It’s the last episode in our series in partnership with the International Society for the Circular Economy, and I’m so excited to introduce Ehab Sayed who is today’s guest. This episode has it all: circular materials, circular design, and circular business models! You will learn about how Ehab’s company Biohm is using bio-based materials to create a company founded on circular economy principles. Discover how Biohm is revolutionizing the construction industry with mycelium (which comes from mush...
Jun 29, 2020•51 min•Ep. 49
We are joined by Anders Wijkman, Honorary President of the Club of Rome and chairman of the Governing Board of Climate-KIC. In today’s episode, Anders reflects on our progress towards a circular economy and the role that cities play in the transition to a circular society. You will learn about Climate-KIC, hear about Anders’ experience with environmental policy in the European Parliament, and find out more about his upcoming keynote for the inaugura (digital) conference of the International Soci...
Jun 15, 2020•44 min•Ep. 48
Today we’re thrilled to welcome Walter Stahel back to the podcast! In this episode, you will learn about the International Society for the Circular Economy (IS4CE) and its inaugural conference, which will be held digitally on July 6 - 7, 2020. You will also hear Walter’s thoughts on a circular future post-COVID-19 and find out why circular economy and resilience go hand in hand. Resources and links discussed in this episode can be found at gettinginthelooppodcast.com. Getting in the Loop + Inter...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 47
Today’s guest was inspired to find a solution to reuse food waste after visiting his uncle’s dairy farm. He is now the driving force behind Mi Terro, a new material technology company that turns food waste into fiber. Three-time entrepreneur and Mi Terro’s CEO and Founder Robert Luo joins us today to talk about creating the world's first apparel line made from milk waste, which has been sold to 40 countries worldwide. Mi Terro and Operation Food Search are partnering in the fight against hunger:...
May 18, 2020•24 min•Ep. 46
Dive into the fascinating world of biomaterials and circular design with Dr. Michael Saltzberg. Michael is the Global Business Director for Biomaterials at DuPont. In today’s episode, you’ll hear how material suppliers like DuPont are contributing to a more circular economy by combining performance and environmentally-driven design. Michael explains key concepts related to biomaterials and the biocycle and shares examples of how biomaterials can be used in practice to extend product life cycles ...
May 04, 2020•34 min•Ep. 45
This week marks the annual celebration of Earth Day and we are celebrating with Matt Hill, the CEO and Founder of One Tree Planted. Matt’s team reached out to me earlier this month and I jumped at the opportunity to chat with him. One Tree Planted has had to reshift their Earth Day Celebration plans in light of recent events, and today you will hear how they have proceeded with a digital experience. You’ll also learn about reforestation, how you can participate in Earth Day (even while social di...
Apr 20, 2020•26 min•Ep. 44
Today we’re celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the Getting in the Loop podcast! Let's look back at a year of circular economy learning. The episode features a clip from the very first Getting in the Loop podcast episode with Professor David Peck from TU Delft. Thank you to everyone who went on Linkedin and posted after our last episode. You can find the related article and join in on the conversation here: www.linkedin.com/pulse/three-positive-takeaways-circular-economy-from-current-whalen/ W...
Apr 06, 2020•13 min
Today I am reflecting broadly on the effect that the COVID-19 pandemic could have on the circular economy movement. I’ve selected three positive effects I hope it will have including: Improving our ability for (virtual) collaboration Illustrating the possibility for strong leadership and quick action Supporting distributed - rather than centralised - circularity We also touch on the European Commission’s New Circular Economy Action Plan. I want to hear your thoughts and comments, so I’ve posted ...
Mar 23, 2020•9 min•Ep. 43
Today we are talking with the Earthshine Group’s Founder and CEO Mike Townsend! Mike is passionate about sharing knowledge and skills in support of the transition towards a sustainable economy. In this episode, Mike talks about the business of change and how transforming business towards circular ways of working starts with capability development. You’ll also hear about some recent circular economy projects that Mike has been involved with, including a fascinating project with Norsk Ombruk, whic...
Mar 09, 2020•38 min•Ep. 42
It’s official! I’m now Dr. Whalen and today we’re celebrating on the podcast by mixing things up a bit from our normal interviews. Lately I’ve been receiving a lot of requests from people who are just getting into the circular economy and want to understand the basics. Recently I had the chance to incorporate storytelling techniques into my approach when I was invited to give a keynote speech at Lund University for an event called Trendspotting Circular Economy. I thought I’d share the talk with...
Feb 24, 2020•19 min•Ep. 41
You may have wondered what big companies are doing about the circular economy, so today Jeff Wooster joins us to talk about just that! Jeff Wooster is the Global Sustainability Director for Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics. Dow is one of the third largest chemical companies in the world and a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Economy 100 (CE 100) Network. In this episode, you will learn about some of the initiatives DOW has been working on regarding circular economy. This i...
Feb 10, 2020•47 min•Ep. 40
Today we’re talking about design and innovation for a circular economy! I’m joined by Dr. Merryn Haines-Gadd from the University of Exeter’s Centre for Circular Economy. In this episode, you will learn about emotionally durable design and the nine product longevity strategies that are relevant for a circular economy. You will also hear about the fascinating new world of self-healing materials and the various applications where they are being applied to help extend product lifetimes. Resources an...
Jan 27, 2020•38 min•Ep. 39
Today we are getting in the loop with Emanuele Di Francesco, founder of the online platform Circular Conversations. In this episode, you will learn about Circular Conversations, a platform where Emanuele engages with leaders in thinking related to the circular economy. You will also hear about Emanuele's work setting up circular economy projects at the Unknown Group. Resources and links discussed in this episode can be found at our website: www.gettinginthelooppodcast.com ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST Ema...
Jan 13, 2020•51 min•Ep. 38
It’s our last episode of 2019! Today I’m sharing an episode I recorded about circular business models with Steven Curtis and Sofie Sandin, two of my colleagues at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University. This episode originally appeared on the ‘ Advancing Sustainable Solution s’ podcast that Sofie and Steven co-host at the IIIEE. I wanted to share it with you all because of the insight into circular business models! In the episode we address ...
Dec 16, 2019•40 min•Ep. 37
In today’s episode, you’ll hear about Ladeja’s work to create a Circular Economy Roadmap for Slovenia and how she is working with people all over the world to implement circular change. Ladeja and I reflect on the importance of considering culture when discussing circular economy, and Ladeja shares some examples from her work in Norway and the Americas. We also talk about leadership for a circular economy and what it means to be a circular economy leader. This is something I was eager to hear fr...
Dec 09, 2019•55 min•Ep. 36
It’s time for the second and final episode in our two-part series on the circular economy in India. Last week we were joined by a special guest host, Lucyl Staub to learn about the current state of India and the circular economy. This week, Lucyl returns to guide us through conversations with experts to discover more about the future of circular economy in India. As part of looking ahead, Lucyl also investigates the off-grid solar industry in India, looking at how to encourage the repair, reuse,...
Dec 02, 2019•54 min•Ep. 35
In this special two-part episode, we’re learning about the state of the Circular Economy in India! This episode is a never before on the Getting in the Loop podcast because we have a special guest host, Lucyl Staub. Lucyl and I worked in collaboration on this episode and she will take over for me in a lot of the episode, guiding us through interviews with experts to discover more about how India is moving towards a more circular economy. In this episode (Part One), we’ll discover the current sta...
Nov 25, 2019•33 min•Ep. 34
What does design have to do with a circular economy? Find out from Lars Zimmermann, a self-described Artist, Designer, and Activist. In this episode, you’ll learn about Open Source Circular Economy Days and the workshops Lars runs to engage people in circular economy concepts, including that of ‘pre-use,’ which you’ll hear him explain more in-depth. And last but not least, Lars also shares some exciting news about the work he is doing regarding circular economy education. ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST Lar...
Nov 18, 2019•38 min•Ep. 33
Today we’re getting in the loop with Jordan Nodarse, who is the founder of Boyish Jeans and a California native with a deep passion for sustainable practices in fashion. In this episode, Jordan and I dive into Boyish Jeans discussing their production practices and all things circular denim. Jordan takes me through how he initially found out about circular economy and how he now aims to set the standard for production practices with Boyish Jeans. This episode is a great follow-up to Getting in th...
Nov 11, 2019•53 min•Ep. 32
It’s time to go back to some circular economy basics! In this episode, you'll hear how Rebecca Kimber and I explain circular economy, why we were drawn to circular economy in the first place, and what continues to get us excited about it. This episode is a little different from our normal Getting in the Loop episodes because we originally recorded it for Rebecca to use on her website and podcast, and I wanted to share it with you as well. This would be a good episode to share with your friends, ...
Nov 04, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 31
Hi and welcome to Getting in the Loop. I’m Katie and today I’m talking with Rowan Drury of Sweden’s first plastic package-free shop, Gram. Rowan Drury founded Sweden’s first plastic package-free shop Gram in 2016 after searching for a more sustainable way to buy food. At GRAM Everything is sold loose and by weight. Shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable containers so that they do not have to throw away anything when they get home. When she’s not running the shop, Rowan can be found ...
Oct 28, 2019•37 min•Ep. 30
This episode is a crash course in the commons economy with Michel Bauwens of the P2P foundation. Michel introduces me to the concept of P2P and how it can be used to create commons. We discuss how the concept of the commons can be used as a model for governance in the circular economy and you’ll also hear why Michel is cautious of the so-called ‘sharing economy’ popularized by platforms such as Uber and Airbnb. ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST Michel Bauwens is the founder and director of the P2P Foundation ...
Oct 21, 2019•43 min•Ep. 29
Today I’m talking with Adrien Segens about supply chain management and managing material risks. In this episode you will hear why having a better understanding of where our products come from and where they end up can help us create a more circular economy. We talk about different ways technology can play in enabling supply chain management and the benefits of supply chain transparency for companies. ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST Adrien Segens is a Corporate Development Consultant. Since 2008, Adrian has ...
Oct 14, 2019•41 min•Ep. 28
Today I’m talking with Prof. Dr Wayne Visser who is the Director of the Sustainable Transformation Lab at Antwerp Management School. In this episode, you will learn the four qualities of leaders and how you as an individual can act as an agent for change, including the four different types of change agents and how to tell which one are you. As you will hear, much of Wayne’s work has focused on leadership for sustainability, which I think is very much relevant for those of you trying to implement...
Oct 07, 2019•32 min•Ep. 27
Today I’m sharing the story of the In the Loop circular economy game! In this solocast episode you’ll hear why the In the Loop game was created, how the game became a reality, and why I’m a fan of gamification. I share how the In the Loop game helps players to start thinking about moving towards a circular –rather than linear- economy and who’s been playing. Highlights 1:45 Who am I? 4:00 The In the Loop game story 7:00 What are critical raw materials? 13:00 How the game works 17:00 Who has been...
Sep 30, 2019•23 min•Ep. 26
Today we’re welcoming Kate Daly of Closed Loop Partners to the podcast. In this episode you will learn about how Closed Loop Partners is working with US companies to help accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Kate tells us why companies are motivated to work on circularity and shares examples of recent projects including a challenge to ‘Reinvent the Paper Cup’ as part of the NExt Gen consortium founded by McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Closed Loop Partners. Resources and links discussed i...
Sep 23, 2019•36 min•Ep. 25
In Part Two of our special two-part episode, we return with the founding father of the Performance Economy Dr. Walter Stahel. Today we learn about the work he is currently doing to accelerate the transition to a more circular economy. You will hear about his new book, The Circular Economy: A User’s Guide, including why he was motivated to write the book in the first place and why he thinks the most important part of circular economy is YOU. Resources and links discussed in this episode are avail...
Sep 16, 2019•40 min•Ep. 24
In this special two-part episode, we hear from the founding father of the Performance Economy Dr. Walter Stahel. In today’s episode (Part One), we learn about Walter’s background, how his work on the performance economy began, and his experience finding arguments to convince people that buying performance rather than products makes sense for business as well as the environment. I also announce the winner of our special book giveaway in collaboration with Catherine Weetman! Resources and links di...
Sep 09, 2019•30 min•Ep. 23
Today we’re talking with Olaf Boerner about plastics and packaging in a circular economy. In this episode, you will learn about current trends in the plastics industry and packaging sector, discover what it means to be plastic free and the tradeoffs associated with it, and hear about practicalities related to recycling plastics. Get ready to be shocked when you find out what things you use everyday that contain plastic! Resources and links discussed in this episode are available at gettinginthel...
Sep 02, 2019•35 min•Ep. 22
Joost de Kluijver joins us on the podcast today! Joost is the founder and CEO of the social enterprise Closing the Loop (CTL), which has developed a service that delivers on the growing demand for circular IT. Prior to founding CTL, Joost worked for Accenture and the Global Reporting Initiative. In this episode, you will learn about the work Joost and his organization CTL is doing to enable proper collection and recycling of African e-waste and find out how their service provides a solution for ...
Aug 19, 2019•34 min•Ep. 21
