Introduction

This episode we get a primer on what exactly the term ‘circular economy’ means, why it goes beyond recycling and the economic levers behind creating a sustainable system. Dan Yungblut, Head of Research and Chair of the ESG Investment Committee at Scotia Global Asset Management is our guest. 

Key moments this episode: 

1:08 — What is a circular economy? 

1:19 — How the circular economy goes beyond just recycling 

2:02 — How long the idea has been around  

2:30 — How the circular economy is being built into policy 

3:01 — Two big pieces of policy that create incentives for reusing plastics  

3:18 — What is extended producer responsibility?  

5:37 — What can we learn about the circular economy from kids toys? 

6:19 — What needs to happen for a circular economy to take hold? 

7:48 — “There’s no such thing as a sustainable product, only a sustainable system.” 

8:48 — Why is the circular economy on the radar of an asset management firm? 

11:19 — What’s on the horizon for the circular economy 

12:29 — What all this means for consumers' bottom line