Today, I have a quick hack for anyone working in circularity.
I’ve used it in countless consultancy projects and keynotes.
The circular economy is complex. It’s a new topic. Everyone has a different opinion. You have to be creative.
And that’s why the hardest thing is to start. To structure your thoughts, your narrative, your approach.
Once you crack that, everything makes sense. Everything gets easier, and your audience resonates with you.
So here’s the tip:
Enter the 8 Key Elements of Circular Economy.
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Developed by my awesome colleagues from Circle Economy, the 8 Elements perfectly summarize what circular economy is about, and what strategies to apply in any situation.
When brainstorming about what your company can do.
About product design and the right materials.
In public offices and municipalities, when looking for inspiration…
In the inner circle of the framework are 3 core elements.
Something you can’t compromise with.
- Prioritise Regenerative Resources: Ensure renewable, regenerative, non-toxic resources are efficiently utilized as materials and energy.
- Stretch the lifetime: While resources are in use, maintain, repair, and upgrade them to maximize their lifetime and give them a second life through take-back strategies when applicable.
- Use waste as a resource: Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling.
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Then, apart from the core 3 CORE elements, there are 5 ENABLING ELEMENTS.
These are elements that support the implementation of circularity by removing some of the obstacles for core elements.
For example, using waste as a resource is difficult to implement unless the products have been designed with eventual recycling in mind – hence design for the future is an enabling element.
Stretching the lifetime of a product can be enabled through new business models such as rental and resale. And so on…
5 enabling elements
- Design for the future: Account for the systems perspective during the design process, to use the right materials, to design for an appropriate lifetime and to design for extended future use.
- Rethink the business model: Consider opportunities to create greater value and align incentives through business models that build on the interaction between products and services.
- Incorporate digital technology: Track and optimize resource use and strengthen connections between supply chain actors through digital, online platforms and technologies that provide insights.
- Team up to create joint value: Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organizations, and with the public sector to increase transparency and create joint value.
- Strengthen and advance knowledge: Develop research, structure knowledge, encourage innovation networks, and disseminate findings with integrity.
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I love that the framework can be applied in different situations. For example, national, regional, sector, business, product, process, or even material level!
How can this be used in practice?
Circle Economy applies this framework everywhere:
- To develop national strategies in our Circularity Gap Reports
- Scan business opportunities with Rockwool
- Build circular cities, like Basel
- Classify 4000 cases in the Knowledge Hub
Now, there is sooo much more to unpack here, but I am running out of steam and it’s getting late, so for anyone interested, get the full breakdown here.
And before you go:
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♻️ On my radar 1) Circular Jobs everywhere! 2) Enter the Global Recycling League, country by country 3) WWF sues Norway over the deep-sea mining plans 4) Cement recycling “miracle” could solve a huge climate issue 5) AI could cut 70% of Lithium used in batteries 6) Meet me at London Climate Action Week (26th – 28th of June) 7) or in Madrid on the 2rd of October at the ESG Summit Europe |
Alright, that’s it for this week. See ya next Saturday and pls let me know what you thought today, so I can improve.
Vojta