Insights #28 – transforming social value
How can the circular economy add social value? | Knowledge Hub 3.0 | Finance saving our planet | The fingerprint of human influence on our… Read More »Insights #28 – transforming social value
How can the circular economy add social value? | Knowledge Hub 3.0 | Finance saving our planet | The fingerprint of human influence on our… Read More »Insights #28 – transforming social value
Companies and governments are making transformational net-zero climate-change commitments – what’s creating the momentum and how can circular economy approaches help you get there?
I’m thinking of this decade as the Transformational Twenties: transforming our thinking about what’s important, and how we CAN make it happen. This theme runs through my recommendations for this week. I’ve changed (transformed?!) the format of the newsletters too…
Christian van Maaren is co-founder of Excess Materials Exchange, based in the Netherlands. Excess Materials Exchange is saving the planet by running a dating site, which at first sounds improbable, and then sounds intriguing!
Christian believes the circular economy is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to achieve the Paris climate goals, and we hear how Excess Materials Exchange helps customers measure the value of their exchange options, in financial, environmental and social impacts.
Christian tells us about the kinds of companies and materials they match up, using a combination of blockchain and AI, and how they actively match supply & demand for materials to ensure high value re-use.
Podcast: Sharing tools and skills | Resource security | Fast fashion’s real price | Circular manufacturing in low income countries | Why IKEA is switching to circular | #buildbackbetter | Circular Design Cards
Close the Loop | Linear risk & circularity gaps | Circularity for human development | Happy Hustle giveaway | Hot Air
Inclusive capitalism | Circular economy behaviour change | Circularity Gap Widens | Circular Bricks | Peter’s blog, Podcast 19, Davos and more
The circular economy is an essential tool in mitigating the negative impacts of the climate and ecological crisis. We in the Global North need to do more than anyone, given that we created the problem in the first place. By taking on board the principles of a circular economy, engage in conversation with those around us, lobby people in power and take circular actions in our businesses and homes. This will mean we can move away from our current linear economy as well as reducing carbon emissions which will improve prosperity, enhance the reputation of business, and create healthier lifestyles to the benefit of ourselves and our planet.
Sophie is an established leader in communication and design, and in the investigation and promotion of circular economy design principles. She has been working in the fields of ethical design, behaviour change and material process through her design agency, Thomas.Matthews ltd, for nearly 20 years.
We find out how Sophie uses her experience in sustainable and ethical design to help people understand more about the circular economy. We talk about the groundbreaking Great Recovery Project, which looked at the challenges and opportunities of the CE, through the lens of design. Sophie explains the importance of thinking about the system you are designing for, not just the object or product itself.
We know the circular economy aims to reduce, reuse, remake and eventually to recycle – but what if there is another R – rebound – opening the door for companies to adopt circular strategies and still drive growth in consumption (and pollution and waste)? We explore rebound, ask how to avoid it, and suggest we should be aiming instead for a regenerative economy.