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The Circular Economy Show Podcast

The Circular Economy Show Podcast

Hosted by Ellen MacArthur Foundation

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Episodes

236

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN

About the show

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation welcomes you to The Circular Economy Show, a podcast about a new way to design, make, and use things, and how we can build an economy that's fit for the 21st century.

Listen to episodes

60 recent
August 11, 202626 min

[Rewind] What marketers need to know about driving circular demand

How can businesses sell circular propositions in a world that's rapidly changing? This episode of the Circular Economy Show tackles the marketing challenges and opportunities head-on. Pippa sits down with Jonathan Hall, Managing Partner at Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice, and Amanda Gandolpho, former Head of Brands at bike subscription service Swapfiets, to explore how to connect with today's consumers and drive demand for circular products and services. In this episode you'll discover: The surprising shift in societal values that's reshaping consumer buying habits     How to overcome marketing roadblocks like the value-action gap (where consumers say they want sustainability but don't always buy it) and the greenwashing problem     Practical strategies for marketing circularity effectively: Focus on consumer benefits, convenience, and solving real problems     Real-world examples: Learn how Swapfiets is using a circular business model (bike subscription) to disrupt transportation and prioritise customer experience This August on the Circular Economy Show, we’re revisiting four conversations that help to navigate the marketing challenges and opportunities of switching to a circular economy. So listen in if you want to learn how to take something from a good idea to something that actually sells. Subscribe to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation for more insightful videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQAC2otE5_agzHZPnk3mE5w?sub_confirmation=1 Follow us online on these channels: Instagram: http://instagram.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellen-macarthur-foundation/ Website: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

August 10, 20261 min

Marketing the circular economy: a four part series

This August on the Circular Economy Show, we’re revisiting four conversations that help to navigate the marketing challenges and opportunities of switching to a circular economy. So listen in if you want to learn how to take something from a good idea to something that actually sells.

July 21, 202624 min

How do we break the silos between bio-based policy and circularity?

For years, the circular economy conversation has generated significant research, policy development, and business action around finite materials. But the same attention has not been given to bio-based materials. How can products and components made from these materials circulate and create value in a circular economy? In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, Fin is joined by Guilherme Suertegaray, co-author of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's new report — Circular by nature: a policy agenda for bio-based materials in a circular economy — and Beto Bina, CEO and founder of Farfarm, to explore why circular economy and bio-based material policies have developed in silos, and what's needed to align them. We cover the policy gap on both sides, real supply chain examples, and the social stakes for smallholder farmers and rural communities. We also explore bio-based resource production as a key driver of biodiversity action as well as the policy recommendations the report puts forward ahead of COP17 — where we’ll be demonstrating that the circular economy offers a practical route to tackling biodiversity loss and meeting national biodiversity targets. For more on COP17, listen to our previous episode on this topic — Circular economy, biodiversity, and the road to COP17 — and look out for the next one in September. If you enjoyed this episode, then please share it with your colleagues, or leave us a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.  Circular by nature: a policy agenda for bio-based materials in a circular economy Subscribe to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation for more insightful videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQAC2otE5_agzHZPnk3mE5w?sub_confirmation=1 Follow us online on these channels: Instagram: http://instagram.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellen-macarthur-foundation/ Website: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

July 14, 202611 min

Driving circularity: shared infrastructure for scalable change

Individual pilots are great, but they don't scale themselves. So, how do you shift an entire system to move an unmovable market? This week on the Circular Economy Show, Lou and Fin explore the critical foundation of shared infrastructure. Whether it’s launching scalable refill coalitions with Aldi and Ocado, aggregating future demand to bring 90% emission-reducing fuel to ocean transport, or rewriting retail habits at checkout counters across the US, to truly scale the circular economy, we have to stop building in silos and start building the shared infrastructure that allows everyone to win. Tune in to hear how three trailblazing women, Catherine Conway (GoUnpackaged), Ingrid Irigoyen (ZEMBA), and Kate Daly (Closed Loop Partners) are laying down the shared motorways that will allow everyone else to drive their own circular vehicles forward. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment, give us a like or tell your work colleagues and friends, and don't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to or watch your podcasts. Subscribe to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation for more insightful videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQAC2otE5_agzHZPnk3mE5w?sub_confirmation=1 Find out more about our work here: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org Follow us online on these channels: Instagram: http://instagram.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellen-macarthur-foundation/

July 7, 20267 min

EV batteries, bio-based materials, and the jobs nobody talks about | Circular Snapshots

This month: three stories worth your time.   The WEF published a piece on EV battery recycling that reframes the whole conversation. These batteries contain the critical minerals governments are scrambling to secure. The recycled minerals market could be worth $200 billion by 2050. That value needs to be designed for now, not chased later.   Up until now the policy agenda for bio-based materials, wood, paper, natural fibres, rubber and leather has largely been ignored. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has published a report that sets out to fix that.   And the International Finance Corporation, alongside five major development banks, put a number on circular economy employment: 121 to 142 million people. Nearly half in repair and maintenance. Over half in the informal economy. The opportunity is real. So is the gap.   Plus four quick headlines on Scotland's material flows, Europe losing critical minerals through its own waste streams, fashion resale and repair policy, and flexible packaging. Story 1: EV Battery Recycling Why recycling EV batteries is an industrial opportunity, not a waste challenge (WEF): https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/06/ev-battery-recycling-waste-challenge-industrial-opportunity/ Story 2: Circular by Nature — Bio-Based Materials Circular by nature: a policy agenda for bio-based materials (Ellen MacArthur Foundation): https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-by-nature-a-policy-agenda-for-bio-based-materials-in-a-circular-economy Story 3: Circular Economy Jobs Circular Jobs: How MDBs Are Supporting Job Creation through a Circular Economy (IFC): https://www.ifc.org/content/dam/ifc/doc/2026/how-mdbs-can-support-job-creation-in-a-circular-economy.pdf   Quick Headlines Scotland’s Material Flow Accounts (Zero Waste Scotland): https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/zero-waste-scotland-publishes-nations-most-depth-material-flow-accounts-date Europe losing critical minerals in its waste streams (Yahoo Finance / The Cool Down): https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/europe-losing-hidden-stockpile-lithium-222500520.html The New Bottom Line: Policy levers for resale & repair in fashion (Ellen MacArthur Foundation): https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/policy-levers-for-resale-and-repair/report Unilever and PepsiCo on the challenges of flexible packaging (Packaging News): https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/markets/household-products/unilever-and-pepsico-unlock-the-potential-of-paper-based-flexible-packaging-across-the-globe-01-06-2026 Find out more about our work here: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org Follow us online on these channels:  Instagram: http://instagram.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellen-macarthur-foundation/  Website: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

June 30, 202620 min

How does business benefit from regenerative practices?

In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, Pippa speaks with JJ Freijo, Chief Sustainability and Product Innovation Officer at Brambles. JJ explains how the company rents, rather than sells, pallets, crates and containers, creating a continuous loop of reuse across global supply chains. Having achieved 100% certified timber procurement across 64 countries, Brambles began asking a bolder question: what if supply chains could actively restore nature, rather than just reduce harm? JJ walks through their regenerative forestry project in Tabasco, Mexico, and makes the hard-nosed business case, from attracting top talent to deepening customer partnerships and opening doors with sustainability-focused investors. Subscribe to The Ellen MacArthur Foundation for more insightful videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQAC2otE5_agzHZPnk3mE5w?sub_confirmation=1 Find out more about our work here: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org Follow us online on these channels: Instagram: http://instagram.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellen-macarthur-foundation/ Website: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

June 23, 202614 min

Is it game over for the CSO?

Today, amid cost inflation, geopolitical conflict, and an ever-changing global business landscape we are staring down a massive shift in corporate sustainability and it’s starting to prompt some pretty big questions.  Does navigating the triple threat of media, politics, and boardroom backlash mean we need to change the playbook? In this episode Lou is joined by Mark Lancelot from Better Business Design. Together, they unpack how the traditional role of the Chief Sustainability Officer is changing to survive, and how we might reshape the narrative around sustainability and circular economy goals to land positively in our global boardrooms. Find out more about our work here: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org Follow us online on these channels: Instagram: http://instagram.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellen-macarthur-foundation/ Website: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

June 16, 202628 min

From niche to necessity: the circular economy's strategic moment

Trade wars, resource shortages, and the AI-driven scramble for critical minerals are exposing the fragility of our current economy.  And for businesses still operating on a linear model, the vulnerabilities are becoming impossible to ignore. The global economy isn’t just being disrupted, it’s being restructured.  In this episode, Seb is joined by Julia Binder, Professor of Transformation at IMD Business School, and Manuel Braun, entrepreneur and co-author of The Circular Business Revolution, to explore why circularity has moved from the sustainability agenda to the boardroom. They discuss: Why today's disruptions are structural, not episodic, and what that means for supply chains How the circular economy offers a direct answer to resource dependency and geopolitical risk The shift from an impact case to a business case, and how to have that conversation with your CFO What companies like Hilti are doing differently, and what executives can act on tomorrow Mentioned in this episode: IMD circular value creation courses for leaders: https://www.imd.org/sustainability/cvce/creating-value-circular-economy/ Material Advantage: How circular strategies drive business value: https://www.imd.org/ibyimd/innovation/material-advantage-how-circular-strategies-drive-business-value/ Circular Business Revolution book: https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/books/the-circular-business-revolution/ Startup landscape: https://www.circular-republic.org/insights/circular-startup-landscape-2026 Follow us online on these channels:  Instagram: http://instagram.com/EllenMacArthurFoundation  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ellen-macarthur-foundation/  Website: http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org

May 12, 20267 min

Circular Snapshots: Mexico’s landmark circular economy law and more

This edition of Circular Snapshots covers a lot of ground. Mexico passed landmark circular economy legislation in January — and it deserves far more attention than it got. We also look at Circle Economy's latest report, which puts a €25.4 trillion price tag on the value destroyed every year by our linear economy, and the EU Circular Economy Act as it heads toward autumn adoption. Plus a quick run through of four shorter stories: HP mining its own e-waste to build new laptops, the UK Packaging Pact launching with 100 founding organisations, a new fashion industry initiative to scale textile-to-textile fibre recycling, and fresh data on what's really driving the secondhand boom. Show notes:  Circularity Gap Report 2026 (Circle Economy): https://dashboard.circularity-gap.world/report/2026/cgr-2026-overview EU Circular Economy Act: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/eu-circular-economy-act Mexico Enacts General Law for the Circular Economy: https://mexicobusiness.news/sustainability/news/mexico-enacts-general-law-circular-economy HP mining its own e-waste: https://www.fastcompany.com/91501080/hp-is-mining-its-own-e-waste-to-build-its-latest-laptops UK Packaging Pact launches: https://www.wrap.ngo/media-centre/press-releases/uk-packaging-pact-launches-unlock-progress-transforming-packaging Circular Fibre Collective launch: https://www.thefashionpact.org/industry-leaders-launch-the-circular-fibre-collective-to-scale-t2t-recycled-materials-by-2030/ ThredUp 2026 Resale Report: https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/articles/thredup-spots-worrisome-trend-consumer-150700654.html

May 6, 202626 min

Can paper fix the flexibles problem?

Flexible plastics are hard to collect, harder to recycle, and leaking into our oceans at scale. Could paper step in? And can it do so without creating a whole new problem? In this episode, Pippa is joined by Laura Smith, Programme Manager for Plastics and Packaging at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Jonathan Gill, Global Head of Sustainability, Plastics, at Unilever and Valerie Langer, Strategic Lead, Next Generation Solutions at Canopy. Together they discuss the six critical criteria for responsible paper-based packaging, the innovation and collaboration needed to scale solutions, and why there's no silver bullet. Read the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s report on paper-based flexible packaging

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