Circular Economy Podcast

We dig into the complexities of textile recycling with Patrik Frisk, who is working to create a circular economy for textile-to-textile polyester regeneration. Patrik is the CEO of Reju, a recent startup enabling polyester to be recycled at speed and scale. Patrik has over thirty years’ experience of working in the apparel and footwear industries for globally recognised brands, joining Reju after 5 years as CEO at Under Armour. Patrik has extensive experience in textiles, including senior leadership roles at VF Corporation (the owner of outdoor brands including The North Face, Timberland, JanSport), the Aldo Group and W.L Gore & Associates, the makers of Gore-Tex. Reju itself is a materials regeneration company focused on creating solutions for regenerating polyester textiles and PET waste. Reju is owned by Technip Energies and, as we’ll hear, it is using technology that originated from research by IBM. Patrik explains the size of the problem, and the many complexities of trying to effectively recycle end-of-life clothing and textiles. We hear how brands and policymakers are responding to the growing issues caused by fast-fashion, including some legislation changes that are encouraging organizations to think differently, and to consider investing in proper recycling (not downcycling) technologies. We discuss the challenges around logistics, infrastructure, how to deal with mixed fibres, and why being able to recycle mixed textiles into a clean, high quality polyester output is such a groundbreaking innovation. International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Links for our guest: Patrik Frisk https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrik-frisk/ Reju http://www.reju.com Reju on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinreju/ Newsletter – Reju Review: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-reju-review-7287639383174774784/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joinreju Books, people and organisations we mentioned Greenpeace article – ‘How Fast Fashion is using the Global South as a dumping ground for textile waste’ (2022) https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/53333/how-fast-fashion-is-using-global-south-as-dumping-ground-for-textile-waste/ Forbes – ‘The Secret World Of Fashion Waste, Trash Dumps, And Global Inequity’ (2025) https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianneplummer/2025/04/18/the-secret-world-of-fashion-waste-trash-dumps-and-global-inequity/ Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Guest bio Patrik Frisk is the CEO of new innovator, Reju, a recently launched company that will allow polyester to be recycled at unprecedented speed and scale. Patrik has over thirty years’ experience of working in the apparel and footwear industries for globally recognised brands. Most recently Patrik held the role of CEO at Under Armour for over five years and previous to this, held senior leadership roles at companies including VF Corporation (The North Face, Timberland, JanSport), the Aldo Group and W.L Gore & Associates, the makers of Gore-Tex. His extensive experience in the apparel sector enables him to bring a wealth of valuable insights to the fibre-to-fibre recycling sector, placing Reju in a unique position to drive the fashion industry’s transition towards circular materials. Reju is a materials regeneration company focused on creating innovative solutions for regenerating polyester textiles and PET waste.  Owned by Technip Energies and utilizing technology originating with IBM research, Reju is driven by our purpose to unlock infinite possibilities within finite resources and aims to establish a global textile recycling circular system to regenerate and recirculate polyester textiles.  Learn more at https://www.reju.com/ Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

It’s episode 162 – we’re discussing design skills and why it’s crucial that design for circularity goes beyond the design of the product itself, to cover the materials, the customer experience, the supply chain, the collection of data for KPIs, and much more. Helping us think about this are Rachel Bronstein, a Senior Programme Manager at the Design Council, and Barry Waddilove, who is supporting the Design Council’s “Design for Planet” initiative as a Sustainable Design Expert. The Design Council is the UK’s national champion for design, across all design disciplines, and it aims to showcase brilliance, lead on new thinking, evidence value and influence policy, so that design can thrive. Design for Planet will feature on a global stage this September, when the Design Council hosts the World Design Congress. The Design Council’s Skills for Planet mission aims to close a critical skills gap, highlighted when research found that while 66% of designers designed for planet, yet only 43% felt that they had the capabilities they needed. So the Skills for Planet mission is to help designers develop the skills to design places, products and services that regenerate the planet. Rachel Bronstein is leading the delivery of Skills for Planet aiming to upskill 1 million designers in green design skills by 2030. Rachel has a multidisciplinary background from her work across the private, public and third sector. Barry Waddilove has over 30 years’ experience in design and sustainability with brands and organizations across 25 countries. Barry has been working on circular economy projects since 2014, and most recently he’s has been working for the Swedish Consumer Electronics company Electrolux Group, as Head of Circular Economy and Partnerships in the global sustainability leadership team in Stockholm. Rachel outlines the Skills for Planet Blueprint , co-created with over 100 design experts across industry, education and government. It provides a cross-disciplinary set of eighteen Green Design Skills across six interconnected areas: Regenerating Nature, Embedding Circularity, Eliminating Emissions, Empowering Green Communities, Influencing Green Behaviour, and Evaluating Green Impact. We’ll hear more about the blueprint, the broader role of design in business and why it’s so important that business leaders understand the role of design and how it can support change projects, particularly around the circular economy. We talk about the challenges in designing for circularity, and the opportunities that can come from partnerships and new business models. Barry and Rachel highlight a range of areas where design can play a key role, including making use of digital tools and data. We discuss the importance of embracing complexity and the need for systemic approaches, and how to think about some of the conflicts and trade-offs that come up when we’re trying to design circular solutions. International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Links for our guest: Rachel Bronstein on LinkedIn Barry Waddilove on LinkedIn The Design Council website: Make life better by design – Design Council The Skills for Planet Blueprint webpage: Skills for Planet – Design Council Books, people and organisations we mentioned Episode 155 Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty: Life-centred design https://www.rethinkglobal.info/155-martin-tomitsch-and-steve-baty-life-centred-design/ Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Guest bios Rachel Bronstein is a Senior Programme Manager at the Design Council, the UK’s national champion for design. She is currently leading the delivery of the Design Council’s Skills for Planet Mission, which aims to upskill 1 million designers in green design skills by 2030, thereby galvanising the design sector to fulfil its potential in driving the green transition. Having worked across the private, public and third sector, Rachel brings her multidisciplinary background to programmes at the Design Council. As a consultant, she was fortunate to work on a variety of projects – from designing a service to help streamline exports post-Brexit at the Department for International Trade, to re-defining the British Business Bank’s Employee Value Experience and transforming AVON’s customer experience.  Rachel has completed a year-long social leadership programme called On Purpose, which gave her the opportunity to transfer her skills to purpose-led organisations. Through the programme she received training on systems thinking, measuring impact, building movements, and values-led leadership. She leads programmes with a greater awareness of herself, others, and wider impact as a result.’ Barry Waddilove has 30+ years’ experience in design and sustainability with brands and organizations across 25 countries. During various roles at global corporates, he has developed deep knowledge of innovation processes and business model development. His academic research for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and Cranfield University during 2014 and 2015 explored the role of System Design in Circular Business Model Development. Most recently Barry has been working for the Swedish Consumer Electronics company Electrolux Group, first leading their US design team based in Charlotte, NC and then later joining the global sustainability leadership team in Stockholm as Head of Circular Economy and Partnerships. He is also currently supporting the UK Design Council’s “Design for Planet” initiative as a Sustainable Design Expert. Barry holds an MDes in Design and Innovation for Sustainability from Cranfield University and is also a fellow of the RSA (The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce). About Design Council The Design Council is the UK’s national champion for design and is dedicated to all design disciplines. Their role is to showcase brilliance, lead on new thinking, evidence value and influence policy to create an environment in which design can thrive. This September the Design Council is hosting World Design Congress, putting its Design for Planet mission on a global stage. About Skills for PlanetThe Design Council’s Skills for Planet Mission came about in response to research, which found that while 66% of designers designed for planet in 2024, only 43% felt that they had the capabilities required to do so. This evidences a troubling gap between the demand for green design skills, and the supply.The Design Council launched its Skills for Planet Mission to close this skills gap, setting out to upskill 1 million designers in green design skills by 2030. This work is critical because it will enable the design sector to fulfil its potential as a backbone of the green transition, powered by designers who have the skills needed to design places, products and services that regenerate the planet, rather than destroy it. About Skills for Planet Blueprint The skills that designers need to design for planet are defined in the Skills for Planet Blueprint. The Blueprint is the Design Council’s first milestone towards the Skills for Planet Mission, providing a shared language that enables the whole design sector to pull in the same direction and have maximum positive impact on the planet and its people. The Blueprint was co-created with over 100 design experts across industry, education and government. The result is a cross-disciplinary set of eighteen Green Design Skills, which are organised into six interconnected areas: Regenerating Nature, Embedding Circularity, Eliminating Emissions, Empowering Green Communities, Influencing Green Behaviour, and Evaluating Green Impact. Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

Dan Vukelich, President of the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors, has spent 25 years campaigning and working to encourage reuse and remanufacturing of ‘single use’ medical devices, first in the USA and now in Europe and other countries. To give you a feel for the scale of this, in 2024, over 55 million single-use devices were reprocessed and reused across 17 countries in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America. By doing that, hospitals saved the equivalent of over USD 450 million. The interest in reprocessing and reuse really took off during the pandemic, and since then, supply chain disruption has become more of an ongoing risk for hospitals. The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) was founded in 1999. It supports its members around regulation, legislation, and standard-setting, so hospitals and healthcare providers can increase quality, reduce cost, cut waste, lower emissions, and strengthen their supply chains. Dan explains what reprocessing includes and talks us through the categories of devices that are currently reprocessed and remanufactured. He describes how the medical sector has shifted from high-quality materials that could be easily sanitised and reused, to a situation where even very complex and expensive devices are designed to be disposed of after just one use, wasting finite and critical materials. We talk about the ethical and legal issues of reprocessing, and the role of regulations and standardization. Dan helps us understand the challenges for hospitals and how the shift to single-use has added a lot of extra costs to the health system and impacts all of us, either directly or as taxpayers. Dan also points to an important long-term trend, as more and more equipment manufacturers get involved, rather than pushing back on reuse. International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Links for our guest: AMDR website https://amdr.org/ AMDR Mission and Credo AMDR LinkedIn Dan LinkedIn Subscribe to AMDR’s quarterly newsletter AMDR provides lots of research and resources on its website, including information on the continued growth in the use of reprocessed devices and reductions in waste and carbon emissions – see this data releaseand accompanying infographics  Books, people and organisations we mentioned Episode 97 Alice Mah – Plastic propaganda https://www.rethinkglobal.info/97-alice-mah-unpicking-plastic-propaganda/ Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Guest bio Dan Vukelich is the President of the Association of Medical Device Reprocessors and ex-officio member of the Board. He has been with AMDR since 2000. Mr. Vukelich is a member of two Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation technical working groups. He received his Juris Doctor Degree from the American University’s Washington College of Law and his B.A. in Political Science and Public Communication with Pi Sigma Alpha honors, also from the American University in Washington, DC. Dan is a native of Minneapolis, a former National Debate champion, and a member of the Florida and District of Columbia Bars. The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors (AMDR) is the global trade association for the regulated, commercial “single-use” medical device (SUD) reprocessing industry (known as “remanufacturing” in Europe). Founded in 1999, AMDR promotes reprocessing as an important healthcare strategy that helps hospitals and healthcare providers increase quality, reduce cost, cut waste, lower emissions, and strengthen the supply chain. AMDR protects the interests of its members in regulation, legislation, and standard-setting. AMDR is leading the way for reprocessing to play a defining role in the evolution and use of new device technologies that cost less, perform more safely, and produce less waste and emissions. Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

One of recurring themes in the new edition of A Circular Economy Handbook (to be published in November 2025) is the importance of systems thinking and systems design. I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s book, This is Strategy, and he says successful strategies depend on two things: being conscious of the change we seek to make and the systems that can amplify or impede our progress. In other words, we must make sure we understand the different systems affecting the things we want to change. There can be multiple systems, many of which we have little control over. It’s also important to find the ‘leverage points’ – those places in complex systems where, as Donella Meadows said, ‘a small shift in one thing can produce big changes in everything.’ Pretty much every conversation in the last series gave me food for thought and insights for the book, and in this episode, I’d like to pick up on some of those. First, we’ll recap on the systems thinking tools and approaches in Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty’s new book, Designing Tomorrow, and think about the impact of strategies and systems – who we affect, and what kind of impacts we’re responsible for. Then we’ll look more closely at one of the key differences between conventional and circular business models – the role of the customer, and the need for them to be active, rather than passive participants. Finally, we’ll unpick another recurring theme from the book – system value – a term used by the Future Fit Foundation for solutions where businesses address societal needs in a holistic way, while not hindering progress towards a flourishing future. The last series covers episodes 151 to 159: 151 Clarissa Morawski of Reloop Platform: practical policies for circular packaging 152 Markus Terho: The Lifestyle Test 153 Anette Timmer of DESSO: the beauty of circularity 154 Loic Le Fouest of Clarasys: creating circular customer experiences 155 Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty: Life-centred design 156 Marcus Feldthus: the Post-Growth Guide for businesses 157 Liz Bui of Yulex: safer, sustainable materials 158 Steve Wilson of Compostify: bioplastics that enrich the planet 159 Kyle Wiens of iFixit: the rewards of repairability International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Books, people and organisations we mentioned Seth Godin, This is Strategy: Make Better Plans (2024) Authors Equity, USA https://www.sethgodin.com/ The Donella Meadows Project, a project of the Academy for Systems Change, Leverage points: the places to intervene in a system. Available from: donellameadows.org/archives/leverage-points-places-to-intervene-in-a-system/    The Future-Fit Foundation – the Benchmark https://benchmark.futurefitbusiness.org/index.html Impact Ripple Canvas from Designing Tomorrow by Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty https://www.designingtomorrowbook.com/ Clarasys and University of Exeter’s Centre for the Circular Economy – report and toolkit on Creating Customer Experiences in the Circular Economy (2023) ce-hub.org/knowledge-hub/creating-customer-experiences-in-a-circular-economy-toolkit/ Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

Kyle Wiens is the co-founder of iFixit, the international repair community known for open-source repair manuals and product teardown. Kyle is also one of my circular economy heroes! Since it started back in 2003, iFixit has empowered hundreds of millions of people to repair their broken stuff. Kyle led the international coalition that legalized Right to Repair, has testified before the US Congress and the International Trade Commission, and he is helping to develop global environmental standards. Kyle brings us up to speed on how iFixit has evolved over the last two decades, in its reach, offer and engagement. We talk about why we’ve ended up with so many products that are not designed to last and are hard – or impossible to repair, and why things are changing for the better. Kyle explains the importance of the Right to Repair legislation that’s being rolled out, how brands that don’t get on board risk losing out, and explains why we need much more information about product durability and repairability. We discuss some of the ways that brands can improve the design and durability of their products, and how iFixit can help them with that, and he offers a simple suggestion to help us all make better buying choices. International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Links for our guest: iFixit website https://www.ifixit.com/ Right to Repair info https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair Kyle Wiens on X/Twitter https://x.com/kwiens Kyle Wiens on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ifixit Books, people and organisations we mentioned Fairphone fairphone.com Dualit dualit.com Patagonia patagonia.com Circular Economy Podcast #133 Re-Action – repurposing: a new life for unwanted stuff https://www.rethinkglobal.info/133-re-action-repurposinga-new-life-for-unwanted-stuff/ Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Guest bio Kyle Wiens is the co-founder of iFixit, the repair community internationally known for open-source repair manuals and product teardown. iFixit has empowered hundreds of millions of people to repair their broken stuff. Kyle led the international coalition that legalized Right to Repair, has testified before Congress and the International Trade Commission, and he is involved in developing global environmental standards. Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

Compostify makes truly home-compostable plant pots and other bioplastic solutions designed to nourish the earth. Its products naturally break down without leaving harmful residues, and Compostify says this packaging enriches the planet, rather than polluting it. Steve Wilson is the Co-founder and CEO of Compostify, with a background in scaling technology businesses. Steve is applying his expertise in innovation, partnerships, and market expansion to make compostable packaging a mainstream reality. We talk about where the idea came from, and how they partnered with researchers to develop solutions, with a very challenging design brief that would support scaling this out around the world. We talk about the criteria for the biomaterials and Steve explains the design features of the pots, meaning the Compostify solution enables ‘retailers, growers, nurseries, distributors, and manufacturers to transition to home compostable plant pots without sacrificing performance or ease of use.’  Steve also tells us about the feedback from gardeners, and the surprising benefits that emerged when commercial gardeners began using the pots. International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Links for our guest: Steve Wilson on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspsteve/ Compostify website https://compostify.com/ Insta https://www.instagram.com/compostifybioplastics/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Compostify/61568200167746/ Compostify  on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/compostify-bioplastics Books, people and organisations we mentioned European Commission Environment, Biobased, biodegradable and compostable plastics environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/plastics/biobased-biodegradable-and-compostable-plastics_en Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Guest bio Steve Wilson is the Co-founder and CEO of Compostify, leading the charge in home-compostable plant pots and sustainable bioplastics that break down naturally, leaving no harmful residues. With a background in scaling technology businesses, Steve applies his expertise in innovation, partnerships, and market expansion to make compostable packaging a mainstream reality. Before Compostify, Steve was the Founder and CEO of MSP Assist, helping Managed Services Businesses optimize IT infrastructure. He negotiated multi-year licensing deals with major U.S. companies, supported 500+ clients in real-time, and developed scalable SaaS solutions that transformed IT service models. Now, he’s bringing scalability and strategic growth to the fight against plastic waste. His expertise in business development, product innovation, and commercial partnerships is driving Compostify’s mission to replace single-use plastics with sustainable, compostable alternatives. Compostify is redefining sustainability with truly home-compostable plant pots and bioplastic solutions designed to nourish the earth. Founded by a team of innovators and environmental advocates, Compostify creates products that naturally break down without leaving harmful residues. Committed to making circular solutions accessible, the company has developed a plastic alternative that seamlessly integrates into everyday life. By simplifying end-of-life disposal, Compostify ensures its packaging enriches the planet rather than polluting it. Learn more at compostify.com.  Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

Liz Bui takes us behind the scenes at Yulex, a material science company that’s replacing extremely useful, but problematic petroleum-based products with natural rubber alternatives. Liz Bui is Chief Executive Officer at YULEX, based in the USA. She began her career in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry where she spent 20 years in senior roles. On top of managing all operational and business matters at YULEX, Liz is an intellectual property and transactional lawyer, a PhD scientist and also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. Originally from Vietnam, at the age of six Liz escaped on the day Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) fell to the North Vietnamese forces.  She and her siblings, without their parents, were war refugees aboard a fishing boat until they were rescued by a US aircraft carrier. Like other Vietnamese refugees from that period, she was granted permanent residency and a new life in the U.S. We’ll hear about the origins and mission of Yulex and its long-term collaboration with Patagonia to develop natural rubber foam for wetsuits, replacing neoprene, a petroleum-based material. Liz explains some of the key principles underpinning Yulex’s approach to innovation, and how these are fundamental to helping it scale out and create benefits right across its value network. Liz talks us through some of the environmental and health issues associated with neoprene, and explains how Yulex is making it easier for suppliers to use natural rubber instead. She tells us about Yulex’s latest material innovation, Yulastic filaments – a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based elastane, aka spandex. And we hear how Yulex’s Equitable AG program supports rubber smallholders in Southeast Asia, distributing 50% of the profits back to them. International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Links for our guest: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-bui-yulex/ Yulex – https://www.yulex.com/stories Books, people and organisations we mentioned Join or Die documentary https://www.joinordiefilm.com/ Episode 97 Alice Mah – Plastic propaganda. Alice Mah, Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick, helps us unpick the propaganda about plastics and their role in a circular economy https://www.rethinkglobal.info/97-alice-mah-unpicking-plastic-propaganda/   Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Guest bio Liz Bui is Chief Executive Officer at YULEX, based in the U.S.A. (Seattle, Washington). She began her career in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry where she spent 20 years as Vice President, Intellectual Property Counsel and Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Liz was responsible for all areas of intellectual property, corporate and license transactional matters.  Her biggest contribution was developing a formidable patent portfolio for the company’s type 1 diabetes cell therapy product, which significantly supported the acquisition of ViaCyte, Inc. for 320M USD by Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a public company (VRTX)with a 117 B USD enterprise value in 2022. On top of managing all operational and business matters at YULEX, Liz is an intellectual property and transactional lawyer and a PhD scientist. Liz is also adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law teaching patent law and mentoring law students. Originally from Vietnam, at the age of six Liz escaped Vietnam the day Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) fell to the North Vietnamese forces.  She and her siblings, without their parents, were war refugees aboard a fishing boat until their rescue from the USS Midway. Like other Vietnamese refugees of that period, she was granted permanent residency and a new life in the U.S. In 2022, Liz and her husband, Jeff Martin, Founder of YULEX, relocated back to the country of her birth to build YULEX’s new supply chain. In response to working with rubber smallholders in rural areas of Vietnam, Liz created the Equitable Ag program, a profit-sharing programme that benefits smallholders from YULEX sales and success. It is in Vietnam (and Thailand) that Liz and Jeff Martin innovated and developed partners for their raw materials, YULEX (natural rubber) Foam and YULASTIC (natural rubber) Filaments. Liz and Jeff are now based in the U.S. living between Seattle and San Diego, where they reside with their children. Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

Marcus Feldthus, an entrepreneur from Denmark and co-founder of the Post Growth Guide, shares insights on sustainable business practices beyond traditional growth. He discusses the importance of addressing social and planetary boundaries to craft real sustainability strategies. Feldthus explores how post-growth paradigms align with concepts like degrowth and regenerative economics. He highlights the need for trust in sustainability dialogues and introduces his upcoming book, emphasizing practical approaches for businesses to embrace innovative eco-friendly practices.

Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty have written a brilliant book called Designing Tomorrow: strategic design tactics to change your practice, organization and planetary impact, published earlier this year. Martin Tomitsch is a Professor and Head of the Transdisciplinary School at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). As a design academic and educator, Martin advocates for the transformative power of design to envision speculative futures and drive positive change. He has written lots of academic articles and seven books, including Making Cities Smarter and Design Think Make Break Repeat. Steve Baty was the inaugural CEO of the Australian Design Council, co-founder of Meld Studios and co-founder of UX Australia. He is a Director of the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence and served two years as the President of the Interaction Design Association. Steve focuses on the integration between strategic design and traditional architectural practice, especially for improving our public spaces, infrastructure and services. You might be noticing interest around supporting responsible innovation in ways that consider all life – human and other-than-human. That might be badged as life-centred, regenerative or post-anthropocentric design, and Martin Tomitsch and Steve Baty say these approaches share an important goal, to ‘reach an operational status where human activity no longer exceeds the planetary limits.’ In Designing Tomorrow, Martin and Steve bring together several design philosophies, to help designers, strategists and policymakers amplify their impact, shift their perspectives and empower them to create lasting positive change inside organizations. We’ll talk about some of the concepts and tools they introduce in the book, why we need to carefully consider who is involved in a system and the broader implications of our design decisions, and ways to change our mindsets – including about stakeholders, our sphere of influence and how to think about strategic decisions. International speaker, author and strategic advisor, Catherine Weetman helps people discover why circular, regenerative and fair solutions are better for people, planet – and prosperity. Catherine’s award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Stay in touch for free insights and updates…  Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.  Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox… You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences. Links we mention in the episode: Links for our guests: Martin Tomitsch:  X: @martintom Bluesky: @martintomitsch.bsky.social LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martintomitsch/ Martin Tomitsch at the Transdisciplinary School (TD School)  X: @UTSTDSchool LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/uts-td-school/ Martin Tomitsch at the University of Technology (UTS)  X: @UTSEngage LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/university-of-technology-sydney/ Steve Baty:  Bluesky: @docbaty.bsky.social  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevebaty/ Books, people and organisations we mentioned Designing Tomorrow https://www.designingtomorrowbook.com/ Waste Wars, by Alexander Clapp https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/alexander-clapp/waste-wars/9781399803144/ Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/books King Living https://www.kingliving.com.au/ Terreform1 https://www.terreform.org/ Catherine’s work: Circular Economy Podcast on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/showcase/circular-economy-podcast/ Circular Economy Podcast website: circulareconomypodcast.com Catherine Weetman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-weetman-9419107/ A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) https://www.koganpage.com/CircEcon2 Interactive podcast index https://www.rethinkglobal.info/circular-economy-podcast-index/ Rethink Global www.rethinkglobal.info Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox Guest bios Martin Tomitsch is a Professor and Head of the Transdisciplinary School at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), home to the award-winning Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation. As a design academic and educator, Martin advocates for the transformative power of design to envision speculative futures and drive positive change. He has authored over 150 academic articles and seven books, including Making Cities Smarter, Design Think Make Break Repeat, and Designing Tomorrow. Martin is a founding member of the Urban Interfaces group at the University of Sydney, the global Media Architecture Institute, the Austrian Network for Information and Communication Technologies for Development, and the Life Centered Design Collective.b Steve Baty was the inaugural CEO of the Australian Design Council, co-founder of Meld Studios and co-founder of UX Australia. He is a Director of the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence and served two years as the President of the Interaction Design Association. Steve will be delivering a studio course to Masters of Architecture students at the University of Western Sydney in 2025, focusing on the integration between strategic design and traditional architectural practice. His practice is centred on improving our public spaces, infrastructure and services. Playlist: getting started with the circular economy… Want to know more about the what the circular economy really is, and how it can help your business?  Here’s a playlist to help you get to grips with the concept, how it creates value, and the common myths (spoiler alert – it’s much more than recycling!) #1 What is the circular economy: A quick intro to explain what the circular economy is and why it’s important. We explore how it helps create better products and services, and at the same time helps to make a better world. I break it down into my 5 circular economy components, helping you think about each part of your business. #2 The linear economy and your risk checklist: We dig a bit deeper into the way we do business now, the linear economy, and why that’s creating problems for business, society and our living planet. Also, we’ll look at the risks that emerge from those big-picture issues, and how they might affect your organisation. #90 Does circular mean it’s sustainable? Catherine Weetman is worried that companies are using circular economy solutions to grow their business (and their footprints). #101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit. #120 Priorities are changing: people find life is better when we care for and share things – circular economy strategies make that better for business, too. And here’s Catherine’s guide: What is the circular economy?  Want to dig deeper? Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.  Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email… Podcast music Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter. Search for previous episodes….

Loic Le Fouest, head of the CX practice at Clarasys, is a leading authority on customer experience transformation. He discusses the critical need for improving customer engagement to foster circular experiences, highlighting insights from Clarasys' collaboration with the University of Exeter. Loic emphasizes the importance of understanding behavior change in circular initiatives, where customers shift from passive consumers to active participants. He also explores the integration of behavioral insights with financial metrics and the evolving expectations of customers towards circular products.