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Circularity.fm episodes

  • Deposit Systems: Incentivizing Take-Back at Knorr-Bremse
    B2B Take Back

    Remanufacturing depends on getting used products back. Can a deposit system give customers an incentive to return them?

    Thomas Meyer, responsible for remanufacturing, repair and reuse activities within Knorr-Bremse TruckServices, explains how Knorr-Bremse uses a core deposit in the independent aftermarket to bring parts back for remanufacturing.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    • Why the deposit value is linked to the market value of the core, and how returning an equivalent product keeps parts flowing back
    • What happens to returned cores, from assessing and disassembling them to deciding which components can be reused, reconditioned or replaced
    • Which data and systems are needed to manage remanufacturing, including core return rates, regeneration rates and ERP processes for products coming back

    The conversation also covers the economics of remanufactured parts for older vehicles, design for remanufacturing and the challenge of reducing manual work in disassembly.

    This is the second episode of our B2B Take-Back series.

    People

    Thomas Meyer, Global Director Product Group Reman at Knorr-Bremse TruckServices
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-meyer-99b6561a4/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00 Intro
    02:32 Who is Knorr-Bremse
    03:31 What EconX stands for, and who buys it
    05:34 Repairing ECUs beyond Knorr-Bremse parts
    07:39 From core to end-of-line test
    09:59 When reman pays off for older trucks
    13:22 Pricing about 20% below new parts
    14:20 Labor and core logistics as cost drivers
    15:37 Scoping reman from the design phase
    19:56 How the core deposit works
    24:59 How the deposit value is set
    28:55 Why ERP systems struggle with reman
    32:42 Which KPIs to track from day one
    35:16 The challenge: manual disassembly
    36:56 Outro

    About

    Knorr-Bremse TruckServices is the German commercial vehicle aftermarket business of Knorr-Bremse. It provides replacement parts, maintenance solutions and technical services, while supporting circularity through the remanufacturing and reuse of vehicle components to extend their lifetime and reduce the need for new materials.

    Further Links

    https://truckservices.knorr-bremse.com/en/de/products/econx/
    https://www.knorr-bremse.com/en/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/deposit-systems-incentivizing-take-back-at-knorr-bremse/

    39 min
  • Take-Back Obligation: How DERIX Makes It Work
    B2B Take Back

    For DERIX, the take-back obligation is both a commitment to circularity and an economic advantage.

    Antonia Görg, Project and Sustainability Manager at DERIX, and Markus Steppler, Managing Director at DERIX, explain how the timber construction company has built a take-back obligation into its contracts.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    • How DERIX's take-back obligation works, from the contract to the return of timber elements

    • How returned timber is assessed, priced and either reused or remanufactured
    • Why DERIX sees take-back as a future source of timber and plans to use material from other manufacturers as well

    The conversation also covers the product data needed to reuse timber in the future, how take-back is connected to carbon credits, and the challenge of building a return system before large volumes of material start coming back.

    This is the first episode of our B2B Take-Back series.

    People

    Antonia Goerg, Project & Sustainability Manager at DERIX
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonia-görg/

    Markus Steppler, Managing Director at DERIX

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/markus-steppler-modulbau123/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction
    03:50 DERIX and its take-back obligation
    06:04 The first take-back project
    10:45 Reuse, remanufacturing and the take-back process
    13:04 How the buy-back price is determined
    15:32 Ownership changes and the importance of product data
    18:38 Combining take-back with carbon credits
    24:14 Taking back timber from other manufacturers
    25:15 The economics of using secondary timber
    27:47 Building future return flows

    About

    DERIX is a German timber construction company specializing in engineered wood and large scale timber structures. Its work focuses on renewable building materials, resource efficient construction and the reuse of timber components, supporting more circular approaches in the construction sector.

    Further Links

    https://derix.de/
    https://derix.de/en/derix-group-building-turnaround-and-cradle-to-cradle-now/
    https://derix.de/en/film-deconstruction-circl-assembled-disassembled/
    https://derix.de/en/derix-circular-construction-stories-carbon-credits/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/take-back-obligation-how-derix-makes-it-work/

    33 min
  • Scaling Circular Construction with Digitalization
    Rooftop Extension

    How can digitalization help scale circular construction?

    In this episode of circularity.fm, Kilian Eckle, founder of RoofUz, and Timo Walraven, researcher at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, discuss how digital twins, building data, standardization, and modular construction can make circular construction more economically feasible.

    What you’ll hear:

    • How digital twins can be used to identify and compare buildings with potential for rooftop extensions
    • Why standardization, modular construction, and bundling similar buildings can improve the financial feasibility of projects
    • How building data can connect projects across a city and help planners and owners l

    Using rooftop extensions as a case, the conversation looks at how digitalization can support more standardized processes, better project economics, and the transfer of knowledge between construction projects.

    People

    Kilian Eckle, Founder at RoofUz
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/kilianeckle/

    Timo Walraven, Researcher at University of Applied Sciences Utrecht

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/timowalraven/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction
    01:38 Digitalizing rooftop extensions
    03:42 The barriers to scaling rooftop construction
    05:26 Digital twins, BIM and standardization
    10:46 Modular construction and project aggregation
    16:09 Data and digital process chains
    20:27 Mapping rooftop extension potential with open-source data
    26:23 Using building data for urban densification
    30:54 Learning from previous construction projects

    About

    RoofUz is a Berlin-based construction technology company that uses a digital platform to help property owners and construction professionals plan and deliver sustainable rooftop extensions.

    The University of Applied Sciences Utrecht is a Dutch higher-education institution. The university also contributes to circular-economy research and education through partnerships that develop knowledge, technologies, and policies for a more circular society.

    Further Links

    RoofUz: https://roofuz.com/

    HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht: https://www.research.hu.nl/hu-international/home

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/scaling-circular-construction-with-digitalization/

    34 min
  • Circular Construction: Environmental, Economic and Social Aspects
    Rooftop Extension

    How can rooftop extensions create housing that is ecologically regenerative, socially valuable, and profitable?

    In this episode of circularity.fm, Dirk Hengst, founder of Denk.mal.Bau., and Lewin Fricke from TRIQBRIQ talk about their rooftop extension project in Dresden.

    The conversation covers:

    • The project's economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
    • Material choices designed for a healthy, low-carbon home.
    • How construction can support rooftop extensions, renovation, adaptive reuse, and dismantling for reuse.

    You’ll gain insight into the additional benefits of this approach to construction, as well as the challenges involved.

    This is the second episode of our Rooftop Extension series.

    People

    Dirk Hengst, Inhaber at Denk.mal.Bau
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-hengst-1ab236114/

    Lewin Fricke, Leiter Öffentlichkeitsarbeit at TRIQBRIQ

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewin-fricke-373b97137/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00 Intro Quote
    00:31 Intro
    02:03 The Dresden Rooftop Extension
    04:15 Why Build Up Instead of Moving?
    05:25 The Economics of Rooftop Extensions
    08:18 Sustainable Materials & Construction
    09:30 TRIQBRIQ: Building with Small Timber Bricks
    16:23 Designing for Circularity & Reuse
    20:53 TRIQBRIQ for Rooftops, Housing & Retail
    26:55 Making Circular Construction Happen at Scale
    29:31 Outro

    About

    Denk.mal.Bau is a Dresden-based planning and construction office led by Dirk Hengst that specializes in the renovation, preservation, and revitalization of listed and existing buildings. Its work combines technical planning with respect for historical construction methods and cultural value, using natural and renewable building materials wherever possible.

    TRIQBRIQ is a German construction company that has developed a modular solid-wood building system made from industrial and damaged timber, including wood affected by pests or storms. Its interlocking wooden blocks are assembled without glue, can be dismantled by type, and reused, supporting lower material waste, regional production, and circular construction.

    Further Links

    TRIQBRIQ: https://triqbriq.de/

    Investment Plattform: https://invest.triqbriq.de

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triqbriq/
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/triqbriq-ag/

    Denk.mal.Bau:

    https://www.denk-mal-bau.de/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-hengst-1ab236114

    Showcase video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQdxVWycy1w

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/circular-construction-environmental-economic-and-social-aspects/

    31 min
  • The Business Case for Rooftop Extension
    Rooftop Extension

    What is the business case for rooftop extensions?

    Thijs Müller, Co-founder of Creative City Solutions, and Didier Mignery, Founder of UpFactor, explain how adding housing on top of existing buildings can address several challenges at once: housing shortages, energy renovation and urban land use.

    This episode covers:

    • When rooftop extensions make economic sense, and the technical, regulatory and financial complexities involved
    • How revenue from additional homes can help finance energy renovations and upgrades to existing buildings
    • The advantages of modular timber construction and designing for deconstruction
    The episode also looks at the potential scale of rooftop extensions, and the role of regulation, data and stakeholder engagement in making them more viable and scalable.

    This is the first episode of the “Rooftop Extension” series.

    People

    Thijs Müller, Co-founder; Founder at Creative City Solutions
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/thijs-m%C3%BCller-23a07489/

    Didier Mignery at UpFactor

    https://fr.linkedin.com/in/didier-mignery

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro
    00:02:04 Meet Thijs Müllet
    00:07:21 The rooftop potential
    00:13:57 How fast rooftop extension can scale
    00:15:34 Meet Didier Mignery
    00:16:17 The business case for building upward
    00:18:40 Scanning cities for hidden rooftop potential
    00:22:55 Turning resistance into shared value
    00:27:21 What it will take to scale across Europe
    00:31:51 Outro

    About

    Created in 2017, UpFactor is a company specializing in elevation. They detect on a large scale the potential for real estate optimization and overhead land in particular. Developing develop untapped territories to facilitate the creation of new square meters without artificializing the soil.

    This is made possible by, UPFACTOR GEOSERVICES, an innovative software to detect the potential for elevation of a given address. Designed and developed internally to conduct large-scale prospective studies, UPFACTOR GEOSERVICES is a geographical information system that uses a database that aggregates all the information necessary to define buildable potentials.

    Further Links

    https://upfactor.fr
    https://creativecitysolutions.com/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/the-business-case-for-rooftop-extension/

    33 min
  • Designing Germany's Circular Textile EPR System
    Textile EPR

    The system-wide recommendations for Germany’s Textile EPR scheme to influence companies' design and portfolio decisions?

    Carina Hofmann-Wellenhof talks about CIRCULAR REPUBLIC’s System Design Report for Germany’s textile EPR, developed with 20 organisations and more than 50 stakeholders across the textile value chain.

    She explains the main recommendations for designing the system, from the structure of PROs to eco-modulation and recycling incentives.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    -Why Germany should combine competing PROs with centralised functions
    -Recycling quotas and content targets for textile-to-textile recycling
    -How eco-modulation, collection and R&D funding could influence the development of a more circular textile system

    This conversation also looks at the role of EU-level harmonisation, the economics of virgin materials and the next steps in Germany’s legislative process.

    This is the final episode of the Textile EPR series.

    People

    Carina Hofmann-Wellenhof, Circular Systems Architect at CIRCULAR REPUBLIC
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/carinahofmannwellenhof/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    0:00 Intro
    4:04 Why CIRCULAR REPUBLIC built the EPR report
    5:50 Retailer trade-offs under EPR fees
    10:37 A multi-PRO system with centralized functions
    12:01 Funding, ESPR, and eco-modulation basics
    15:03 Collection and the cherry-picking problem
    17:08 The textile-to-textile recycling quota
    21:26 Regionality, terminology, and lessons learned
    27:50 Eco-modulation, pricing, and next milestones
    35:11 CIRCULAR REPUBLIC’s next two pilots
    38:41 Outro

    About

    CIRCULAR REPUBLIC is Europe’s leading implementation platform for the circular economy. As part of UnternehmerTUM - Europe’s largest center for innovation and business creation - the initiative empowers established companies and start-ups to design circular innovations and scalable business models. By connecting key stakeholders across the entire value chain, CIRCULAR REPUBLIC drives the systemic transformation required for a resilient, sustainable, and prosperous global economy.

    Further Links

    Report: https://www.circular-republic.org/epr-textiles/
    Get to know more about CIRCULAR REPUBLIC: https://www.circular-republic.org/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/designing-germanys-circular-textile-epr-system/

    41 min
  • Unpacking the EPR Legislation for Textiles
    Textile EPR

    Will the EPR regulation create incentives for a more circular textile industry?

    Alexander Sustal, Lawyer at Redeker Sellner Dahs, explains how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) will change the economics of textile collection, sorting and recycling in Germany. The episode covers the status quo, the actors and financing flows an EPR scheme introduces, and the wider legal questions an EPR scheme raises.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    • How the current market based system for used textiles is financed, why it is under pressure, and what an EPR scheme changes about who carries responsibility and who pays.
    • The roles of producers, Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), registries and supervising authorities, and how fees are collected, calculated and distributed among them.
    • Why eco modulation links fees to eco design criteria such as durability, repairability and recycled content, and why the level of the fees may matter as much as the criteria themselves.

    The episode also covers end of waste criteria, and harmonisation across Member States.

    People

    Dr. Alexander Sustal, Lawyer at Redeker Sellner Dahs
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-sustal-5ab89018b/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro
    00:04:46 Who funds today’s collection and sorting
    00:09:03 What EPR actually means
    00:10:17 Who has to pay the fees
    00:13:03 Who collects the fees
    00:15:53 What products the scheme covers
    00:22:08 Eco-modulation: rewarding better design
    00:27:16 Will competition undercut eco-modulation
    00:31:59 How fee money gets divided and spent
    00:35:51 Why EPR fees don’t follow exports
    00:37:40 Can the EU harmonize 27 EPR schemes
    00:43:41 Outro

    About

    Since its foundation in 1929, Redeker Sellner Dahs has grown to become one of the most important independent German law firms and today operates nationwide and internationally at six locations.

    Further Links

    Revised Waste Framework Directive:
    https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/revised-waste-framework-directive-enters-force-2025-10-16_en

    https://www.redeker.de/en/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/unpacking-the-epr-legislation-for-textiles/

    45 min
  • Textile Collection, Sorting & Recycling: The challenges we need to overcome
    Textile EPR

    How can Europe build a commercially viable circular textile system?

    In this episode, Louisa Hoyes, who has worked on building up textile circularity for the past 7 years, explains why building a circular textile system requires much more than advances in recycling technology.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    • Why collection, sorting and recycling should be designed as one connected value chain rather than separate industries.
    • The commercial challenges of scaling textile circularity, including infrastructure investment, feedstock quality, demand for recycled fibres, and business model innovation.
    • How Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can accelerate investment, improve traceability, and support fibre-to-fibre recycling.

    The episode also covers emerging recycling technologies, collaboration across the textile value chain, and the expected timeline for scaling Europe's textile circularity infrastructure.

    People

    Louisa Hoyes
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-hoyes/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction
    03:20 How today's textile collection, sorting and recycling business models work
    07:58 A vision for the circular textile system in 2040
    10:37 Commercial barriers to scaling textile circularity
    14:28 Building demand for recycled fibres
    17:02 Sorting technologies and feedstock quality
    20:40 How EPR can accelerate textile circularity
    23:56 Collaboration across the textile value chain
    26:49 When will textile circularity reach commercial scale?
    28:24 Closing reflections

    About

    TOMRA develops sensor-based sorting technologies that improve resource recovery across multiple industries, including recycling, mining and food. Within the textile sector, TOMRA works on automated sorting solutions that enable high-quality fibre recovery and support the transition towards a circular textile value chain.

    Further Links

    Connect to Louisa here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-hoyes/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/textile-collection-sorting-recycling-the-challenges-we-need-to-overcome/

    31 min
  • How Textile EPR Will Influence Brands’ Business Model
    Textile EPR

    From a brand's point of view, how should extended producer responsibility (EPR) be designed so that circularity pays off?

    Philipp Bonaventura from Schöffel explains where circular design already works, why the economics hold it back, and what the system needs to change.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    • Why the barrier is economic, not technical: low collection volumes, weak sorting, and repair that doesn't cover its cost
    • How designing for repair differs from designing for recycling, and why material choice decides what can be recovered
    • Which fees reward durable, repairable products, and why harmonised rules across Europe matter

    The episode also covers what counts as a circular product, and why quality comes before recycled content.

    This is the second episode of the Textile EPR series.

    People

    Philipp Bonaventura, CR Manager Strategy & Environment at Schöffel
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipp-bonaventura-21409013a/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    00:00:00 Intro
    00:01:20 The oldest product: a 90s ski jacket
    00:03:18 Schöffel's business model
    00:05:12 Repairing 5,000 products a year
    00:06:42 A vision for textiles in 2040
    00:08:31 Designing for repair and recycling
    00:11:07 What makes a product circular
    00:13:07 Where the economics hold circularity back
    00:15:02 How EPR should reward circularity
    00:17:36 Outro

    About

    Schöffel is a family-owned German outdoor and ski apparel manufacturer based in Schwabmünchen, Bavaria. Founded in 1804, Schöffel is one of the oldest outdoor brand in the world. It sells outdoor, ski, workwear and technical apparel across three business units, Schöffel Sport, Schöffel Pro and Schöffel Tech, and runs its own repair service factory. The company builds eco-design and circularity into product development, with a focus on product durability, repairability, and design for recycling.

    Further Links

    https://www.schoeffel.com/de/en/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/how-textile-epr-will-influence-brands-business-model/

    19 min
  • Textile EPR in Germany: What Brands Need to Know
    Textile EPR

    How can extended producer responsibility (EPR) pay for the infrastructure that circular textiles need?

    This is the first episode of the Textile EPR series. We talk to Lisa Oelze from Messe München about why textiles has become the most unsettled waste stream in Europe, and Jelica Ramirez from GRS PRO Textil about how extended producer responsibility will work in Germany.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    • What the EU Waste Framework Directive actually changes for textiles
    • How a producer responsibility organisation works, and why Germany's competitive model differs from France
    • What's still undecided in German law, and why brands shouldn't wait for it

    The episode also covers why EPR money stays inside Europe while used clothing keeps leaving it.

    People

    Jelica Ramirez,Program Manager at GRS PRO
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/jelicaramirez/

    Lisa Oelze, Business Development Manager Circular Textile, Messe München

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaoelze/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hypscher/

    Chapters

    0:00 Intro
    1:44 Meet Lisa Oelze: what IFAT is
    3:18 IFAT’s role and the masterclass
    5:55 Meet Jelica: GRS PRO
    8:27 What textile EPR changes
    11:23 Germany’s open questions and competitive PROs
    13:28 The race-to-the-bottom risk
    15:01 Africa and the cross-border gap
    18:41 What brands should do now
    20:06 Outro

    About

    GRS PRO is a German environmental-services provider that runs extended producer responsibility systems, especially for batteries and textiles, helping producers meet legal obligations for collection, logistics, and recycling of their products.

    IFAT is a global trade fair brand for environmental technologies, with events such as IFAT Munich and other regional editions that bring together companies and experts around water, waste, recycling, and circular-economy solutions.

    Further Links

    IFAT Munich: https://ifat.de/en/trade-fair/
    GRS PRO Textil: https://textil.grs-pro.de/
    Revised Waste Framework Directive: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/revised-waste-framework-directive-enters-force-2025-10-16_en
    Africa Collect Textiles: https://africacollecttextiles.com/

    One-page Summary

    Sign-up for the Circularity.fm Newsletter and get a summary with the take-aways of this episode. Register here: https://circularity.fm/episode/textile-epr-in-germany-what-brands-need-to-know/

    21 min

About Circularity.fm

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Circularity.fm is the podcast about understanding, building and managing circular business models.