfinanza Srl, Guglielmo focused on the development of sustainable microcredit strategies and products for microfinance institutions in Africa and the MENA region.
His passion is combining equitable access to resources with ecosystem justice and restoration.
Interview TranscriptClick here to open the transcript…
Want to find out more about the circular economy?
If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy?
To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.
Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…
Podcast musicThanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.
92 Elmar Stroomer – circular textile solutions in Africa20th November 2022
design
fashion & textiles
recycling
reuse
socialvalue
upcycling
Elmar Stroomer is the founder of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT). Africa Collect Textiles does exactly that – collecting used textiles across Africa, for reuse, recycling and upcycling. Elmar Stroomer has a strong background in the circular economy and design, and lived in Kenya and Uganda between 2012 and 2017 to get Africa Collect Textiles up and running. Now, Elmar is…
91 Michael Smith – Investing in regenerative startups6th November 2022
Catherine is talking to Michael Smith, General Partner of Regeneration.VC, an investment fund set up earlier in 2022 that is investing in solutions addressing the climate emergency. The Regeneration.VC advisory board includes Bill McDonough, one of the early and leading thinkers on the circular economy, and co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The board also…
90 – Does circular mean it’s sustainable?23rd October 2022
Circular economy
social value
sustainability
Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Or, are companies just using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints)? In this episode, I want to shine a light on something that’s been worrying me. Over the last few years, I’ve come to realise that the circular economy is not fit for purpose. It’s not helping create the future we…
89 Simon Hombersley – plastics from plant protein9th October 2022
biomimicry
Circular economy
plastics
regeneration
Simon Hombersley, CEO of Xampla, shares the story of how this Cambridge University spin-out has created the world’s first plant protein material for commercial use, pioneering the replacement of the most polluting plastics with natural alternatives. Xampla’s ambition is to become the leader in natural polymers, and it’s been developing its natural polymer resin over the past 15 years. The…
88 Alexandra Rico-Lloyd – the Bike Club25th September 2022
Circular economy
mobility
rental
Alexandra Rico-Lloyd is one of the UK’s circular economy entrepreneurs, and is passionate about inspiring the next generation to get active and outdoors. Alexandra says there are over 12.5 million unused kids bikes, just in the UK. That spurred her on to create Bike Club back in 2016, to provide a better way to cycle; better for the environment, better…
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Elmar Stroomer is the founder of Africa Collect Textiles (ACT). Africa Collect Textiles does exactly that – collecting used textiles across Africa, for reuse, recycling and upcycling.
Elmar Stroomer has a strong background in the circular economy and design, and lived in Kenya and Uganda between 2012 and 2017 to get Africa Collect Textiles up and running. Now, Elmar is working full time on the expansion of ACT in Kenya and Nigeria. ACT aims to develop solutions to end the textile waste issues across Africa. It distributes free and affordable clothing to underprivileged communities, and currently has over 40 collection points in Nairobi and Lagos for used textiles. It provides employment to more than 50 people, who help collect, sort and upcycle fashion waste, used uniforms and off-cuts, creating products such as rugs, backpacks, toys and much more. On top of this, for every kilogram of used textiles it recycles, Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) donates 10 Kenyan shillings to charity. We hear about how fashion waste imported from the global north has undermined the existing textile and clothing sector in Kenya, and why Elmar decided to create a circular economy for locally produced textiles. Elmar tells us about some of the circular initiatives that ACT has set up, including repurposing workshops, services for resellers that overcome some of the major issues with the system for reselling imported end-of-use textiles, and innovative ways of repurposing end-of-life clothing for local businesses.
Catherine is talking to Michael Smith, General Partner of Regeneration.VC, an investment fund set up earlier in 2022 that is investing in solutions addressing the climate emergency. The Regeneration.VC advisory board includes Bill McDonough, one of the early and leading thinkers on the circular economy, and co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The board also includes Leonardo di Caprio, Academy Award®-winning actor, producer, and activist, and a longtime champion of global environmental issues. Michael explains how Regeneration.VC is focusing on potential game changers - for example, those using biomimetic approaches to innovation for materials, or on new recycling technology – and why it’s important to focus on regenerative innovations, as well as circular models. We hear about Regeneration.VC’s investment strategy, which looks at new ventures through 3 lenses: design (systems and materials inspired by natural processes), use (circular brands and products) and reuse (technologies repurposing materials and products). Michael shares highlights of a few of the companies in the portfolio and explains why he thinks they are such exciting investments.
Catherine is talking to Michael Smith, General Partner of Regeneration.VC, an investment fund set up earlier in 2022 that is investing in solutions addressing the climate emergency. The Regeneration.VC advisory board includes Bill McDonough, one of the early and leading thinkers on the circular economy, and co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The board also includes Leonardo di Caprio, Academy Award®-winning actor, producer, and activist, and a longtime champion of global environmental issues. Michael explains how Regeneration.VC is focusing on potential game changers - for example, those using biomimetic approaches to innovation for materials, or on new recycling technology – and why it’s important to focus on regenerative innovations, as well as circular models. We hear about Regeneration.VC’s investment strategy, which looks at new ventures through 3 lenses: design (systems and materials inspired by natural processes), use (circular brands and products) and reuse (technologies repurposing materials and products). Michael shares highlights of a few of the companies in the portfolio and explains why he thinks they are such exciting investments.
Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Or, are companies just using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints)? In this episode, I want to shine a light on something that’s been worrying me. Over the last few years, I've come to realise that the circular economy is not fit for purpose. It’s not helping create the future we need. Instead, it’s being watered down, and cherry picked. I’m seeing increasing numbers of businesses and policymakers choosing strategies that ARE circular - but aren’t improving sustainability. I’m going to be talking about loopholes, rather than loops… I think we’re at a critical turning point. We need to evolve the circular economy into a framework that supports the future we want – the future we know is possible. If we don’t, we’re letting all our work, our innovations, our struggles, go to waste. (And you don’t need me to remind you that waste shouldn’t exist in a circular economy!)
Simon Hombersley, CEO of Xampla, shares the story of how this Cambridge University spin-out has created the world’s first plant protein material for commercial use, pioneering the replacement of the most polluting plastics with natural alternatives. Xampla’s ambition is to become the leader in natural polymers, and it’s been developing its natural polymer resin over the past 15 years. The polymer, which Xampla describes as a breakthrough material, performs just like synthetic polymers, but decomposes naturally and fully without harming the environment at the end of life. Xampla is the first UK University spin-out to be awarded B Corp status and is working with multi-national companies, including Britvic, Gousto and Croda on new technologies.
Alexandra Rico-Lloyd is one of the UK’s circular economy entrepreneurs, and is passionate about inspiring the next generation to get active and outdoors. Alexandra says there are over 12.5 million unused kids bikes, just in the UK. That spurred her on to create Bike Club back in 2016, to provide a better way to cycle; better for the environment, better for parents and their children. Bike Club has revolutionised the traditional model of ownership, aiming to change family cycling forever. It’s had over $40million of funding and reached 40,000 cyclists so far, and Bike Club says that makes it the largest micro mobility network in the UK - larger than Uber and Santander Cycles (what we used to call Boris Bikes). Alexandra, who was recently listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, shares the story of how the Bike Club grew from a self-funded ‘minimum viable proposition’, with a few bikes packed into an attic spare room. She explains how it’s delivering deeper levels of value for customers, and how its collaboration with one of the UK’s leading retailers has opened up its next development phase.
Professor Veena Sahajwalla, founder of UNSW SMaRT Centre, is an internationally recognised materials scientist, engineer, and inventor who is revolutionising recycling science. In 2018, Veena launched the world's first e-waste MICROfactorieTM and in 2019 she launched her plastics and Green Ceramics MICROfactoriesTM, another breakthrough for recycling technology. Veena unpacks the concepts of micro-factories and micro-recycling, and we hear why it’s important to get clear on the constituent materials in waste flows – for example, not just textiles, but what the textile is made from. Veena explains the importance of thinking beyond the manufacture of the recycled material, so you are designing solutions that are properly suitable for high-value end-products. Veena also describes how the projects are collaborating with industry partners, helping open up opportunities for important local jobs, skills and resilient income streams.
We explore a different way of thinking, about how business fits into our society and economy. Jennifer Hinton is a systems researcher and activist in the field of sustainable economy. Her work focuses on how societies relate to profit and how that relationship affects global sustainability challenges. Jennifer started developing this theory in the book How on Earth, which outlines a conceptual model of a not-for-profit market economy – the Not-for-Profit World model. As an activist, Jennifer collaborates with civil society organizations, businesses, and policy makers to transform the economy so that it can work for everyone within the ecological limits of the planet. Jennifer holds a double PhD in Economics and Sustainability Science, and is a researcher at Lund University and a senior research fellow at the Schumacher Institute.
BONUS Ep85 part 2 - India Hamilton shares more about circular economy food coop SCOOP, Permaculture, membership models, and why she loves compliance officers. We also discuss the importance of supporting your local food economy, and how monopolies and exploitative capitalism are underming this.
India Hamilton, cofounder of circular economy food cooperative SCOOP explains the challenges of providing healthy, affordable and local food on a small island. We hear about the founding principles behind SCOOP and it’s ‘why’. India explains how SCOOP goes beyond the provision of local, healthy and sustainable food and is embedding circular solutions across the business. We find out how it survived during lockdown, and discuss India’s counter-intuitive conclusions about the real meaning of convenience
Catherine Weetman talks to Jo Chidley, a circular economy expert, chemist, herbal botanist, and co-founder of TWO successful circular economy businesses, Beauty Kitchen (which is on a mission to create the most effective, natural and sustainable beauty products in the world) and the business we’re focusing on today, ReRe. ReRe is a buy anywhere, return anywhere, reuse anywhere alternative to single-use packaging, helping retailers, brands and consumers to switch to Reuse & Refills across a wide range of products from milk to moisturisers and pasta to protein.
Kim Baker is Senior Director of Innovation at Elemental, which funds circular economy and climate tech solutions through a non-profit model. Elemental is on a mission to redesign the systems at the root of the climate problems , and it’s built a platform for scaling equitable, market-driven solutions, and to uplift people and communities around the world. Since 2009, Elemental has invested in over 130 growth-stage companies. Kim Baker has over 15 years of experience in launching and growing engineered systems into industrial and municipal markets. Currently, she works at the intersection of the built environment and carbon-related investments together with the design of technology demonstration projects. We find out what sets Elemental apart as a funder and hear about just a few of the many different types of businesses in the Elemental portfolio, including Trove, Thrilling, Goodr and Reath. Kim explains how Elemental finds and select the companies it invests in, and I also ask Kim about her background, and her ‘why’.
Maria Westerbos tells about the groundbreaking work of the Plastic Soup Foundation. Many of us are becoming increasingly aware of the amount of plastic in our lives – whether it is clothing and household textiles made from synthetic fibres like polyester, acrylic, lycra and so on, or the anti-crease finishes, flame retardants and other additives in those fibres. And of course, there’s plastic packaging, the outer cases of phones and laptops, and much, much more. Plastic has many useful properties: it can be moulded into complex shapes, it’s light weight, flexible, durable and so on. But now, we’re realizing there are downsides to all this – what happens when plastic is discarded, and ends up causing pollution and harm to other living species – and also, how plastic, and the chemicals it contains, is affecting our health. We know plastic particles and microfibres are now found all around the world, and are contaminating our water and food – but what about our contact with plastics in our daily lives… they are in lots of personal care products, we wear them next to our skin, we eat food that’s been wrapped in plastic. Maria Westerbos explains why we need to understand much more about the impact of plastics on our health, and how some of the organisations that exist to protect our health are – shamefully – looking the other way.
How do we navigate the tensions of having brilliant products that help us enjoy outdoor activities, yet which are difficult to repair and recycle? René Bethmann specializes in textile and apparel technology, and is leading new approaches to the design of more circular products and materials at Vaude Sports. René focuses on emotional durability, repairability and renewable or recyclable materials. Plus, if we focus on defossilization, not decarbonization, we can unlock new ways of thinking about textiles, coatings and other materials.
If you are a regular listener, you’ll know that every 10th episode, Catherine zooms in on one or two of the common themes from the last series of interviews. In the last series, we’ve heard from 4 businesses and 3 social enterprises, based in Australia, The Netherlands, France, Spain, the UK and the USA. What stood out this time was how circular solutions develop as they mature – that might be evolving to improve the range of solutions, to strengthen the offer or the business model, and maybe even having to pivot when a major barrier or issue crops up. Businesses and community initiatives might also want to expand their scale, so they can make a bigger positive difference.
You may be surprised to learn that, Instead of becoming waste for landfill, grape skins and other unused parts of grapes from the wine-making process can then go on to create important ingredients to support healthy living, which are used in supplements, foods and beverages.
Alvinesa Natural Ingredients based in Spain, is a “circular economy” leader of sustainable plant-based ingredients. New Chief Executive Jordi Ferre is leading the expansion of Alvinesa’s plant-based ingredients into the global food and nutrition markets. Jordi is an accomplished C-suite business leader who brings a strong commercial and operations background in the food sector, covering B2C as well as value-added food ingredients and agritech.
Colin Church, Chief Executive of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, the global network for the materials cycle – also known as IOM3, guides us through topics including critical materials, the complexities of modern supply chains, transparency and Life Cycle Analysis, the challenges of how we ensure fair shares of finite resources and much more.
Steve Haskew of Circular Computing, is back to tell us about how Circular Computing was awarded the world’s first BSI Kitemark™ for Remanufactured Laptops from the British Standards Institute. Steve explains what a Kitemark is, and why it’s important. Steve also tells us how the Kitemark has opened up conversations with new customers and partners, and why it’s important to realise that a zero carbon future can only happen if we go all-in for a circular economy.
Isolde de Ridder is a circular jeweller and goldsmith. She founded her business - Isolde de Ridder Sieraden, in 2017, to create high-end jewellery with the greatest care for both people and planet. Isolde gives discarded metals and other materials a second life, contributing to a better world for future generations. Isolde began her education to become a goldsmith in 2006, to combine her passion for gemstones, creativity and working with her hands. She’s inspired by Nature, gemstones, ancient civilizations and also more recent art movements. We talk about why reusing discarded precious metals is more complicated than it sounds, and how Isolde is encouraging people to bring old jewellery back to life, using her storytelling and design skills to help people repurpose jewellery and other materials into things they will treasure, and that remind them of their loved ones. Isolde tells us about her early interests, and how they led her to start this business, how she became disillusioned with the ethics of Fair Mined and Fairtrade Gold, and how that sparked the ideas for becoming a circular economy jeweller. Isolde describes some of the kinds of jewellery she designs, and how she uses old objects to embed precious memories into the finished product.
HELENA NORBERG-HODGE is a pioneer of the new economy movement and recipient of Right Livelihood Award (aka the "Alternative Nobel Prize"), the Arthur Morgan Award and the Goi Peace Prize for contributing to “the revitalization of cultural and biological diversity, and the strengthening of local communities and economies worldwide.” Helena Norberg-Hodge is also an author, and her most recent book is Local is Our Future. This book connects the dots between our social, economic, ecological and spiritual crises, revealing how a systemic shift from global to local can address all of these seemingly disparate problems at the same time. Helena is also the author of the inspirational classic Ancient Futures, and producer of the award-winning documentary The Economics of Happiness. Helena explains why local, small-scale, 'traditional' farming is better for farmers, for animal and human health, and for our planet, and how it helps strengthen local communities. We talk about why local food is one of the simple solutions to our interconnected, systemic problems, and why connection with soil, with nature, with the process of growing food, is essential for our health and wellbeing.
Charles Ross is a specialist in Performance Sportswear Design & sustainable matters, focusing on issues like Forever Chemicals (highlighted by the movie Dark Waters), the Plastics-in-the-Ocean, ReGenerative Agriculture. We discuss a range of sustainability issues related to Outdoor Clothing designs and materials, including the issue of over-consumption
Tom Szaky, founder of TerraCycle, tells us how the Loop reusable packaging platform is bringing the convenience of prefill to high streets everywhere. TerraCycle and Loop are tackling the root causes of waste, including single use and disposable items.
We hear why they chose prefill, and why reuse needs to ‘feel disposable’. Tom explains how they are helping big brands and retailers to make the business case, feel confident about moving forward, and scale up from pilots to in-store roll-outs.
Gavin Fernie-Jones founded One Tree at a Time, an amazing circular social enterprise for outdoor gear and ski-wear, sharing value with the community and nature. Living in the Alps, Gavin has seen for himself the impact global warming has had in the mountains he calls home. He’s always loved the outdoors, having grown up living in an outdoor centre, but it was while running his bootfitting business The Boot Lab that he realised the impact his business was having on the environment. Gavin started making small changes to the way that business operated, and seeing the results of this inspired him to start a social enterprise called One Tree at a Time. One Tree at a Time is embedding circular approaches to change behaviours, build community and protect the mountain environment. The One Tree team has tapped into some surprising sources of ‘waste’ to create value for local people and help build and strengthen local connections. On top of that, One Tree at a Time supports businesses and individuals to change behaviour and protect their mountain environment.
Odyssey Innovation collects and recycles marine plastic into kayaks and other products. In 2020, we heard about the UK south-west coast operations – now it is expanding, with the Net Generation Scheme - helping the fishing industry, local government and lots of other stakeholders to create a scalable circular solution to reduce marine plastics. This is something that could expand around the world!
Solving customer problems is at the heart of a successful product or service – but what if you’ve misunderstood your customer’s pain points? Today’s episode is one of my regular round ups of the last 9 conversations, exploring the theme of customer Pain Points. We’ll look at this from the perspective of businesses, and citizens – you and me. Some of those pain points are being overlooked by companies – that could be because they have a one-size-fits-all approach that might create value for one customer group, but doesn’t deliver, or may actually destroy value for another group. New pain points are cropping up too – knowing that our choices aren’t contributing to a fairer, healthier and more sustainable world is bothering more and more of us.
RubyMoon, based in Brighton in the UK, is already using recycled fibres from Ocean Plastics to make its active wear products, and now wants to go further through research projects that overcome the technical challenges of recovering and recycling the kind of textiles commonly used in swimwear. Jo explains that this project focuses on two key fabric elements, Nylon 6 – a strong, durable polyamide, and Elastane, that makes the fabric stretchy so it fits well and supports activites like swimming and other sports. The challenge is how to find mechanical and chemical methods of breaking down polyamide elastane, that are both cost-effective and environmentally sound. There’s a second ambitious project too, developing a nano trace to embed into the material so that it can be identified and recovered, to make sure it goes back into the closed loop system.
Kresse Wesling, CBE, is a multi-award winning environmental entrepreneur. After first meeting the London Fire Brigade in 2005, Kresse launched Elvis & Kresse, which rescues and transforms decommissioned fire hose into innovative lifestyle products and returns 50% of profits to the Fire Fighters Charity.The company now collects 12 different waste streams and has several charitable partnerships and collaborations across a number of industry sectors.
Megan O’Connor is co-founder and CEO of Nth Cycle, a metal processing company that has developed technology to enable a clean, domestic, and streamlined supply of critical minerals for the clean energy transition. Megan tells us how she came up with the idea for using electro-extraction, a technology developed by her co-founder for a completely different application, and how she then pivoted the entire focus of her PhD to develop this.
Alyssa Couture is the author of Healthy Fashion: The Deeper Truths. Alyssa’s book is all about fashion for mental health, physical health, spiritual health, and energetic health. Alyssa brings a radical new perspective to fashion, looking at everything from the textiles and dyes we use, to how our clothes can improve our mental and physical health. Alyssa’s work shows how all of this is connected to our environment and improving sustainability. We’ll start by asking Alyssa to share some of her research on textiles and dyes, and then discuss a few of the insights from her book, including what ‘unhealthy fashion’ is, and how fashion can evolve to be circular and healthier for us, and our living planet.
The UK’s first shared wardrobe for kids - Charlotte Morley founded thelittleloop to offer a solution to clothing waste with convenience, choice, quality and value. Charlotte grew up being an advocate for sustainability, and found becoming a parent was a watershed moment. But, when it came to dressing her children she couldn't find a satisfactory solution to the waste that rapidly-growing mini-humans create. Hand-me-downs were haphazard and offered no choice. Buying new then trying peer-to-peer resale was incredibly time consuming and didn’t recover much of the original cost. Charlotte was intrigued by how to incentivise children's clothing brands to create garments that would last. Shocked by the problems of under-used clothing and frustrated by the lack of convenient solutions, she decided to solve the problem by working with children’s clothing brands to create a rental service, thelittleloop, offering a solution to clothing waste with convenience, choice, quality and value. The little loop works hand in hand with brands, who take a share of the rental revenue, sharing responsibility for the lifespan of the garments, and receiving data to help improve their production standards. Charlotte’s business is already winning awards, including from Marie Claire and Junior magazine, and was featured in the Guardian last month.
Pierre-Emmanuel Saint-Esprit is the co-founder of ZACK, France’s leading company enabling the second life of electronic products, through recycling, repair, resale and donation. Last year, the TECH FOR GOOD report by the Presidency of the French Republic named ZACK as one of the top 3 French circular companies. Pierre-Emmanuel explains how his MBA in entrepreneurship at Berkeley, California, helped him create a business to fight climate change, and reduce our pressure on natural resources. We find out how ZACK creates social value too, helping people build the skills and confidence to secure employment.
As the account manager for the Upcyclecentrum in Almere, in the Netherlands, Hede Razoky has a strong focus on creative entrepreneurship and making connections, for a shared goal of a 'world without waste'. The Upcyclecentrum has three elements: [1] it’s a recycling centre for local citizens, [2] it has an ‘experience room’ made from upcycled materials, for use by local businesses and community groups, and [thirdly] it has a brilliant entrepreneur incubation programme… providing facilities, materials and other support to artisan businesses that turn local waste materials into desirable, high-value products.
Malin Orebäck is leading McKinsey Design’s work in sustainability and circular economy. McKinsey Design is one of the world’s leading design agencies, and Malin shares a wide range of insights and gives us a masterclass introduction to circular design for products and services. Malin explains how she helps her clients get started with circular, and overcome linear ‘lock-in’.
Astrid Wynne is the Sustainability Lead at Techbuyer, a global sustainable IT solutions provider, which specialises in product life extension. She is also head of partnerships at Interact, a software tool that optimises energy and carbon usage of servers. Astrid has co-authored a number of academic papers including ‘Optimizing server refresh cycles: The case for circular economy with an aging Moore's Law’, which looked at how past generations of IT can provide a net positive on use-phase energy, economic benefit and retaining precious materials. She is a board member at the Free ICT Europe Foundation, chair of the Sustainability Special Interest Group at the Data Centre Alliance and represents Techbuyer on the Interreg-funded research project CEDaCI, and we hear about some of the work at these collaborative and open-data projects. This episode follows up on a previous conversation with Techbuyer, and digs into some of the perceptions around refurbished and remanufactured tech hardware, including reliability and performance. We hear how a remanufacturered server is able to outperform a latest generation machine, and why they are at least as reliable as new machines, too.
Every 10th episode, Catherine Weetman looks back at recent conversations and round up some of the insights we’ve heard: The theme for this episode is turning off the tap. What do I mean by that? One of my favourite metaphors for the linear economy - our system of taking materials, making stuff, using it and then throwing it away. We’re pushing lots of resources in at one end of the pipe - but it gushes out at the end, and there are leaks all the way along the pipe with pollution going into the atmosphere, air, water and soil.
And all of that, of course, is undermining our ability to thrive on this planet.
So what can we do? We've got to radically rethink business as usual, to turn off that flow of resources and waste. We need to be regenerative instead of destructive and wasteful.
We need a different approach, so we have products with a life of their own, not just serving a single user. We need objects designed for reuse and resale once someone no longer needs them, or objects available in multi user systems with customers sharing or renting when needed.
In this episode, we unpack this to understand how it works, and why it helps to separate the benefits of products and services from their cost to the global commons.
Rae Stanton is the Earthcare Retail Lead for Lush Cosmetics UK and Ireland, using Permaculture principles to provide environmental best practice insight and guidance on packaging, sourcing regenerative ingredients and much more. We find out how Lush embeds Permaculture and regenerative agriculture approaches into its business practices, and why Lush realised it needed to ‘own the packaging solution’ instead of relying on municipal recycling collections. Rae explains how Lush engaged its customers in designing ‘bring-back’ solutions, including asking them how much the reward should be.
We talk to Elis Joudalova about OLIO, the #1 sharing app. OLIO connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. This could be food nearing its sell-by date in local stores, spare home-grown vegetables, bread from your baker, or the groceries in your fridge when you go away. OLIO can also be used for non-food household items. Elis looks after Market Growth & Partnerships for OLIO, and has kickstarted, grown and managed strong food sharing communities in Jersey, Guernsey and Stockholm. Elis is a sustainability, food waste and circular economy change-maker with a contagious passion for food, environment, community empowerment and systems thinking. She loves inspiring and empowering people and businesses to make a change, focuses on the long term vision and has . a unique entrepreneurial approach to solving problems.
Helen Burdett leads the World Economic Forum’s work on circular economy innovation, including its flagship initiative, Scale360°, and its work on Circular Trailblazers. The Scale360° program advances innovation ecosystems for environmental and economic impact with scalable, locally-led innovation support delivered through private-public partnerships--all connected through a global digital community. Circular Trailblazers are the subject of a new report from the World Economic Forum and impact organization ScaleUpNation. The special study was conducted to better understand innovators within the circular economy given the major opportunities they offer, for both job creation and economic development.
Laura Meijering, a designer, fashion lover and entrepreneur from The Netherlands. While studying, Laura watched the True Cost documentary - something inside her snapped and she realised she wanted to be part of a better fashion system. Laura founded Unravelau in 2017, to unravel the threads of fashion and keep only the good parts. She wants to pioneer a new way of designing the clothes we wear. As Laura says, unravelling the fashion industry is a big job, and so Unravelau starts by cutting the crap and spreading awareness of the impact we have on the planet. Unravelau uses only organic and second-hand materials, and produces for customer commissions, so there is no dead stock.
We meet Anthony Burns, Chief Operating Officer of ACS in Scotland. ACS started out as a formal-wear hire business, and is now an internationally recognised and award-winning circular fashion enterprise with clothes rental offerings for woman, men, children and babies. It is now working with a wide range of fashion brands, acting as their Circular Service Provider. We find out how the business has evolved, its progress towards B- Corp status, and about some of its innovations in packaging and garment cleaning. We also hear what ACS is doing to be a good neighbour in its local community.
Catherine Weetman talks to Louise Bijleveld, Co-Founder of LONO in Côte d’Ivoire. Lono helps agro-industrial companies and farmer cooperatives to create value from waste, by converting it into biofertilizers and biogas. Its overall aim is to help value reach rural areas and reduce the inequalities in agricultural supply chains. Côte d’Ivoire is an important global producer of cocoa beans, cashew nuts, natural rubber and tropical fruits – all of these produce huge amounts of agricultural waste when harvested. The farms are often in remote areas, so it’s a big challenge to find ways to combine compatible feedstocks and make the logistics cost-effective.
Mick Payne is the Managing Director of Techbuyer’s UK operations. Techbuyer helps businesses maximise their IT budgets by supplying cost-effective new and quality refurbished servers, storage, memory and networking equipment, from over 150 brands including HPE, Dell, IBM and Cisco. Every year it configures over 3000 IT servers and data-erases over 10,000 hard drives each month.
Elizabeth Knight is an author, sustainability activist and founder of New York’s first Repair Café, and is the co-author (with John Wackman) of Repair Revolution: How Fixers Are Transforming Our Throwaway Culture. In the book, John and Elizabeth explore repairing in the broadest sense of the word. They focus on the community repair experience, the wisdom of repair, the sustainable aspects of repairing, the adventure of opening a device and seeing what’s inside, the right to repair that is gaining attention worldwide – and much more! We hear how repair cafes can bridge across social divides, and how they help people of all ages and backgrounds build new connections and develop their social confidence levels. We find out that you don’t need to be a repair geek, and hear about the wide range of volunteer roles available. Elizabeth explains what visible mending is, tells us inspiring stories about the rewards of being involved in a Repair Café, and how you can find one, or start your own.
Jamie Butterworth is a partner at Circularity Capital, helping large investors, including financial institutions, global corporations and family offices, to invest in circular businesses which can gain competitive advantage by breaking the link between resource use and business success Circularity Capital invests in circular businesses and startups, such as Winnow, ZigZag, Shark Solutions and Grover. Jamie tells us why there is a need for specialist investment in circular businesses and what specific financial challenges those businesses have, how investors evaluate circular business models, and what is happening as more investors become aware that we’re in a race to solve the climate and biodiversity crises.
Jamie also explains Circularity Capital’s approach to working out what to invest in – through an ‘unintended consequences’ paper.
In this season, we’ve featured another 9 amazing, talented people, helping to make the circular economy happen. Our guests have been from the USA, Chile, Ghana, Spain and the UK. We’ve heard valuable insights, shared by people working in startups, in well-established companies, and working to support those with new ideas, or to make existing businesses more circular. And yet again, I’m struggling to fit all the brilliant tips and lessons learned into this round-up episode. A recurring theme was the advice to use different ways of thinking. You can link up with people from outside your organisation, you can use different design perspectives, like biomimicry, lean innovation or systems thinking, and you can develop your own process to help you think about the complete cycle, as we’ll hear later.
Ryan Edwards is Co-founder of Naked Innovations, an eclectic mix of entrepreneurial “co-creators, fresh-thinkers, disruptors, shakers and provocateurs” that create and connect agrifood ecosystems to re-align the planet, business and people.
Ryan is passionate about transforming and innovating the agrifood industry by developing successful businesses, communities and teams. His background includes over 15 years international leadership experience at Cargill as European Marketing & Innovation Leader and as Managing Director of allfoodexperts. Ryan explains how Naked Innovations combines human-centred design and circular design to work on solutions that understand the needs of people and our planet.
Paraskevi Fotoglou is Sustainability Engineer at Camira Fabrics, a UK textile manufacturing company for task and soft seating. Paraskevi has expertise in circular economy projects and innovative design ideas. She is exploring new sustainability paths and enhancing circular initiatives with the design, innovation and manufacturing teams across the business. At Camira she has developed a broad knowledge on environmental accreditation, VOC emissions, the use of chemical substances used within each stage of fabric manufacture, and the incorporation of sustainable fibres. We talk about some of the sustainable fabric developments, ‘Technical Knitting’, how Camira is developing Environmental Product Profiles, and why sustainability isn’t enough to engage customers and build a successful business.
Joanna Bingham, the founding CEO of Footprints Africa, is focussed on using the circular economy to support sustainable, scalable and inclusive approaches to development of local African economies. Joanna is also a founding partner of the CE360 Alliance, and leads the Ghana chapter for the African Circular Economy Network. She studied at Bradford University, the first degree-level circular economy course, supported by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Through Footprints Africa, Joanna runs a 6 month B-Corp programme to support SMEs who are positive about improving their environmental and social impact. Having worked in the investment industry for 9 years, Joanna says “she is schooled in critical analysis and scepticism and is passionate about embedding social purpose in everyday activity.”
We talk about how the circular economy has huge potential to uplift people from poverty and to create meaning, how there are two ways of engaging with the circular economy – out of necessity, and to innovate – and how Footprints Africa’s B Corp programme supports entrepreneurs.
Gary Giles is another entrepreneur inspired by the circular economy. Gary set up his company, OGEL, to use a material that is quite difficult to recycle and very bulky, so transporting it to be recycled is expensive. We’ll hear how Gary was inspired by the modular design of Lego, and how he’s developed a way of constructing durable buildings that use only 3 shapes, are easy to assemble and need very few tools. Plus Gary tells us what a ‘full stop product’ is!
Peter is a circular economy coach, workshop facilitator and strategic advisor, and cofounder of the African Circular Economy Network. He helps businesses find circular opportunities, create a compelling business case, and broaden their networks. We hear about some of Peter’s work with SME’s and start-ups, helping them use the circular economy to succeed and prosper.
Catherine Weetman talks to Tamsin Chislett, cofounder of fashion subscription startup Onloan, which has grown strongly this year despite lockdown. Onloan is a bit different to other UK fashion rental options because it partners directly with top contemporary fashion brands, and it focuses on 'elevated daywear' rather than occasion wear. Onloan is also different because it does all its garment care and logistics in-house. Onloan offers its customers a way to enjoy all the newness and variety of fast fashion, but without the waste, and with much better clothes. We find out why fashion subscription works so well for the customer and the brands, why Onloan’s customer base doesn’t fit typical demographics, and how Tamsin convinced those first few brands to come on board.
Richard is the Founder and Creative Director of the Biomimicry Innovation Lab, with a mission to inspire and share how the natural world can deliver unique solutions by radically reducing the need for resources. Richard kindly wrote a brilliant piece on Biomimicry for the 2nd edition of Catherine’s Circular Economy Handbook. We talk about different aspects of biomimicry and how it can inform the design of objects, systems and much more, including Structure and materials, Swarm behaviour, 3D Printing & termites, Self-repairing and ‘exotic’ materials - and why origami is useful! Richard explains how nature uses structure for colour, which leads me to ask whether some of these developments are actually encouraging consumption.
Brian Bauer explores how we can use circular approaches for plastic packaging, so we get the benefits of plastic, without the impacts of mismanaged plastic waste. Brian works with Algramo, a Chilean startup that refills product by the gram from vending machines. These refills provide better value for money as well as offering convenience and reducing waste. Algramo is working with Unilever, Colgate Palmolive and other brands, and is expanding to the US and Europe. With Algramo, Brian focuses on connecting stakeholders to help catalyze reusable packaging systems on a globally significant scale.
“Have good stuff, not too much, mostly reclaimed, care for it, pass it on”. Catherine Weetman talks to Sandra Goldmark in the United States. Sandra is a designer, teacher, and entrepreneur whose work focuses on circular economy solutions to overconsumption and climate change. She is the author of Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet, published in October 2020. Sandra is also an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in Theatre and Director of Sustainability and Climate Action at Barnard College. In 2013, Sandra founded Fixup (formerly Pop Up Repair) and began operating short term repair shops, and educational repair and reuse events, around New York City. We talk about Fixup, and Sandra’s new book, Fixation:
We round up themes from the last nine episodes, exploring how data is the key to solving problems of waste and underused assets, and why aligning values with your customers is important. Plus, Catherine is celebrating publication of the new edition of her award-winning A Circular Economy Handbook, and shares a code so you can save 20 percent on the print or e-book, worldwide.
Rob Thompson, of Odyssey Innovation in the UK, is an Multi-award winning Innovator, a Marine Conservationist, and a Social Entrepreneur. Rob started Odyssey Innovation to find a way to create value out of beach litter and marine plastics, and is now recycling those plastics into kayaks and other useful products. Rob also supports the Paddle for Plastic campaign.
Zaqiya Cajee is a young entrepreneur in the UK who has set up a not-for-profit scheme. SwopItUp helps young people to swap their fashionable clothes, so they can experiment with different trends, colours, shapes and so on, without being part of the throwaway culture – and save money! We’ll hear how SwopItUp is developing technology to engage users and to help overcome the challenges of distancing during lockdow, to reduce the risk of the virus spreading via the clothes, and to track and analyse swapping trends.
We talk to Lieke van Kerkhoven, Co-founder of FLOOW2 Healthcare. Lieke aims to drive the global change towards a circular economy, by bringing the innovative concept of sharing to the healthcare sector. FLOOW2 is a business that helps other organisations to share all sorts of resources. It helps ‘intensify’ resource loops, so we can get more use and productivity out of many different kinds of resources, everything from equipment to staff. Back in 2012, FLOOW2 Healthcare became the first sharing marketplace for healthcare organizations, making it easy to share equipment, services, facilities, knowledge and skills within, or between organizations. Lieke has a professional background in healthcare. She studied medicine and over the following 10 years, she held managerial and organizational positions in healthcare organizations in The Netherlands and abroad. She experienced first-hand how much organizations can benefit from sharing their assets, in the first place financially, and also socially and environmentally.
In this episode, Catherine talks to Dan Dicker,the Founder and CEO of Circular&Co, the new brand name for ashortwalk Ltd and rCUP®. Dan began his career as a product designer at Dyson, but had a strong desire to live and work a short walk from the sea. So, back in 2003, Dan founded a pioneering Circular Design practice ‘ashortwalk’. Now Circular&Co invent solutions that keep our materials and finite resources in use for as long as possible, whilst preventing them from ever reaching landfill or our oceans. As well as their range of award-winning products available across 38 countries, they advise, develop, and deliver circular solutions for global brands worldwide, reinventing today's waste into tomorrow’s Circular products. We discuss Dan’s design approach, and how Dan believes that businesses going circular have everything to gain financially, as well as environmentally.
We talk to Sophie Segal, founder of the Reading chapter of the CEC, in the south of England. Sophie uses games to engage people in sustainability and encourage us to think differently, to think about the system that we’re all part of. Sophie wears a few hats, including with Co-CREATE ImpACT - providing innovative social impact training, and Together Dragonflies – Using value creation and innovation to shape new customer experiences. She helps organisations with their purpose, to design value propositions and customer experiences that resonate. She is also bringing people together in her community to amplify local circular initiatives. Sophie loves the idea for rethinking existing business models and engagement for the good of tomorrow. Sophie uses value creation, innovation and different approaches to shift mindsets. In her latest ventures, she uses the transformative power of play with organisations: to bring to life customer focus and engage employees in sustainability and the circular economy.
Catherine Weetman talks to Noreen Kam and Michael Brown about the circular asset management solution they’ve developed for LUP Global’s customers. We hear about the opportunities for companies to reduce their capex, improve the performance and lifetime cost of equipment, and to recover value from the equipment at the end of its service period. Michael explains how this approach is normal in the airline industry, where often the airline doesn’t own anything – the plane, the engines, even the seats. Everything is owned, provided and maintained by the suppliers – you may have heard of the Rolls Royce example, selling power by the hour so you purchase the performance of the engine, instead of buying the engine itself. Noreen and Michael realised that many other industry sectors don’t use these approaches, and so they are helping companies benefit from circular asset management, starting with laboratory equipment.
We talk to Greg Lavery of Rype Office, which remanufactures high quality office furniture. We hear why Greg decided that office furniture is ideal for a circular business, how Rype’s customer base is evolving and why people are switching to remade furniture. A civil engineer by training, Greg has focused his career on improving the sustainability of the built environment. He began by working for Arup and Greg was awarded a PhD in sustainable building design in the 1990s. He built, from startup, what is now Australia’s largest solar business, Origin Solar, and as a consultant, assisted organisations with innovative sustainable business models, including Masdar City, Interface, Shell and ClimateWorks Australia.
Christian van Maaren is co-founder of Excess Materials Exchange, based in the Netherlands. Excess Materials Exchange is saving the planet by running a dating site, which at first sounds improbable, and then sounds intriguing! Christian believes the circular economy is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to achieve the Paris climate goals, and we hear how Excess Materials Exchange helps customers measure the value of their exchange options, in financial, environmental and social impacts. Christian tells us about the kinds of companies and materials they match up, using a combination of blockchain and AI, and how they actively match supply & demand for materials to ensure high value re-use.
Rheaply’s mission is to make the world’s resources more discoverable and transferable through technology. Rheaply combines enterprise asset management with a virtual marketplace, which allows organizations to track inventory and depreciation. It helps people to visualize, quantify and utilize surplus assets, and to offload end-of-life, unwanted assets to organisations that need them. We hear about Rheaply’s core technology, its Asset Exchange Manager, and how this allows people to highlight those unused assets. We hear about the focus on Zero Waste in the US, and how Rheaply uses gamification to help people become Zero Waste Heroes in their organisation. We also find out why assets that still have value get discarded, and why looking at your internal operations first can pay dividends for resource efficiency and sustainability.
We review the last 9 episodes, exploring key themes & summarising what we’ve learned. Plus, we hear from Geoff van Sonsbeeck, on womenswear brand Baukjen’s packaging approach. The wonders of online communication mean we’ve been to the United States, Jordan, Uganda, Canada and Ghana in the last nine episodes. We’ve talked to a start-up looking for funding, two social enterprises, two charities, a community cooperative, and several businesses that have been growing for 15-20 years. If we look at the circular economy strategies of these organisations: five are helping to ‘Close the Loop and Regenerate’, two are ‘Slowing the Flow’ of materials through more durable, circular designs, and two are ‘Intensifying the Flow’ through sharing services. We’ll also look at how these different organisations are creating value for different groups – for their customers, suppliers, employees, communities - and for our planet.
In this episode, we’re talking to Mabel Suglo, the founder of Dignified Wear, a social enterprise in Ghana. It aims to economically empower people with disabilities and rural women through decent jobs. It trains and then employs them to handcraft durable, versatile and fashionable shoes, handbags, locally woven fabrics, clothing and traditional jewellery.
Chris Diplock is the Founder and CEO of The Thingery, the parent organization of neighbourhood Thingery branches, and a leader in Vancouver’s collaborative economy. You could describe the Thingery as a ‘library in a box’ – the box being a shipping container! The containers are solar-powered and so can be sited in disused spaces near the communities that will use them. Technology allows people to access the container and then use the built-in systems to easily log what they are borrowing or returning. That means it is less reliant on volunteers, and can be open 24/7 if needed. Chris wants to make it easy for any community, worldwide, to set up their own Library of Things. We hear about the concept, the funding model, and the practicalities.
Chris Hellawell is founder and director of Edinburgh Tool Library, which works like a lending library, sharing tools rather than books. Chris is passionate about the concept of sharing as a way to tackle the climate crisis, and also as a way to save money, and to build social connections in communities. By sharing, everyone is richer. The Edinburgh Tool Library started out as a set of shelves in a spare room. Now it’s a city-wide organisation with multiple sites, including a tool maintenance depot, two wood workshops, a library and a police box. The Library runs classes, youth programming, skills development for disadvantaged groups, and a volunteer programme transforming community spaces throughout the city.
Katie Briggs set up The Textile Review, to close the loop on fabric from the events sector. She has found customers who value that pre-used fabric, and she helps both buyers and sellers reduce their costs and impact.
Geoff van Sonsbeeck is the Co-Founder and CEO behind the direct to consumer womenswear brands BAUKJEN and ISABELLA OLIVER, and has been at the forefront of the slow, sustainable fashion movement for over 15 years. We talk about how the two brands are building on their durable and timeless design ethos and evolving a range of circular practices. These include takeback schemes, resale, and rental. Baukjen is also switching to more sustainable fabrics – even moving away from organic cotton. We also discuss how consumer attitudes are changing, including the growing interest in fashion rental.
Remanufacturing is one of the circular economy strategies that helps us keep products, components and materials ‘in the system. It means we can have high-quality, reliable products and equipment with pretty much the same performance as a new version – and costing significantly less – for the customer, society and our environment. In today’s episode, I’m talking to Steve Haskew of Circular Computing, which remanufactures high-quality top-brand laptops, including Dell, HP and Lenovo. They are certified carbon-neutral, with performance tested as providing 97 per cent compared to a new model. Circular Computing has been remanufacturing since the 1990s, and provides laptops to education, public sector and even direct to consumers. Every machine goes through a 100+ point-check, any worn components are replaced and selected components are upgraded to give them a performance boost. The company now has over 250 staff and remanufacturing capacity of up to 10,000 units each month. We talk about the customer value proposition, and how remanufacturing is different to second-use products.
EcoBrixs Mission is "To create green, environmentally friendly, sustainable solutions to lift people out of abject poverty in Uganda”, and it does that by giving trash – waste plastic – a value. That means anyone in the community can recycle. Eco Brixs started out in 2017. Frustrated with the lack of waste management systems in Masaka, Andy Bownds and his team started collecting plastic in his back garden, and after collecting 2 tonnes, decided to start a simple plastic collection facility called ‘Masaka Recycling Initiative’. They went further, creating a circular economy solution to recycle plastic which would help support the local communities and economy. They developed an innovative plastic-sand composite paver which has been proven to be stronger, lighter and more durable than concrete. Fast-forward to 2019, and Masaka Recycling Initiative has now evolved into 'Eco Brixs’, one of the largest recycling facilities outside of Kampala.
We talk to entrepreneur and designer Bassam Huneidi, about his Argeileh Project. Bassam is a circular economy designer and strategist, and a graduate of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. We hear how Bassam plans to disrupt one of the biggest traditions in the Arab world with a zero waste alternative that is better for the environment, cheaper for suppliers and better for public health, while providing the same experience for the user. The Argeileh Project (or TAP for short) is a subscription based service that argeileh cafes sign up to. In return, Bassam’s team take the café’s current stock of argeilehs and melt them down into TAP vapes. These vapes are designed on cradle to cradle principles, so they are easy to maintain, easy to upgrade and in the case where neither is possible, infinitely recyclable.
Episode 21 with Tom Ogonek, Co-CEO of Close the Loop Inc. Tom joined Close the Loop in 2011 and oversees all aspects of global operations, building on a background in chemistry and manufacturing, and using his environmental industry perspective plus over 20 years of valuable operations experience to drive the business forward. Close the Loop operates circular economy services in Australia, the US and Europe. Close the Loop make it easy to take back, recover, and reuse your high value products – so they don’t end up in rivers, landfills - or on someone else’s assembly line. These circular economy recovery services help keep the value in the system, instead of leaving it on the table for someone else.
In this episode, we focus on the ‘how’ of making your business circular, looking at the different ways people were getting to grips with the problem they wanted to solve. We also get an update on the new subscription model for ApparelXchange, and get some ‘bonus’ circular economy examples from David Greenfield (aka Dr Resources of the Circular Economy Club London). How do we find a linear problem that needs a circular economy solution? Bec Evans, author of How to Have a Happy Hustle: the complete guide to making your ideas happen" suggests starting with what's bugging you, and become ‘avid problem collectors’. We look at how our guests in the last series hunted down their linear problems and got clear on what the customer needed – the ‘job to be done’ in ‘Lean’ terms.
We talk to Åsa Stenmarck, of IVL, the Swedish Environmental Research Institute. Åsa works on projects that aim to create more sustainable consumption (including reducing consumption overall, sharing, waste minimization, recycling and so on), and she is particularly interested in plastics and food. We talk about return systems for food containers, food waste, behaviour change, ‘weasel words’, and how people expect both governments and companies to make ‘good choices’ easy for us.
We talk to Eve Kekeh, the founder of Bundlee, the UK’s first baby clothing rental subscription. Eve started Bundlee to give parents a sustainable alternative to buying clothes that will be outgrown very quickly. With Bundlee, parents can rent their baby’s wardrobe and swap clothes for the next size up whenever they like. Outgrown clothes are professionally cleaned before being sent to the next family. We find out how Eve researched to problems associated with babywear, uncover some surprising obstacles she had to overcome, and hear about some of the advantages of the rental and subscription business model – for the business and its customers.
Nancy Bocken co-founded the company HOMIE, which is developing circular services for pay-per-use home appliances, starting with washing machines. Nancy has an academic background, and she is professor and research coordinator in Sustainable Business Management and Practice at Lund University in Sweden. We talk about how Homie got started, and how the service works. Nancy tells about some of the challenges they faced, and the benefits of pay-per-use for customers, the business, and our environment. Nancy gives us some great tips for those of you thinking about circular projects or startups, and we hear how Homie has built relationships with its customers so that a lot of the marketing is by word-of-mouth.
Sophie is an established leader in communication and design, and in the investigation and promotion of circular economy design principles. She has been working in the fields of ethical design, behaviour change and material process through her design agency, Thomas.Matthews ltd, for nearly 20 years. We find out how Sophie uses her experience in sustainable and ethical design to help people understand more about the circular economy. We talk about the groundbreaking Great Recovery Project, which looked at the challenges and opportunities of the CE, through the lens of design. Sophie explains the importance of thinking about the system you are designing for, not just the object or product itself.
Matilda Jarbin, one of Sweden’s top young sustainability talents and Sustainability Manager of GIAB, a Swedish company with a business model based on the circular economy. GIAB works with a wide range of business partners, repairing products for reuse and resale. We’ll hear how GAIB got started, back in 2012, working with insurance companies. We find out how GIAB adds value for its clients, and how it’s expanding into new products, markets and services. It’s a fantastic example of how simple ideas can convert potential waste into valuable resources, providing wide-ranging benefits for both businesses and society.
We hear from David Greenfield, about Tech Takeback, a partnership he set up to collect end-of-use consumer technology and get it back into the loop. “Tech-Takeback” is a partnership between SOENECS, Freegle, EraseMydata and Brighton & Hove City Council to collect stranded resources through pop-up shops. We talk about how it got started, the complexities of secure data removal, lessons learned, and David’s plans for the next phase of the project. David tells us about his favourite circular economy example: Biohm, in London – and I’ve saved some more of David’s examples for the next ‘Best Bits’ episode (#20).
In Episode 13 we talk to Beth Massa, founder of Ozarka. Beth and her husband Michael have created a collection of food-to-go containers, called ARK Reusables, so people can replace single-use plastics with reusable, returnable containers.
David Bassetti is co-founder of 3D Seed. When David moved to Spain around 10 years ago, he noticed how much plastic was being wasted, and was frustrated that it became litter, instead of being recycled into new materials. David developed a simple way of grinding up plastic to recycle it into a feedstock for 3D Printing. 3D Seed sets up small-scale projects to grind up everyday plastic waste, such as PET soft-drinks and water bottles, and then to 3D Print it into small objects, as a way to engage people in seeing waste plastic as a valuable resource. The kit uses very little energy and can run on solar power.
ApparelXchange is a Scottish social enterprise aiming to make it easy to reuse school uniforms, instead of wasting them. ApparelXchange works with schools across Glasgow (age groups 7-18) to gather uniforms, and process them so they can be reused. There is an online shop, a store in Glasgow plus pop-up shops in schools. We discuss how to make reuse and pre-loved clothing cool, how to persuade people to opt-out of fast fashion, and some of the subscription models popping up for clothing.
Episode 10 is our first circular economy highlights compilation! Perfect listening to spark your ideas for building a better business in 2020. This would be a GREAT episode to share with someone new to the podcast, or new to the circular economy.
We explore the food circular economy, with Lucy Antal of food campaigning charity Feedback Global. Lucy explains Feedback’s aim to regenerate nature by transforming our food system. Feedback promotes a circular economy approach to food surplus – using it to feed people, animals and the soil. We talk about farm gate waste, overproduction and ‘gleaning’, supermarket labelling and Feedback’s work with community groups and children. We discuss the importance of food citizenship and connecting food, people and our environment. We chat about some of Lucy’s projects, including a new social enterprise, Alchemic Kitchen, and Regional Food Networks.
Elaine Kerr, Deputy Director of International Synergies Northern Ireland talks about industrial symbiosis and how it ‘oils the wheels’ of the circular economy. Elaine explains what industrial symbiosis is, and how International Synergies provides research and facilitation for ‘resource matching’, helping organisations of all types and sizes. We discuss the multiple benefits of industrial symbiosis: reducing waste and pollution (and associated costs); creating valuable new by-products, jobs, and social value; together with securing access to future resources by setting up local ‘ecosystems’ for materials. Creating new, local feedstocks from redundant resources can also bring widespread benefits for the local economy, helping improve economic prosperity and resilience. We talk about changing attitudes and the ways young entrepreneurs and social enterprises are creating value from what we used to think of as ‘waste’.
Katie Whalen of In the Loop AB has developed two circular economy games, including the well-known In the Loop game for schools and businesses and the new Risk and Race circular business model game. Katie is currently researching business aspects of the circular economy at Lund University. We talk about how to engage people to help them understand the benefits and impacts of circular approaches, and Katie tells us about some of her favourite circular economy businesses.
Adam Fairweather and his partner Rosalie McMillan run Smile Plastics, a circular economy business that reimagines local waste streams to make beautiful materials for the built environment. We talk about Adam’s approach to design, and his ethos that ‘material language’ can communicate messages to people through design, creating socially, emotionally and industrially durable products. We explore some of the wide range of projects Adam has been involved in over the last couple of decades. Adam tells us about his plans for decentralised manufacturing, forming an industrial ecosystem to reimagine waste.
Ecodesign expert Katie Beverley describes herself as a ‘critical friend’ of the circular economy. We dig into Ecodesign principles to find out more, and explore how Ecodesign could add value to circular solutions. Katie explains the benefits of user-centred and systems-thinking approaches. We discuss the business ‘ecosystem’, remanufacturing and the circular economy’s potential for local job creation and social benefits, and Ecodesign expert Katie Beverley describes herself as a ‘critical friend’ of the circular economy. We dig into Ecodesign principles to find out more, and explore how Ecodesign could help overcome the ‘teething problems’ of circular solutions. Katie explains the benefits of user-centred and systems-thinking approaches. We discuss the business ‘ecosystem’, remanufacturing and the circular economy’s potential for local job creation and social benefits, and Katie tell us about a range of projects she’s supported as Senior Research Officer with Ecodesign Centre, PDR, at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales.
In Episode 4, Jo Godden talks to Catherine Weetman about some of the circular economy elements at the heart of her non-for-profit activewear brand, RubyMoon. Jo was a pioneer of using recycled ocean plastics, and her profits fund other entrepreneurs - putting the 'economy' into the circular economy! We chat about valuing your clothing, making sustainability cool, and how the circular economy is the future of fashion. Find out more on www.circulareconomypodcast.com
Tom Harper talks to Catherine Weetman about some of the circular economy projects he has introduced to Unusual Rigging Limited, including circular asset management. Fuelled by a drive to ‘be the change’, Tom has designed and implemented initiatives including asset management, reuse and refurbishment, new services, and new approaches to product design. These circular initiatives have brought wide-ranging benefits to the company, improving customer engagement, reducing costs and boosting its competitive edge. Unusual Rigging provides rigging and stage engineering solutions to the entertainment, exhibition and special event sectors across Europe.
In Episode 2, we dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. Circular approaches can avoid or mitigate many of these risks, and we’ll be interviewing people in business, social enterprises and other organisations that are using the circular economy to re-think the way we make products and design services. I hope their stories will inspire you to use circular approaches to strengthen your own business.
This first episode is a quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We’ll explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. Maybe you already have some green, or community-focussed elements in your business, and you want to go further: to find ways of being more sustainable and profitable! The circular economy can help you do that, and strengthen your business in lots of ways. We’ll talk about the aims of circular approaches, then we’ll break it down into my 5 components, helping you think about each part of your business. Next, we’ll look at the benefits for business, with some examples, so you can think about how it can help your own business.