HappyPorch Radio: Circular Economy & Technology

Welcome back to our new episode of Season 7!

In episode 12 we interview Iain McKechnie, the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the Advanced Services Group within Aston Business School. The discussion centres around the concepts of Servitization and Advanced Services and their connection to the Circular Economy.

Iain describes servitization as a transformation process where businesses move away from solely selling products to offering products and services that involve leveraging the knowledge and value within a business to help customers achieve success. He also explains that Advanced Services, on the other hand, focus on outcome-based activities and provide offerings that assist customers in attaining specific outcomes rather than simply selling products.

We also talked about the potential of these concepts and discussed how the shift from ownership to usership aligns with Circular Economy principles, leading to benefits such as reduced waste and environmental impact. Iain also highlights the importance of making this knowledge accessible to businesses of all sizes.

Tune into this episode to hear more about net-zero goals and alliances aimed at generating knowledge and creating positive impact!

Welcome back to a new episode of HappyPorch Radio!

Episode 11 features an outstanding interview with Ivonne Bojoh, the COO and Digital Director of the Circle Economy Foundation in Amsterdam. The Foundation's mission is to double global circularity to approximately 17% by 2032 to combat climate breakdown. 

Ivonne joined Circle Economy and developed a digital strategy to scale their impact, leveraging technology to create platforms and tools for nations, cities, and businesses to adopt circular practices. She emphasises the importance of using existing skills for impactful purposes and calls for more individuals in the tech community to contribute to sustainability. 

In addition to the Circularity Gap Report and the digital platform, Circle Economy has also launched a platform that offers open access to data on circularity for over 6000 cities. It provides baseline insights on circularity, job creation, and material usage, along with relevant case studies. The platform aims to empower individuals and organisations on their circular journey by providing them with knowledge and tools.

Join us for another exciting episode to hear more about examples of innovative solutions for the transition to a circular economy and the importance of translating talk into action and working decisively to make progress!

Welcome back to the newest episode of HappyPorch Radio!

In episode 10, our hosts interview Fleur Ruckley, a Circular Economy and Resource Management Consultant. Fleur currently works at Topolytics on their analytics platform that uses data analytics, mapping and machine learning to make waste and resource management more transparent, more efficient and more effective commercially and environmentally. 

The hosts and Fleur discuss the social aspects of Circular Economy and, as one example,  compare the mindsets between South Africa and the UK regarding environmental management. They stress the importance of taking small steps and seeking external support to bridge the gap between current practices and sustainability objectives and the need to shift from a reactive mindset to a proactive one, fundamentally changing the system.

Join us in this episode to hear how Fluer concludes the discussion with hope and expressing optimism in people's willingness to engage with complexity, organisations making changes, and the availability of solid data for informed decision-making!

Welcome to our new episode of HappyPorch Radio!

In episode 9 our host engages in a captivating conversation with Vivian Shi, a Senior Managing Consultant at Oakdene Hollins, a UK-based circular economy consultancy specialising in sustainable practices. 

The consultancy, despite being a small team, works with a wide array of private and public clients and sectors and have recently expanded their work to collaborate with trade associations, supporting entire sectors in aligning with sustainability agendas, implementing circularity and achieving net zero emissions. 

Vivian discusses her personal journey from a material science and engineering background into sustainability and the circular economy, emphasising the importance of using technical skills to address complex sustainability challenges. She also mentions the increasing focus on biodiversity and planetary boundaries in the context of circular economy. 

.Tune into this episode and learn more about how Oakdene Hollins work with clients to assess materials and drive changes in supply chains, product design and other areas!

Welcome to another episode of HappyPorch Radio.

In episode 8, our hosts engage in an insightful conversation with Debbie Ward, the Director of Cirklo Consult. Debbie's expertise in circular economy training, education, and advisory services, as well as her passion for sustainability, make her an inspiring guest.

We explore the challenges and possibilities within the circular economy, guided by Debbie's extensive knowledge and unique perspectives. We cover a wide range of topics, including Debbie's diverse roles and contributions, the importance of systemic change, relatable experiences and realistic approaches, and her personal journey and transition into circular economy work.

We also discuss the significance of diverse perspectives in environmental conversations, behaviour change at scale, integrating circularity into carbon literacy training, and finding the balance between social value and carbon efficiency. 

Our focus turns to the construction industry, exploring circular practices, material reuse, and the mindset changes needed for widespread adoption.

Tune in to this episode for valuable insights from Debbie Ward and join the conversation on driving positive change through circular economy practices!

Welcome back to episode 7 of HappyPorch Radio!

In this episode, we are honoured to interview Pieter van Exter, Director of Product at Metabolic Software. 

Pieter's background in circular economy and decarbonisation projects with Metabolic Consulting sets the stage for discussing his transition to Metabolic Software and the development of Link, a SaaS product assessing company impacts on nature and biodiversity. 

We also explore the complexities of sustainability and systems change and share inspiring examples of Metabolic's work, and discuss the significance of scaling sustainable solutions through Metabolic Software's innovative tools.We also discuss software tool, Link, which aims to provide organisations with insights to improve their environmental impact.

Join us for another exciting episode and learn more about Pieter and Metabolic's approach to sustainability through multifaceted solutions.

Welcome back to episode 6 of Season 7 of HappyPorch Radio!

In this episode we are joined by Madison Wright, Circular Economy Specialist from Pentatonic.  

According to research conducted by Pentatonic,only a very small percentage of the largest companies in the world are set to hit their net-zero targets. So, for these companies to fulfill their commitments, big changes need to be made. Madison is assisting companies with implementing initiatives and systems that really embody the principles of sustainability. Despite the scary statistics about the direction the world is heading from an environmental perspective, Madison is still optimistic about the future, and she shares some of the reasons why. 

From product design to supply chain analysis to lowering consumption levels, tune in today to hear what real sustainable solutions look like! 

Welcome to episode 5 of season 7 of HappyPorch Radio! 

In this episode we welcome Elin Bergman, known as the Circular Economy Queen of Sweden. Elin is the CEO of Cradlenet, a network devoted to promoting and implementing a circular economy in Sweden. She is also a Co-founder and Managing Partner of the Nordic Circular Hotspot, a collaboration platform with a mission to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the Nordic region.

Elin shares her perspective on the circular economy's progress and the importance of networks, digital tools, and challenges of consumer perception. She shares examples of circular businesses in Sweden and the level of maturity required for businesses to adopt circular practices.

We discussed the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to a circular economy, emphasizing the significance of collaboration and digitalisation in driving this transformation. We also covered the importance of creating demand for circular products and services through policy changes and mandatory reporting by companies. 

Tune in now to hear more about Elin and be inspired by her passion for the circular economy.

Welcome to Episode 4 of Season 7 of HappyPorch Radio. 

In this episode, we speak to Paul Foulkes-Arellano, a circularity educator and consultant at Circuthon Consulting. 

Paul discusses his work in the circular economy, guiding businesses through the changing legislative environment and helping them embed circularity into their products and operations. He shares his personal story and emphasizes the importance of technology and digital connectivity in circularity. 

The interview covers a range of topics, including the evolution of circular economy, the importance of reuse and degrowth, and Paul's perspective on the future of circularity.

Join us for another exciting episode!

Welcome to episode 3 of the HappyPorch Radio Podcast. Join us as we explore the transition to circular business models and the challenges and opportunities that come with it. In today's episode, we have two guests from QSA Partners, a B corporation that helps businesses transition to circularity: Gerrard Fisher and Kristina Bull. 

We discuss the importance of reducing consumption, the challenges of implementing circular business models, and the role of various industries  in achieving circularity. Gerrard and Kristina share their experience and insights on how they help companies switch to rental, sharing, or service models and highlight the need for involving everyone in the company in the transition. 

They also introduce the concept of circular natives, inspired by the term “digital natives”, and explain how this influences consumer behavior and business practices. 

So, if you're interested in circular business models and want to learn more about how to transition to circularity, stay tuned!