This half-day tutorial, designed for attendees from all sectors and backgrounds and presented by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, will provide a foundational understanding of the circular economy — a model that fundamentally reimagines the traditional “take-make-waste” linear industrial model in favor of a system that designs out waste and pollution, decouples economic growth from natural resource consumption, increases resource productivity and regenerates natural systems.

The first part of the tutorial session will tour through our circular economy journey to date. From theory through to action, The Foundation team will start by explaining the guiding principles and then take participants through a series of case study examples which illustrate circular design spanning products, business models, and system level innovations.

To some, the circular economy concept can feel academic and detached from reality. The second part of the session will take a more in depth look at how we can 'sell in' and convince stakeholders to invest in circular economy initiatives. Much of the work concentrating on the circular economy to date has centred on deep analysis of the broader economic opportunity. Translating the theory into practical opportunities for colleagues working at the coal-face of operations, or executives faced with competing priorities, can present a critical challenge.

Fortunately, the circular economy is a big idea with many entry points. Significant work has already been completed by many diverse organisations of all sizes to demonstrate that the theoretical upside can be translated to real commercial opportunities today. Some of these organisations are already taking giant leaps towards circular economy models.

This interactive, solution-oriented workshop will provide tangible tactics and strategies for you to consider applying to regional water circularity solutions and collaboration by hearing examples from members of the MN Sustainable Growth Coalition.  This private/public/non-profit partnership aims to advance the circular economy for the growth and prosperity of the region by focusing on water, materials and energy from a systems, social level approach. Hear water-focused takeaways and lessons learned from leaders at Fortune 500 companies. 

Voluntary product take-back schemes are an effective way for companies to reduce waste, engage consumers, reclaim valuable materials and establish a more circular supply chain. But once a company has successfully recovered a product at the end of its usable life, what next? Join reverse logistics and take-back experts from IKEA, I:CO and Best Buy for a conversation about how to determine the appropriate path for used products that keeps materials at their highest and best use, complies with health and safety regulations and also pencils out.

As more companies commit to innovative circular economy and sustainability strategies and investments, there is an increased need to learn the best practices for successfully communicating these decisions externally. Too often, we hear about what circular approaches companies are taking but not how they are communicating the relevance of those approaches. This session will explore how companies can most effectively communicate to their customers and stakeholders about their circular ambitions, products, and service offerings by focusing on circular solution(s) and the accompanying communications approaches they employed.

During this interactive session, delegates from GreenBiz, GlobeScan, Danone, IKEA, P&G and WWF will share and discuss fresh insights from recent stakeholder and consumer research conducted around the world. Hear what the results mean for major B2C brands and understand the implications for shifting consumer behavior.

This session will explore how retailers are using returned consumer products to implement more circular business models through recommerce. Customers return $390B of merchandise annually and return rates for ecommerce purchases can reach 40%. Meanwhile, resale of consumer product (or recommerce) is an 18B market, with online recommerce disruptors growing up >30X faster than traditional retail. This session will focus on how retailers and brands have changed their own business models to adapt to the growing trends around returns and recommerce. You will hear about challenges, successes, and how a move towards circularity is fueling innovations in reverse logistics. 

Design thinking is a powerful mechanism to generate breakthrough concepts. It is premised on three elements: empathy, ideation, and experimentation. Biomimicry, the practice of looking to nature for inspired ideas, is a way to radically expand the ideation phase while reducing the number of iterative cycles for experimentation (since the design already works in a different environment). It is also a way to open our hearts with empathy that extends not just to human-centered experiences, but a design that works for all species. This session will also feature a case study of Lockheed Martin’s journey to integrate bioinspired design into the product and technology development process at its famed Skunk Works® to spark innovation and instill a culture of sustainable product design. Join this working session as we practice the power of design thinking coupled with biomimicry design process.

Join collaboration-minded peers for an intimate yet informal roundtable luncheon to share lessons learned and best practices for circularity-focused efforts that leverage cross sector collaboration. In particular, share ideas or challenges about your experiences partnering with private, public and nonprofit sector organizations to advance your organization’s goals.

This solution-oriented conversation will include peer coaching to both troubleshoot and brainstorm approaches that work best for to advance your complex sustainability goals. The luncheon will be hosted by Amy Fredregill, Managing Director of the MN Sustainable Growth Coalition, based on her 20+ years working between sectors and industries to facilitate collaborative dialog and cross-sector initiatives. Your participation in this roundtable luncheon will add value to your Circularity 19 experience by adding tools to your toolbox and networking with peers whom have and are working in a partnership-focused manner.

Consumer goods companies and retailer members of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's New Plastics Economy Initiative have committed to increase the recycled content of their packaging to an average of 25% by 2025, compared to the current global average of just 2%. Members of the American Chemistry Council committed to 100% of plastics packaging being recyclable or recoverable by 2030, and 100% of plastics packaging being reused, recycled, or recovered by 2040. Governing bodies around the world are mandating the reduction or elimination of single use plastics and committing to zero waste or circularity goals. Meanwhile, the recycling value chain is struggling to find footing quickly in light of China's ban on contaminated recyclables, and companies are challenged to locate sources of recycled content that meet their requirements in terms of volume, performance, and more. Join this discussion facilitated by UL circularity expert Dr. Bill Hoffman and special guest Andy Mangan from Pathway21, which is scaling the Materials Marketplace launched by the US Business Council for Sustainable Development in 2015, to discuss what is keeping you up at night, what you and other companies are doing to meet these emerging requirements, and how they are using standards, certifications, technology, and networks to find solutions to these pressing issues.

WBCSD is developing a Circular Metrics Framework for companies to consistently measure their circularity and identify the risks and opportunities to their business. Ahead of the draft framework for public comment to be launched just weeks later, WBCSD will share insights into the metric, how it’s calculated and how it informs business for better decision-making.

“Circular economies are most efficient when they can readily connect inputs to outputs, and the two elements that help that happen - density and infrastructure - are prominent characteristics of cities.” – The Well-Tempered City.

Circularity within cities involves creating regenerative dynamics which citizens, businesses and other public and private players can organize or reorganize around. The resulting virtuous cycles may be economic, ecologic, sociologic or a combination of these. By moving assertively toward creating productive circles in cities, we move from extractive, zero-sum models and replace them with regenerative ones where everyone wins. This session is an exploration of the state-of-the-art of circularity in cities. It will share and solicit examples of generative and re-generative circles at play in cities today. It will ask participants to share their observations and aspirations for the truly circular cities of tomorrow.

Longer lasting products could offer enhanced value while reducing environmental impacts. Expand your lifecycle thinking with a discussion about repair best practices, parts supply chains, and information requirements of the circular economy.

This roundtable will discuss how project finance and various other types of capital can be utilized to build the infrastructure required to enable the circular economy.

Without intention, a circular economy will continue to reinforce the inequity and injustice inherent in the current linear system and communities will be no better off than they were before. However, an economic reimagination will require fundamental changes, which opens up the opportunity to center equity in the new economic model. Join this breakout to hear real-world examples of how circularity can create jobs, mitigate injustice and cultivate resilient local communities.

Materials matching has been tried many times before, often with limited results. Recently there has been renewed interest by a number companies looking to increase the amount of recycled content in their products and countries looking divert more waste from landfills. It’s time to find out if materials marketplaces can scale and provide the services to support circular strategies.

Testing Circular Economy principles and forging new and deeper collaborations among businesses, NGOs, governments, and other strategic stakeholder groups are necessary to unlock the value of the Circular Economy, and accelerate scalable solutions across global supply chains. This workshop will focus on how companies can work with cities to accomplish their recycling and recovery objectives and more effectively scale them nationally, leveraging Beyond 34 as a use case.

When developed appropriately, policies can be a key tool to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. This hour-long breakout will unpack the current regulatory landscape, elevate some of the most (and least) effective policy enablers and discuss how to scale and replicate best practices. 

What's the role of advanced recycling technologies in keeping materials circulating through our economy and creating circular plastics? 

There’s been a noticeable uptick lately in buzz around chemical recycling, and the promise of technologies that can fix the broken recycling system. However, the technologies, terminology and applications can be confusing and are not widely understood. This session will build on the findings from a recent report by the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, and explore the landscape of transformational technologies that stop plastic waste, keep materials in play and grow markets. Speakers will discuss the state of the market and highlight the potential for transformational technologies to turn waste plastics back into new materials, decrease reliance on fossil fuels and curb the flow of plastics into marine environments.

How do brands and retailers balance regional context with national and international footprints? Recycling systems are inherently local, influenced heavily by city and state-level ordinances and regulations, the proximity of end markets, cost of waste and existing infrastructure. At the same time, supply chains and manufacturing are increasingly global. Standardization is a commonly suggested solution, but where along the value-chain does that make sense? Join the discussion to hear from global retailers and mission-based non-profit recyclers to explore the challenges and opportunities of regional circularity. 

A widely untapped opportunity, remanufacturing offers companies the ability to extend the life of products and keep materials at their highest and best use for longer. But it's easier said than done. Companies must recover, dissasemble and repair components for resale, while maintaining performance, quality and specifications. Hear from industry experts on how to appraoch remanufacturing for your company, including a discussion of design, material health, consumer engagement and new business models. 

Do you want to get more people buying into circular practices and products? Find out how to use storytelling and behavior change strategies to move your audiences to action — from employees and consumers, to suppliers and buyers. Join this session to learn best practices in storytelling and behavior change from those who’ve used these techniques to advance circularity, sustainability, and social impact for leading businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits. Case studies and research results, combined with dialogue and interactive exercises, will give you a foundation and practical next steps for framing for your story and designing your behavior change campaign.

The backlash against planned obsolescence has begun, and products makers of all types — from consumer electronics to industrial equipment — are waking up to a new world of design and service. Advocates of the “Right to Repair” movement are demanding that manufacturers prioritize the development of better maintenance paths for their products, through modular designs and broader availability of components that make repair simpler for the DIY set — and that extend product lives in the process. Policymakers are paying attention: as of early 2019, 20 states including California and Minnesota are actively considering legislation. What does this mean for makers of stuff? How does this philosophy play into circular models of production? Our expert panel weighs in on the implications for product design, maintenance plans, the availability of repair components, intellectual property and more.