The Circular Economy Show Podcast

How to measure marketing success in a circular economy

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In a circular economy, products may not be sold just once, but multiple times. This enables businesses to generate more revenue from one item. As a re...

Policy unplugged: Implementing circular economy policy with Joss Blériot

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We are currently seeing a shift where circular economy policy is moving out of purely environmental ministries and into the hands of economic planning...

Circular economy, biodiversity, and the road to COP17

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Biodiversity loss is accelerating at an alarming rate, but could circular economy solutions help turn things around? In this episode of The Circular E...

What’s next for the plastics industry?

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Over the past decade, leading businesses have shown that progress on plastic pollution is possible. And while individual company action has been succe...

The hidden drivers enabling the circular economy

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What do some of the more surprising stories of scale teach us about implementing the circular economy? In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, F...

Circular snapshots: Competitiveness, critical minerals & textiles EPR

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to The Circular Economy Show and another episode of Circular Snapshots, where we unpack the headlines shaping the transition to a circula...

Ep 207: The critical minerals crunch: How do we secure the future of clean energy?

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Wen-Yu Weng, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Critical Minerals Lead, joins Lou to explain why critical minerals are currently taking centre stage i...

Ep 206: What’s next for the circular economy in 2026?

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Join Seb as he speaks to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CEO, Jonquil Hackenberg about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the circ...

2025 in review: unlocking the circular economy opportunity

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a truly pivotal year for the Foundation as we've moved from streamlining our missions to charging headfirst into the exciting era of impleme...

Circular Snapshots | COP30 and progress in the circular economy

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s easy to look at the news headlines and feel like everything is going backwards, but in this episode we ask you to look a little deeper and see ...

Why should retailers embrace the circular economy? | Conversations from Climate Week New York

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded live at Climate Week New York, in this episode we ask ‘why should retailers embrace the circular economy?’The global food system is respo...

What's tech got to do with it? | Conversations from Climate Week New York

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded live during Climate Week NYC, this episode explores how technology can accelerate the transition to a circular economy, not as a bolt-on fix,...

Why do circular business models fail to scale? Going it alone

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This is the fourth and final part of our mini series on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report: How not to fail: Avoiding 10 common pitfalls wh...

Why do circular business models fail to scale? Relying on a narrow business case

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Circular business models can drive new revenue streams, build brand strength, customer loyalty, and market traction, while also unlocking value throug...

Why do circular business models fail to scale? Strategic misalignment

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Circular business models often fail when they’re designed without factoring how the business works, what the customers want, and what the product re...

Why do circular business models fail to scale? Don’t think too small

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What makes circular business models fail to scale? In this new four-part series, we’ll be exploring the common mistakes businesses make on their jou...

Stop minding your own business

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Have the current political and economic shocks actually created enormous opportunities for change?Can businesses currently working on transforming the...

HolyGrail: see it, sort it, scale it

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Scaling the circular economy requires more companies to launch circular products and services, but many competitors transitioning towards the circular...

Circular Snapshots: EU policy breakthrough

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It was a busy summer for the circular economy. In this episode, Seb brings you up to speed with some of the headlines and all in less than 10 minutes!...

The view in North America and Climate Week NYC

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As Climate Week NYC kicks off, what’s momentum like for the circular economy in North America?In this episode, Pippa’s joined by Danielle Holly, E...

How designers can hardwire their skills for a circular economy | Circling Back

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Waste and pollution aren’t accidents—they’re the result of design. Which means we can design them out.Design is where it all begins – and wher...

The circular economy: a ‘triple play’ climate solution for China | Circling Back

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Amid rising emissions, rising temperatures, and the rapid rollout of material-intensive renewable energy systems that promise to curb them both, clima...

Are circular cities the key to future-proofing Europe? | Circling Back

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Could rethinking our cities through a circular lens be the key to future-proofing Europe whilst offering exciting investment opportunities?Join us in ...

The competitive case for circular economy: From peripheral to pivotal | Circling Back

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The circular economy can no longer be sidelined as a ‘nice to have’. Not only can it future-proof individual business operations, it can also help...

Stabilising the supply of critical minerals | Circling Back

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we’re bringing together two top-of-mind topics: the scramble for critical minerals, and how circular economy strategies can help us ...

“It’s a no-brainer”: Arc’teryx on bringing repairs in-store

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Building circular business models - where products are rented, repaired, resold and remade - is key to transforming our economy from a take, make, was...

How H&M Group is exploring circular business models in The Fashion ReModel

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we keep clothes in use at their highest value and make money without having to make new clothes? In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, ...

How do we make circular behaviours irresistible?

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, our guests Georgie Rose from Selfridges and Simon Davies from VISA tell us how they have been working to...

How can marketers turn ideas into impactful action?

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For years, marketers have been helping to shape how consumers think and feel about products that are driving the linear economy. However in this episo...

Stepping into action: Meet The Footwear Collective

10 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, we explore the intersection between fashion, business, and technology - revealing why shoes are central ...

‘Waiting isn't an option’: the role of retail in future-proofing our food system

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

To truly transform the food system, we need retailers to sell food that enables nature to thrive.In this episode, learn how leading retailers from aro...

The climate benefits of circularity: What we're missing

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The circular economy is one of the most powerful tools we have to tackle the climate crisis—but you wouldn’t know it from the carbon accounts.In t...

Circular Snapshot: What a $3500 iPhone tells us about the circular economy

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The circular economy is no longer just a theory; it’s becoming a reality across an increasing number of sectors, from tech and materials to retail a...

Becoming a circular economist with Vojtech Vosecky

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In order to bring the circular economy to life, we need more circular economists. But what does that mean? Who might these circular economists be? And...

How are small start-ups, SMEs, and large corporations working together to change the food system?

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Big Food Redesign Challenge set out to demonstrate how redesigning products in line with circular economy principle...

How storytelling drives the circular economy transformation inside and out

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The idea that stories are powerful is an uncontroversial idea. But what does it really mean to harness story to shift mindsets and inspire positive ac...

Beyond business as usual: Biodiversity, collaboration and visionary leadership in the food system

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The future of food is not predetermined – it's being shaped by the decisions being made today. This episode challenges food industry decision-makers...

Driving demand for circular economy: What marketers need to know | Kantar and Swapfiets

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How can businesses sell circular propositions in a world that's rapidly changing? This episode of the Circular Economy Show tackles the marketing chal...

Exploring fashion rental and resale with ACS and SuperCycle

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Circular business models hold immense potential to reshape the fashion industry. In this episode, we explore the exciting opportunities for brands in ...

Material security in a circular economy | Energy and competitiveness

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Find out about the critical role that the circular economy can play in the shift to renewable energy, pairing the EU’s decarbonisation agenda with e...

Food for thought | How do we fix our broken food system?

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The food industry is one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss and accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. But what if food cou...

Circular design essentials: What every designer needs to know

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Circular design is a hot topic, but moving beyond the buzzwords to practical implementation can be a real challenge. In this episode, we go deep with ...

What’s stopping Scotland from scaling a circular economy?

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Circular Economy Show we meet Zero Waste Scotland, who are working with government, businesses, and communities to make the shi...

What should businesses do to scale a circular economy?

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How do we move from pilots and beyond the ESG hype bubble to scale the implementation of the circular economy and how do businesses lead in this space...

2024 in review: A year exploring the circular economy

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Fin, Lou and Pippa from the Circular Economy Show as we look back at a year in the circular economy. In this episode, the team shares highlights...

What does it take to scale biomaterials?

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Circular Economy Show we discuss Arda Biomaterials' journey of transforming beer by-products into sustainable materials. Brett ...

What happened at INC-5? With Ellen MacArthur and Christiana Figueres

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this special episode of The Circular Economy Show, we’re sharing a conversation between Ellen MacArthur and Christiana Figueres from the climate ...

China, climate, and the circular economy

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we discuss the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s latest publication, The circular economy: A 'triple play' solution for achieving China'...

Plastic pollution: What is INC-5 and why does it matter?

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of this month in Busan, Korea, INC-5 will take place. For the fifth and final time, the United Nations international negotiating committee ...

Can the circular economy help bridge the climate adaptation gap?

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The circular economy can be a powerful climate mitigation strategy. But what about the other side of the climate action coin? In this episode, we expl...

Decoding durability in a circular economy: more life, more memories

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When we talk about durable materials, products, and services, what do we really mean? This episode unpacks the physical and emotional dimensions of du...

Sustainability and the circular economy: what’s the difference?

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is the circular economy just another form of sustainability? In this premiere episode of the Circular Curious season, Emma Elobeid and Lou Waldegrave...

New season: Circular Curious

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered what the difference is between sustainability and the circular economy? Or whether circular economy activities can help us adapt to the ...

What’s in your Soho bag? Unpacking the role of collaboration in circular product design

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, we uncover the power of collaboration in scaling the design of products that are fit for a circular econ...

How can the US lead the circular economy transition?

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With New York Climate Week underway, this episode of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Show, dives into the growing momentum of the ...

How to build a nature-positive circular economy for Europe

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Show, we’ll explore the critical relationship between a healthy economy and a...

New season: Wider Outlooks

14 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for the launch of our new season on The Circular Economy Show! Join us as we explore wider outlooks for the circular economy. We’ll hear a...

Shaping the future with the performance economy | The origins of the circular economy

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the heart of the circular economy is the need to retain the value of goods and materials, so that we can slow down the use of the Earth’s resourc...

Inside the world of industrial symbiosis | The origins of the circular economy

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In nature, symbiosis refers to two or more species benefiting from living closely together. In this episode, we explore how the same thing can happen ...

Applying regenerative design to everyday life | The origins of the circular economy

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In today’s episode, we’re placing nature in the centre of the conversation. Joined by Sean Quinn, Director of Regenerative Design at HOK, we’re ...

Are cradle to cradle & the circular economy the same thing? | The origins of the circular economy

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are Cradle to Cradle and the Circular Economy essentially the same thing? In this episode off our Origins season, we’ll explore the key differences ...

Biomimicry's role in transforming industries | The origins of the circular economy

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Where did the concept of the circular economy come from? In our new season “Origins: The ideas shaping the circular economy”, we dig into the diff...

New season - Origins: The ideas shaping the circular economy

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for the launch of our new season on The Circular Economy Show! Join us as we dig into the different ideas that have inspired the circular ec...

Regenerating natural ecosystems with Microsoft

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can a company as large as Microsoft help to regenerate nature? In this episode, we discuss how the organisation is designing its rapidly-growing n...

Pushing the boundaries of EPR policy for textiles

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Around the world, more than 80% of textiles leak out of the system when they are discarded. We need a new approach: a circular economy for textiles. A...

Answering the big questions: An Ellen MacArthur Foundation round table

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the circular economy gains momentum, we’re often faced with questions about how it could or should work. In this episode, some of the team from t...

Creating nature-positive nutrition from cacti with Dunia Bora

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dunia Bora means a better world, and that’s what Vincent Muhoro, Dunia Bora’s Founder, is aiming to achieve with his nutritious cactus juice drink...

Scaling refill and return with GoUnpackaged

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the Director and Reuse Lead at GoUnpackaged, Catherine Conway has become one of the leading voices in the world of return and refill.  In this epi...

Scaling supply chains in the circular economy with Deborah Dull

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deborah Dull is the supply chain super hero we’ve been waiting for. As co-founder of the Circular Supply Chain Network, she brings together supply c...

Scaling product-as-service with Stena Consulting

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Circular economy business models have been around for a long time, but we're not seeing the promised gold rush of new product-as-a-service models taki...

Eurovision in Malmö: How events can accelerate the circular economy

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From decorations to infrastructure, food and local business connections, there’s a lot to think about when hosting an event the size of the Eurovisi...

How can the circular economy help us tackle climate change?

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to The Circular Economy Show! In our new season premiere, we’re diving into the crucial intersection of climate change and the circular...

New season coming up

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join us for a new season of the Circular Economy Show! New episodes drop every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.Just s...

Reuse and repair: Africa’s long tradition of maximising materials

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the last episode of our series sharing some of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's most popular articles, we explore the world of reuse and repair. Tr...

The psychology of ownership in the circular economy

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In part two of our series sharing some of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's most popular articles, we dig deep into the psychology behind why we like t...

How the circular economy helps us stay within planetary boundaries

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In our new three-part series, we’re sharing three of the most popular articles written by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s editorial team. In toda...

Designing for the customer: Fashion lessons from Zimbabwe with Rudo Nondo

05 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we hear from Rudo Nondo, a creative design practitioner and the acting Managing Director of Fashion Revolution. She tells us how her ...

Redesigning food systems for nature to thrive

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a better way to produce our food? Today, we circle back to one episode of our award-nominated Redesigning Food series in this episode. We’l...

Lily Cole & Ellen MacArthur: why we need optimism to shift mindsets

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can optimism and creativity help us transition to a circular economy? In this episode, model, actress and activist, Lily Cole joins Ellen MacArthu...

Repairing our belongings: applying circular design

13 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if we could design our belongings to elongate their useful life? In this episode, we delve into the world of repair, shifting the focus from disp...

The power of biomaterials: 3 regenerative design solutions

06 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do we shift today’s economic system to one that helps to regenerate nature? In this episode, we’ll meet three companies developing materials t...

Regenerative fashion: embracing a system shift for designers

30 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week's episode, we circle back to understand the third principle of a circular economy: 'regenerating nature', and its application in the fash...

Christiana Figueres and Ellen MacArthur: Closing the loop to fight climate change

23 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this first episode of our Circling Back season, Christiana Figueres and Ellen MacArthur bring us an inspiring conversation about the role of circul...

New Series: Circling Back

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to the Circular Economy Show! In our first series of the year, we're circling back to some of our most exciting conversations with leadin...

2023 in review: A year exploring the circular economy

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This year on the Circular Economy Show Podcast we’ve heard from people working across many different industries, from farming to fashion, policy to ...

Patrick McDowell: Meet the designer taking circular fashion to the catwalk

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode of our fashion series, we go to London to meet Patrick McDowell, a pioneering British high-end designer who has been applying cir...

How Troquer became Latin America’s leading preloved fashion start-up

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the second episode of our fashion series, we head to Mexico City to meet Troquer’s co-founders, Lucia and Ytzia. They discuss how they’ve becom...

Rental, Resale, Recommerce: ACS’ journey towards circular fashion solutions

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to our new fashion series, where we'll meet three companies working towards a circular economy for fashion. In this first episode, we visit Eu...

Let’s collaborate: How Jaguar Land Rover is creating circular partnerships

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we hear from Reuben Chorley, Sustainable Industrial Operations Director at Jaguar Land Rover. Together we will dive deeper into the w...

Use your imagination: Julie Hjort's mission to design a circular future

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Time for something a little different in this episode! Join us as we head to Copenhagen to meet Julie Hjort, Director of Sustainable Transformation at...

How banks can help the transition to a circular economy with Intesa Sanpaolo

07 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we’ll join Gianmarco, Luigi and Cristina from the Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo to learn how the circular economy has become a strat...

Progress, challenges and solutions: Learnings from five years of the Global Commitment with Sander Defruyt

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In 2018, the Foundation alongside the UN Environment Programme launched the Global Commitment, the biggest global voluntary effort to tackle plastic w...

Welcome to the Circular Economy Show Podcast

24 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to The Circular Economy Show Podcast.Join the team from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as each week we explore the innovations that can addres...

Changing the way we buy and use technology with Back Market

17 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode, Jess Mevel travels to Bordeaux, France, to learn how Back Market is working to make refurbished tech better than new.Back Ma...

Building landscapes for nature with Arup’s Neil Harwood

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

To conclude this bite-sized series on regenerative design, in this week’s episode, Neil Harwood, Associate Director at Arup, elaborates on his compa...

Making the case for Biomimicry with Janine Benyus

03 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the penultimate episode of our bite-sized series on regenerative design, this week we hear from Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Ins...

Scaling regenerative design for a circular economy with Nicole Miller

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As part of our bite-sized series on regenerative design, this week, we hear from Nicole Miller at Biomimicry 3.8's Project Positive about key ways it ...

Inspired by nature: Creating a regenerative built environment with Michael Pawlyn

19 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s bite-sized episode we hear from Michael Pawlyn, known for his work in biomimetic architecture and innovation. Michael uses nature-ins...

Moving towards a regenerative future with Kate Raworth

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What dynamics prevent us from moving from a linear to a circular economy? In this episode, Kate Raworth, author of the book Doughnut Economics, shares...

How is the circular economy gaining momentum in US policy?

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we hear from Costa Samaras from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, to learn how policy is helping the circular ...