Getting In the Loop: Circular Economy | Sustainability | Closing the Loop

Join me for the last episode of 2020! We’re taking a look back on a year that has been full of surprises. I’m sharing the top 3 downloaded episodes and we'll hear a listener voicemail for the first time.

What are your circular economy highlights from this year?

* Did you learn something new?

* Maybe you had a favorite podcast episode?

* Or are you done with 2020 and have big goals for 2021?

It’s been a crazy year hasn’t it? I hope all of you have been well considering this year has looked quite different than usual. One upside to going digital is the plethora of virtual events about circular economy. In this episode, I’m sharing about three online circular economy events from this fall.

Donald Eubank joins us on the podcast today! Based in Japan, Donald is co-author of the new book Leading Sustainably: The Path to Sustainable Business and How the SDGs Changed Everything. In this episode, Donald and I talk about the Sustainable Development Goals and how companies are using them to guide sustainable business practices. Developed by the United Nations, the Sustainable Development Goals are 17 goals often referred to as the ‘SDGs’ that provide a blueprint for us to achieve a better future for all. In today’s episode, I challenge Donald about their usefulness as guides for helping us achieve climate goals. Donald shares tangible examples from global companies that are using the SDGs as frameworks to implement sustainable business strategies in their organizations. Resources and links discussed in this episode are available at gettinginthelooppodcast.com .

Mariksa Nell is a Climate Activist, Artist and host of the Mama Earth Talk podcast. Today she joins us on the Getting in the Loop podcast to talk about zero waste, sustainability, and of course - circular economy!

Mariksa Nell started experimenting with trash️ in her artwork and the curiosity of the medium had her researching how waste affects the environment. Since then, she has worked with many organisations globally to drive environmental and sustainable change and inspires change through her artwork, podcasting, and public speaking. Her artwork can be found in the collections Trevor Noah, Adrian Grenier, Gary Vaynerchuck, Kris Fade, and Black Coffee Mason Plumlee.

In this episode, Mariska tells us how she became interested in climate activism and the unique way she went about raising sustainability awareness in the UAE. You will also learn about her motivation to start the Mama Earth Talk podcast and what she has learned from talking with experts all over the world having produced the podcast for over two years. Resources and links discussed in this episode are available at gettinginthelooppodcast.com.

Frederik van Deurs joins us on the podcast today! Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Frederik is the CEO of the Green Innovation Group, which has worked with pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk in a circular innovation challenge. Today you will learn about this challenge and Frederik’s takeaways. Our conversation really got me thinking about circular economy in healthcare and how to address consumable products in a circular way, since Novo Nordisk produces +500 million insulin pens a year. Let’s dive into today’s podcast and learn what Frederik has to say about the process of working with Novo Nordisk to look into plastic alternatives, take back solutions, and the possibilities to use enzyme waste to produce new products. Resources and links discussed in this episode can be found at gettinginthelooppodcast.com

How can marketing be used to help create a more circular economy? Alena from Orange Bird is here to share with us the ins and outs of marketing and that it is not inherently about getting people to buy more. Tune in to hear why you might want to start collaborating with your marketing department when it comes to innovating new circular business models. Resources and links discussed in this episode can be found at gettinginthelooppodcast.com

Katie here with a very special announcement! Thanks to the many listeners who suggested we have a place to continue the conversation 'off air', we now have an official Getting in the Loop Podcast Group on Linkedin. And you're invited to join!

Today we’re talking about the future of flexible packaging with Graham Houlder, Managing Director of SLOOP Consulting and founder & project coordinator for CEFLEX. In today’s episode, Graham and I talk about CEFLEX (a Circular Economy for Flexible Packaging). CEFLEX is a collaborative initiative of over 150 companies and associations from across the flexible packaging value chain with the aim to make flexible packaging even more relevant in the circular economy. Graham is an expert in this field and, in this episode, he provides significant insight into the world of packaging. Graham shares about collection and take back, including EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility), limits to plastic recycling, and how to design for circular packaging. And even if packaging isn’t your area of interest, I think you will find this episode valuable. There is a lot to learn from CEFLEX in terms of how to organize circular economy projects and get all actors from one sector involved, whether its material producers, manufacturers, end consumers and waste collectors. Get ready to be inspired to start your own initiative! Resources and links discussed in this episode can be found at gettinginthelooppodcast.com .

Today’s episode is about DOING and for that reason I’m so happy that I can share it with you as our special 50th episode! Today’s theme revolves around asking: What would happen if you applied circular concepts to a local area or region? Ashleigh Morris of Coreo is here to dive into this question with us and share her experience! In this episode, Ashleigh tells us about the state of circular economy in Australia, and she shares her experiences practically implementing circular economy strategies.  Tune in to hear about Coreo’s first project aptly named the Circular Experiment, where applying circular concepts such as reverse logistics and asset sharing to a street in Queensland resulted in economic, environmental and social benefits! Ashleigh also shares key factors you should consider before embarking on your own circular experiment.

Next week (Sept 7, 2020) the Getting in the Loop podcast is back to its regularly scheduled programming! Join host Katie Whalen as she kicks off the Fall 2020 season with an interview featuring Ashleigh Morris, CEO of Coreo.