The Circular Economy Show Podcast

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 could be designed to regenerate nature rather than harming it?  That’s the vision behind the Big Food Redesign Challenge.  In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, our guest host Lucy Parker, Senior Partner and Sustainable Business Global Lead at B...

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 Joe Iles, Head of Design Activation at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to unpack the essential principles and skills every designer should have in their toolkit. Joe shares a compelling perspective on circular design - it's not just about creating du...

In this episode of the Circular Economy Show we meet Zero Waste Scotland, who are working with government, businesses, and communities to make the shift to a circular economy as easy as possible for all.  We're joined by Peter McCafferty, Business Support Manager at Zero Waste Scotland, and Dr Michaela Hruskova from the University of Stirling. Together we'll discuss the barriers that are stopping...

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? In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, host Seb is joined by Lindsay Hooper, CEO for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), and Joe Murphy, Executive Lead of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s business network. Together,...

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 from this year’s show, and talks about some of the moments you might have missed.  Thanks for listening to the Circular Economy Show from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Help us grow our audience in 2025 by sharing your favourite episode with your f...

In this episode of the Circular Economy Show we discuss Arda Biomaterials ' journey of transforming beer by-products into sustainable materials. Brett Cotten , co-founder at Arda, details the company's origins, challenges, and successes, including raising pre-seed investment in 2023 and scaling operations. Amy Tsang from The Mills Fabrica highlights their 360-degree support for innovators, emphasi...

In this special episode of The Circular Economy Show, we’re sharing a conversation between Ellen MacArthur and Christiana Figueres from the climate podcast Outrage + Optimism. Christiana was Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010 to 2016, where she oversaw the delivery of the historic Paris Agreement. In this episode, the pair reflect on the outc...

In this episode, we discuss the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s latest publication , The circular economy : A 'triple play' solution for achieving China's climate objectives . We’ll explore how adopting a comprehensive circular economy framework can play a pivotal role in achieving both China’s climate and economic goals.  Lei Chen and Seb Egerton-Read highlight the triple play benefits of applying t...

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 will reunite to create a legally binding global treaty that ends plastic pollution. In this episode, Marta Longhurst, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Global Treaty Manager, tells us what opportunities a well designed treaty could unlock to tackle th...

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 explore the connection between circular economy activities and climate adaptation outcomes. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review or a comment on Spotify or YouTube. Your support helps us to spread the word about the circular economy.

When we talk about durable materials, products, and services, what do we really mean? This episode unpacks the physical and emotional dimensions of durability and explores how this key design principle can help set circular business models up for long-term success.  Would you like to know more about Back Market, the circular business model example mentioned in this episode? Listen to our episode 1...

Is the circular economy just another form of sustainability?  In this premiere episode of the Circular Curious season, Emma Elobeid and Lou Waldegrave explore the key overlaps and core differences between sustainability and the circular economy and discuss some of the common pitfalls in conflating these two vital yet distinct practices.  Would you like to learn more about the key ideas that form t...

Ever wondered what the difference is between sustainability and the circular economy? Or whether circular economy activities can help us adapt to the effects of climate change at the same time as tackling it at source? Have you ever considered what we really mean by designing for durability?  In this season of the Circular Economy Show for the circular curious, we’ll be talking around the edges, p...

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 economy. Host Pippa Shawley is joined by Megan Dawson-Elli, Product Sustainability Manager at Tapestry, and Steven Bethell, Co-founder of Bank and Vogue, to discuss their groundbreaking partnership that led to the creation of Coach’s sellout Soho bag. Le...

With New York Climate Week underway, this episode of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Show, dives into the growing momentum of the circular economy in the US. Host Pippa Shawley is joined by Jon Smieja, Vice President of Circularity at Trellis Group and Danielle Holly, North America Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Together, they’ll discuss the need for systemic change, the...

In this episode of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy Show, we’ll explore the critical relationship between a healthy economy and a thriving natural environment. With biodiversity declining at unprecedented rates, we will delve into the Foundation’s latest report, "Building Prosperity: Unlocking the Potential for a Nature Positive Circular Economy for Europe." We’ll be joined by Jul...

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 about the case for a circular economy in the US and how rethinking the way we build in Europe offers huge potential for change. Plus we’ll explore how collaboration, when done right, can help companies scale their circular ambitions. The new season star...

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 resources. Selling performance instead of products could be a way to achieve this. In this season’s finale, we’ll discuss this and other insights from Walter Stahel, author of The Performance Economy.  Join us as we discuss how retaining the value of goods an...

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 in business, through something called industrial symbiosis.  We’re joined by Lisbeth Randers from Kalundborg Industrial Park, one of the best-known examples of industrial symbiosis. Plus, Radu Godina, Associate Professor at NOVA School of Science and...

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 exploring the role of regenerative design in creating infrastructures that are in harmony with our communities and the planet. Notes: In today’s episode, we’re placing nature in the centre of the conversation. Joined by Sean Quinn, Director of Regenerative...

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 and similarities between the two system change solutions. Join us as we sit down with Katja Hansen, Circular Economy & Cradle to Cradle expert, to explore nuances between the two systems, their relationship with the sustainability movement and how this...

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 different ideas that have inspired the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s concept of a circular economy. In this season premier, we'll learn more about biomimicry, the practice of looking to nature for solutions to human problems. Join us as we discuss the origi...

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 economy. Over five episodes, we'll explore the origins of this movement through the schools of thought that influenced its creation: Biomimicry, Cradle to Cradle, Regenerative Design, Industrial Symbiosis and the Performance Economy. We’ll learn what t...

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 number of data centres to become sanctuaries of biodiversity with Kaitlin Chuzi, Microsoft’s Director of Biomimicry and Advanced Ecosystems, and Alessandra Pistoia, Microsoft’s Circular Economy Lead. We’ll hear how data centres, often seen as energy-i...

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 key part of this solution is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Mandatory, fee-based EPR policy places responsibility on producers with regard to the collection, sorting and recirculation of the products they place on the market. EPR also creat...