The Circular Economy Show Podcast Why do circular business models fail to scale? Don’t think too small
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Oct 14, 2025 Maddy Oliver, a researcher at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and Ella Hedley, a circular business models expert, delve into the pitfalls that cause circular initiatives to stumble. They discuss the importance of having a scaling plan from the start and the impact of misalignment with existing business strategies. Maddy highlights the need for roadmaps that prioritize scalability while Ella illustrates how mindset and early design choices can hinder growth. Their insights reveal how aligning circularity with core objectives can unleash its full potential.
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Why Circular Models Matter
- Circular business models decouple growth from resource use by keeping products and materials in use at highest value.
- They can drive new revenue, customer loyalty, lower material costs and reduce supply and policy risks.
Pilot Momentum Often Stops Short
- Many companies run pilots but fail to translate results into large-scale revenue shifts.
- Scale means circular models become a dominant revenue source, not just visible pilot projects.
Design Pilots With Scale In Mind
- Plan for scale from day one by defining future stakeholders, operations, and goals before piloting.
- Build a roadmap backwards from your scale vision so pilot learnings translate into larger deployments.