This tutorial is now full. Space may become available, so please plan to arrive early on Tuesday, October 16, to join a queue for available seats. In the meantime, we recommend pre-registering for your second-choice tutorial.

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. 

Dragon Rouge, an award-winning global creative agency and CE100 member, spoke with several of those leading organisations to understand what is working, and launched a report on the topic. During the second part of the session, The Foundation Team and Dragon Rouge representatives will distil insight on how you can effectively 'sell' the circular economy into different parts of your organisation.

Is plastic the problem, or plastic waste? Is it all plastics, or just some? Is it all products, or only a few? As a global war on plastic escalates, more companies and cities are being asked to take actions to limit its use and waste. However, plastic is ubiquitous and cheap and continues to play a vital role in ensuring health, safety and product delivery and longevity. This session will break down these key issues and explore the conflicting perspectives and priorities when it comes to navigating the plastic challenge.

Many companies are enthusiastic about the potential of circular business models, but how do they assess the benefits of new business models, such as product takeback or leasing? As industries innovate, they will need a common framework for evaluating the impacts and making credible claims. This conversation will focus on work being done to establish methods for measuring the environmental and social impact of circular business models.