What will it take to accelerate the circular economy?

Welcome to Circularity 20. The opening will set the stage for the virtual event, offer an overview of the program and ground attendees in what circularity means today. 

What is the state of the circular economy today, how can we encourage stakeholders to adopt its principles, and what systemic shifts should we prioritize to advance this model’s future?

Stay Tuned! 

How can biomimicry drive innovation, and which team will win the 2020 Ray of Hope Prize?

Biomimicry, the design and production of materials, structures and systems that are modeled on biological strategies and processes, can accelerate the breakthroughs we need to achieve a circular economy. Created in honor of Ray C. Anderson, the founder of Interface and a sustainability pioneer, the $100,000 Ray of Hope Prize sparks the next generation of businesses that seek to lead us to a circular and regenerative future.

Nearly 200 startups from 42 countries around the world entered the 2020 competition with the hope of being selected as this year's top up-and-coming business applying lessons learned from nature to solve for climate change and sustainability challenges. Nine startup teams ultimately competed for this year's prestigious prize, sponsored by the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. Join us at Circularity 20 as we announce the winner of the 2020 Ray of Hope Prize and learn about the startup's approach to creating a more regenerative and circular world. 

The Ray C. Anderson Foundation also will award a $25,000 Runner-Up Prize and $25,000 in additional prizes, along with programmatic support provided by the Biomimicry Institute. Click here to read more about the participating startups in the 2020 Ray of Hope Prize.

What are the implications of building long-lasting, durable products, and what opportunities arise from keeping products in service?

"They don't build things like they used to..." This age-old lament seems aptly fit for our era of single-use disposables and planned obsolescence. For the nostalgic, the quality conscious and the eco-friendly consumer, product longevity is a desirable trait. But when competing with lower production costs and repeat purchase revenue, durable doesn’t always add up to the financial value of disposable. How can you make a financial case for durability? What metrics should you weigh when considering it? Can you build customer loyalty by building to last? This session will explore these questions as it builds the case for durable design.

How can companies engage informal waste economies, prevent marine debris, and incorporate ocean-bound plastics into their supply chains?

More than 86 million metric tons of plastic are in our ocean. With 8 million to 12 million tons of plastic waste flowing into the ocean each year, our ocean’s plastic is projected to outweigh its fish by 2050. With these staggering statistics and a tidal wave of public outcry, leading companies are leveraging disaster as opportunity by reframing ocean-bound plastics as an untapped resource. From apparel to packaging to household goods, diverse consumer products are manufactured in part or entirely by ocean-bound plastics, turning waste into value and outrage into a powerful brand narrative. This session will explore how leading brands have invested in informal waste economy infrastructure and integrated ocean-bound plastics into their products.

Stay tuned! 

What physical attributes must be considered and prioritized when designing circular products?

When creating circular products, businesses face a daunting task: They must balance product performance, health and safety, regulatory compliance, cost, and a host of physical criteria (such as durability, repairability and modularity) to name a few of the countless considerations — along with frequent barriers. With an ever increasing demand to deliver products to market with speed, effectively evaluating and prioritizing these attributes is a critical yet challenging hurdle.

Join this session to explore how businesses have balanced physical criteria when creating circular products.  

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How can companies leverage one circular product initiative into an organization-wide, circular transformation?

Rethinking your company’s strategy, business model and supply chain for a circular economy — all while continuing to fulfill current and evolving market and customer demands — can be a daunting task. Rather than tackling circularity at scale, some companies are finding early success in starting small. Join this breakout panel to hear from leading companies about their journeys in optimizing a single product, and how it helped launch enterprise-wide changes in business strategy. This breakout will present practical case studies on how implementing and innovating for circular products can transform business practices — from supplier engagement to materials innovation, process improvement, resource optimization and global business strategy.

Stay tuned! 

How can businesses balance material health, regulatory compliance and public perception when selecting packaging materials?

The health and safety implications of materials used in packaging has become a growing concern for consumers, brands and retailers. This workshop will unpack some key questions and nuances in material health, addressing regulatory compliance, evolving public perceptions and growing concerns from consumers. The panel will share real-world insights on materials selection and the importance of material health throughout the lifecycle of a package. Attendees will walk away with strategies and tools to select the best materials for a safe, circular supply chain.

Hold the phone! Can waste be designed out of consumer electronics?

Building off of the established principles of the Responsible Business Alliance’s (RBA’s) previous session, this more in-depth series of case studies will explore how electronics companies are designing waste out of products and offerings, including easily repairable and modular consumer electronics. A discussion with the companies from both sessions, and attendees, will explore deeper nuances of the circular economy approaches to recycling electronics.

How can you advance circularity within your team and throughout your company by championing designers and their process?

Design decisions have ripple effects throughout a product's lifecycle and beyond, affecting production, use and end of life management. In this way, designers and creators hold tremendous influence on material flows throughout the supply chain, determining whether materials end up as waste and pollution, or remain in the economy providing value.

As the idea of a circular economy becomes increasingly mainstream, how can we support people making decisions that shape materials, products and business models? Where are these professionals found within your business? What role do they play, and how can you empower them in the context of your circular economy ambition?

This breakout session will be led by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, alongside practitioners and thought-leaders at the frontier of circular design.

Stay tuned! 

Structuring circular economies like a neural network enables our transition from linear use, lowers risk through collective action and unlocks low-hanging circular wins. Hear from neuroscientist turned circular economy start-up founder Garry Cooper, whose company, Rheaply, is generating millions in savings for partnered organizations by scaling corporate reuse and facilitating circular materials flows.

How do we design for the future amid the disruptive present?