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

You may have wondered what big companies are doing about the circular economy, so today Jeff Wooster joins us to talk about just that! Jeff Wooster is the Global Sustainability Director for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. Dow is one of the third largest chemical companies in the world and a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100 (CE 100) Network. In this episode, you will learn about some of the initiatives DOW has been working on regarding circular economy. This includes a partnership with the company Fuenix Ecogy Group to use plastic waste in the production of new polymers, and Project Butterfly which is a social initiative that addresses poor waste management through education, clean-ups, and innovation. Tune in to find out what must be done to meet our future plastic demands.

Today we’re talking about design and innovation for a circular economy! I’m joined by Dr. Merryn Haines-Gadd from the University of Exeter’s Centre for Circular Economy. In this episode, you will learn about emotionally durable design and the nine product longevity strategies that are relevant for a circular economy. You will also hear about the fascinating new world of self-healing materials and the various applications where they are being applied to help extend product lifetimes.

Today we are getting in the loop with Emanuele Di Francesco, founder of the online platform Circular Conversations. In this episode, you will learn about Circular Conversations, a platform where Emanuele engages with leaders in thinking related to the circular economy. You will also hear about Emanuele's work setting up circular economy projects at the Unknown Group.

It’s our last episode of 2019! Today I’m sharing an episode I recorded about circular business models with Steven Curtis and Sofie Sandin, two of my colleagues at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University. This episode originally appeared on the ‘Advancing Sustainable Solutions’ podcast that Sofie and Steven co-host at the IIIEE. I wanted to share it with you all because of the insight into circular business models! In the episode we address two main questions:

1) What are circular business models?

2) How can entrepreneurs contribute to the circular economy?

In today’s episode, you’ll hear about Ladeja’s work to create a Circular Economy Roadmap for Slovenia and how she is working with people all over the world to implement circular change. Ladeja and I reflect on the importance of considering culture when discussing circular economy, and Ladeja shares some examples from her work in Norway and the Americas. We also talk about leadership for a circular economy and what it means to be a circular economy leader. This is something I was eager to hear from Ladeja about since I find her to be an inspirational circular economy leader, and in the episode, Ladeja share her thoughts about the qualities and capabilities that she thinks are necessary for today’s CE leaders. Show notes and links related to this episode can be found on our website at www.gettinginthelooppodcast.com.

It’s time for the second and final episode in our two-part series on the circular economy in India. Last week we were joined by a special guest host, Lucyl Staub to learn about the current state of India and the circular economy. This week, Lucyl returns to guide us through conversations with experts to discover more about the future of circular economy in India. As part of looking ahead, Lucyl also investigates the off-grid solar industry in India, looking at how to encourage the repair, reuse, and remanufacturing of off-grid solar panels.

In this special two-part episode, we’re learning about the state of the Circular Economy in India! This episode is a never before on the Getting in the Loop podcast because we have a special guest host, Lucyl Staub. Lucyl and I worked in collaboration on this episode and she will take over for me in a lot of the episode, guiding us through interviews with experts to discover more about how India is moving towards a more circular economy.

What does design have to do with a circular economy? Find out from Lars Zimmermann, a self-described Artist, Designer, and Activist. In this episode, you’ll learn about Open Source Circular Economy Days and the workshops Lars runs to engage people in circular economy concepts, including that of ‘pre-use,’ which you’ll hear him explain more in-depth. And last but not least, Lars also shares some exciting news about the work he is doing regarding circular economy education.

Today we’re getting in the loop with Jordan Nodarse, who is the founder of Boyish Jeans and a California native with a deep passion for sustainable practices in fashion. In this episode, Jordan and I dive into Boyish Jeans discussing their production practices and all things circular denim. Jordan takes me through how he initially found out about circular economy and how he now aims to set the standard for production practices with Boyish Jeans.

This episode is a great follow-up to Getting in the Loop Episode 003 where Helene Smits and I explored the future of circular fashion. As you will hear, Boyish has adopted many of the practices discussed in that episode. You can find Episode 003 as well as well as the show notes to this episode on our website at gettinginthelooppodcast.com

It’s time to go back to some circular economy basics! In this episode, you'll hear how Rebecca Kimber and I explain circular economy, why we were drawn to circular economy in the first place, and what continues to get us excited about it. This episode is a little different from our normal Getting in the Loop episodes because we originally recorded it for Rebecca to use on her website and podcast, and I wanted to share it with you as well. This would be a good episode to share with your friends, family, or colleagues outside of the circular economy bubble as we try not to talk too technical!