The circular economy can no longer be sidelined as a ‘nice to have’. Not only can it future-proof individual business operations, it can also help entire industries stay competitive and resilient in a fast-changing world. In this episode we’re going back to the beginning of the year, when Seb caught up with Lindsay Hooper, CEO for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Joe Murphy, Executive Lead of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s business network. Together, they discuss why t...
Aug 12, 2025•31 min•Ep. 190
In this episode we’re bringing together two top-of-mind topics: the scramble for critical minerals, and how circular economy strategies can help us secure and stabilise their supply. Humans have been mining metals and minerals for thousands of years. Today, critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and rare earth elements are essential for not only renewable energy products like wind turbines and EV batteries but the infrastructure and systems needed to power them. As part of our C...
Aug 05, 2025•20 min•Ep. 189
Building circular business models - where products are rented, repaired, resold and remade - is key to transforming our economy from a take, make, waste linear system, to a circular one. In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, we’re seeing what this looks like in practice with Canadian outdoor clothing and equipment company Arc’teryx. Pippa heads to Arc’teryx’s flagship store in London to learn how the business is bringing repair in-store. Seb speaks to Katie Wilson, the company’s Director...
Jul 08, 2025•17 min•Ep. 188
How do we keep clothes in use at their highest value and make money without having to make new clothes? In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, we explore the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s demonstration project, the Fashion ReModel, and hear from one of its participants: H&M Group. Pippa is joined by Chloe Holland from the Foundation’s fashion team to discuss how The Fashion ReModel participants are working to scale circular business models like resale, rental, repair, and remaking. We ...
Jul 01, 2025•23 min•Ep. 187
In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, our guests Georgie Rose from Selfridges and Simon Davies from VISA tell us how they have been working together to find out. Collaborating with Mindworks Marketing to optimise messaging and branding for promoting circular shopping behaviours, Georgie and Simon discuss how their behavioural lab has been bridging the gap between customer intent and action. Listen to this episode to hear: How the behavioural lab initiative focuses on subtle language vari...
Jun 24, 2025•13 min•Ep. 186
For years, marketers have been helping to shape how consumers think and feel about products that are driving the linear economy. However in this episode of the Circular Economy Show, we explore how they can harness their skills to unlock the opportunities that the circular economy provides. We’re joined by experts Deb Caldow, Global Marketing Director at Diageo, and Rachel O’Reilly, Global Research Lead at Accenture Song. Their experiences provide an insight into how we can turn ideas into impac...
Jun 17, 2025•18 min•Ep. 185
In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, we explore the intersection between fashion, business, and technology - revealing why shoes are central to systemic innovation. Live from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network event in Amsterdam, Kenny Arnold is joined by Dr Yuly Fuentes-Medel and Lewis Campbell from The Footwear Collective. Together, they unpack the urgent need for innovation and collaboration in the footwear industry. You’ll learn: What The Footwear Collective is doing to tackle i...
Jun 10, 2025•16 min•Ep. 184
To truly transform the food system, we need retailers to sell food that enables nature to thrive. In this episode, learn how leading retailers from around the world are embracing circular design for food, and facing the challenges that occur on the journey. Our guests are Helly McAlister, Senior Buyer at Fortnum & Mason , and Susy Yoshimura, Senior Sustainability Director at Grupo Carrefour Brazil , two pioneering businesses from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Big Food Redesign Challenge. ...
Jun 03, 2025•22 min•Ep. 183
The circular economy is one of the most powerful tools we have to tackle the climate crisis—but you wouldn’t know it from the carbon accounts. In this episode, we’re joined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s João Murilo Silva Merico, who explains how current accounting frameworks—like the Greenhouse Gas Protocol—often fail to recognise or reward the emissions benefits of circular practices such as reuse, remanufacturing, and sharing models. You’ll hear: Why emissions reductions from circularity...
May 27, 2025•21 min•Ep. 182
The circular economy is no longer just a theory; it’s becoming a reality across an increasing number of sectors, from tech and materials to retail and marketing. In this episode, Seb shares four recent stories highlighting the importance of a circular economy across businesses. Join us to find out: -How rethinking product design could help future-proof tech such as iPhones -Why it’s necessary to increase global recycling rates of copper -How consumers are paying more attention to ads with a soci...
May 20, 2025•8 min•Ep. 181
In order to bring the circular economy to life, we need more circular economists. But what does that mean? Who might these circular economists be? And what are their opportunities and challenges? In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, we hear from “The Circular Economist”, Vojtech Vosecky, author of the newsletter The Loop. He has built his career around bringing the circular economy, working with stakeholders across innovation, business and policy. Listen to learn more about: How Vojtech...
May 13, 2025•23 min•Ep. 180
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Big Food Redesign Challenge set out to demonstrate how redesigning products in line with circular economy principles, can create a food system that allows nature to thrive. In this episode, hear from one of those redesigners, Chloe Stewart from Nibs etc, alongside Katie Carson, Director of Corporate Affairs for Food and Climate Policy at Tetra Pak, to learn more about: The role of upcycled ingredients in designing brand new food products The challenges startups a...
May 06, 2025•15 min•Ep. 179
The idea that stories are powerful is an uncontroversial idea. But what does it really mean to harness story to shift mindsets and inspire positive action towards a circular economy inside and outside of an organisation? In this episode, hear from Poppy Mason-Watts, Chief Growth Officer at WaterBear and Alex Cramwinckel, Global Circularity Strategy Lead at Heineken to find out: Why storytelling is such an important part of the circular champion’s toolkit What brands can do to bring this to life ...
Apr 29, 2025•21 min•Ep. 178
The future of food is not predetermined – it's being shaped by the decisions being made today. This episode challenges food industry decision-makers to embrace a new vision for their businesses and the sector as a whole, whether your organisation is big or small. With insights from Rob Cameron, Global Head of ESG Engagement at Nestlé, and Sean Patrick, founder of Gabanna Foodworks, we examine the critical role of leadership in driving the shift towards a more diverse, resilient, and prosperous f...
Apr 22, 2025•23 min•Ep. 177
How can businesses sell circular propositions in a world that's rapidly changing? This episode of the Circular Economy Show tackles the marketing challenges and opportunities head-on. Pippa sits down with Jonathan Hall, Managing Partner at Kantar’s Sustainable Transformation Practice , and Amanda Gandolfo, Head of Brands at bike subscription service Swapfiets , to explore how to connect with today's consumers and drive demand for circular products and services. In this episode you'll discover: T...
Apr 15, 2025•26 min•Ep. 176
Circular business models hold immense potential to reshape the fashion industry. In this episode, we explore the exciting opportunities for brands in rental and resale, moving beyond the challenges of getting started. Host Emma Elobeid is joined by guests Andrew Rough from Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS) and Ryan Atkins from SuperCycle to discuss how brands can capitalise on this shift to unlock new revenue streams, build stronger customer relationships, and create a more sustainable future. T...
Apr 08, 2025•27 min•Ep. 175
Find out about the critical role that the circular economy can play in the shift to renewable energy, pairing the EU’s decarbonisation agenda with economic competitiveness and material security. In this episode, host Seb hears from Ke Wang from the World Resources Institute (WRI) about: Why the circular economy is important in the energy transition How this is fundamentally driven by economics and competitiveness Examples of what it looks like in practice If you enjoyed this episode, please leav...
Apr 01, 2025•18 min•Ep. 174
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 Brunswick Group, explores how we can take learnings from the Challenge to create a food system that is ...
Feb 11, 2025•24 min•Ep. 173
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 durable products, but rather reflecting the complex, interconnected systems that make up our world. He...
Feb 04, 2025•17 min•Ep. 172
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 businesses from adopting circular practices at scale, informed by the findings of their report: ‘Scot...
Jan 28, 2025•16 min•Ep. 171
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, they’ll explore the insights from CISL’s Competitive Sustainability report and the Foundation’s bus...
Jan 21, 2025•30 min•Ep. 170
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 friends and colleagues. If you’d like to get in touch, email us at podcast@emf.org Explore the episodes...
Dec 17, 2024•16 min•Ep. 169
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, emphasising investment, collaboration, and showcasing technologies. Both discuss the importance of scalabil...
Dec 10, 2024•18 min•Ep. 168
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 outcomes of the INC-5 negotiations for a global plastics treaty, the role businesses play in addressing ...
Dec 05, 2024•33 min•Ep. 167
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 the circular economy in China. These include reducing greenhouse gas emissions in line with the countr...
Nov 26, 2024•16 min•Ep. 166
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 the world’s plastic waste crisis. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review or a comment o...
Nov 19, 2024•16 min•Ep. 165
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.
Nov 05, 2024•21 min•Ep. 164
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 126: Changing the way we buy and use technology with Back Market. If you enjoyed this episode, please ...
Oct 29, 2024•24 min•Ep. 163
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 the circular economy? Head to our website for more information . If you enjoyed this episode, please le...
Oct 22, 2024•21 min•Ep. 162
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, peeling off some layers, and unravelling some common misconceptions around the circular economy – at b...
Oct 15, 2024•50 sec
