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Circularity.fm

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Circularity.fm episodes

  • A Circular Economy Handbook
    Circular Business Models Books

    Not every product can be recovered, reused or recycled. So where can companies find opportunities for circularity?

    Catherine Weetman, author of A Circular Economy Handbook and host of the Circular Economy Podcast, discusses how businesses can create and retain more value from their resources, even in challenging markets.

    What you'll hear in this episode:

    • Endurance, intensity and recovery: Three strategies for getting more value from products and materials, including Return on Manufactured Assets (ROMA).
    • What customers really value: The overlooked costs of constant product innovation, from inventory and product write-offs to customer churn.
    • Circular opportunities across the value network: From adhesives that could enable remanufacturing to electrical equipment designed for reliability and repair.

    This is the first episode of our four-part series Circular Business Model Books.

    People

    Catherine Weetman, Director at Rethink Global
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/

    Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

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

    Chapters

    00:00 Intro
    02:15 Structure and strategies of A Circular Economy Handbook
    09:27 What customers value beyond new products
    13:27 Market realities and barriers to circular business models
    20:01 Case study: Circular strategies for an adhesives manufacturer
    30:38 Case study: Circular strategies for electrical products
    37:35 What could change in the next edition
    39:13 Outro

    About

    Catherine Weetman draws on her experience from working for Kellogg’s, DHL and Tesco and more than 12 years as a circular economy consultant. Through her Circular Economy Podcast, Catherine Weetman knows the circular innovators and the real-world struggles of getting circular.

    Further Links

    Book

    • A Circular Economy Handbook, 3rd edition | 25% discount with code KOGANPAGE25

      • Books and resources mentioned in the episode

      • Reality Strikes Back by Virpi Oinonen
      • The Impossibilities of the Circular Economy
      • Circular economy cartoons by Virpi Oinonen
      Connect with Catherine
      • Circular Economy Podcast

      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/a-circular-economy-handbook/

      42 min
    • Building Demand for Remanufactured IT with Circularity First
      B2B Take-Back

      If remanufactured IT can offer the same warranties and support as new equipment at a lower price, why businesses still prefer to buy new?

      Anthony Levy, founder of Circularity First and CEO of Cistor, built a business selling remanufactured IT equipment through Cisco Refresh. He shares how he developed customer demand and why adoption remains limited despite the commercial benefits.

      What you'll hear in this episode:

      • The business case for remanufactured IT: Beyond lower purchase prices, companies can extend the life of existing platforms and improve supply chain resilience.
      • Overcoming customer resistance: Why perceived risks and established purchasing habits matter, and how discounts, product testing and low-risk deployments help build trust.
      • Getting the sales system to support remanufacturing: How sales incentives that favor new products and unpredictable stock availability can limit adoption, even when customer demand exists.

      This is the fifth and final episode of our B2B Take Back series.

      People

      Anthony Levy, CEO at Circularity First
      https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonylevy/

      Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

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

      Chapters

      00:00 Intro
      06:01 Building demand for Cisco Refresh
      11:43 Resale markets for different grades of returned IT
      16:22 Recycling limits and business benefits of remanufactured IT
      20:36 Customer resistance and commercial barriers to remanufactured IT
      25:45 Building customer trust and aligning sales incentives
      31:12 Cultural barriers and gaps in B2B marketplaces
      37:44 Outro

      About

      Circularity First is a UK-based sustainable IT company that helps organizations reduce the environmental impact of their technology infrastructure. Its approach focuses on extending the lifetime of IT equipment through reuse, remanufacturing and responsible end-of-life management, reducing electronic waste and demand for new hardware.

      Further Links

      https://circularity-first.com/
      https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/topics/general/what-is-remanufactured.html
      https://www.cistor.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/building-demand-for-remanufactured-it-with-circularity-first/

      39 min
    • Product Take-Back & WEEE: Choosing the Right R-Strategy
      B2B Take-Back

      Which products are worth refurbishing, and how can manufacturers get them back in usable condition?

      Julie Fournier, responsible for circular economy at Legrand, and Kevin Chen, Director of Consulting at Circul'R, discuss how to select the right circular strategies for different products and organize take-back systems across a portfolio of more than 300,000 product references.

      What you'll hear in this episode:

      • How to identify products suitable for refurbishment, considering customer demand, product value and design for disassembly
      • How to balance collection volumes and product quality by combining EPR systems with direct take-back
      • How product mix, shared infrastructure and aligned incentives affect the economic viability of take-back systems at scale

      The conversation also covers product-as-a-service as a potential alternative for retaining access to products, and the challenge of sharing data across companies while protecting commercially sensitive information.

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

      People

      Julie Fournier, Responsable économie circulaire at Legrand Group
      https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-fournier-13329858/

      Kevin Chen, Director Consulting at Circul’r

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

      Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

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

      Chapters

      00:00 Intro
      04:34 Legrand's product range and how refurbishment began
      09:33 Criteria for refurbishment: demand, residual value and eco-design
      13:29 Product mix and choosing R strategies across a portfolio
      21:03 EPR schemes and direct take-back from facility managers
      28:41 How to align stakeholders through industry coalitions
      32:03 Product-as-a-service as an alternative to take-back
      34:25 Data sharing across competitors for circular loops
      36:44 Outro

      About

      Legrand is a French company specializing in electrical and digital building infrastructure. Its circular economy activities include improving product design, increasing the use of recycled materials, reducing waste and extending product lifetimes.

      Circul'R is a French circular economy consultancy that supports companies in developing and implementing circular strategies and business models. Its work covers areas such as eco-design, resource use, reuse and the transition towards more circular value chains.

      Further Links

      https://www.legrand.de/de
      https://www.circul-r.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/product-take-back-weee-choosing-the-right-r-strategy/

      38 min
    • Permanent Magnets: Simplifying Reverse Logistics with Wilo
      B2B Take-Back

      Wilo's take-back system works without contracts, deposits or payments. Instead, the company focuses on making returns as simple as possible for installers. And that works.

      Thomas Fetting, explains how the company collects used pumps and brings recovered components and materials back into production.

      What you'll hear in this episode:

      • How to motivate participation in take-back systems without financial incentives
      • How manufacturers can recover and reintegrate components and materials into production
      • What determines the economic viability and scalability of reverse logistics

      This is the third episode of the B2B Take-Back series. You can find its original recording in German on YouTube. The audio-only version has been translated to English with the use of AI.

      People

      Thomas Fetting, Group Director - Analysis at Wilo
      https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-fetting-7a0045118/

      Patrick Hypscher, Circular Business Strategist, PaaS Expert

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

      Chapters

      00:00 Intro
      05:44 Why pumps are suited for take-back
      10:33 How used pumps reach Wilo: the installer channel
      12:32 Why installers return pumps: legal compliance
      17:16 Why Wilo accepts all brands: treatment certification
      20:45 Why installers get no payment
      22:56 Wholesalers as collection points
      25:12 Dismantling pumps and reusing magnets
      28:26 Recycling old magnets into powder with Heraeus
      30:37 Refurbishing electronic modules, not whole pumps
      34:08 Why recyclers and manufacturers must cooperate
      38:02 Collection and processing costs: break-even today
      43:19 Scaling take-back with strategic partners
      47:29 Outro

      About

      Wilo is a German manufacturer of pumps and pump systems for buildings, water management and industrial applications. The company works on circular approaches including the take-back of used products, material recovery and the reuse of valuable resources from old equipment.

      Further Links

      https://wilo.com/de/de/

      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/permanent-magnets-simplifying-reverse-logistics-with-wilo/

      49 min
    • 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

    About Circularity.fm

    From the publisher's feed

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