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VERGE 18 Program

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Logistics & Infrastructure

Tuesday, October 16th, 2018
8:30am to 12:15pm
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Circular Economy 101

Tutorial

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.

Tracks

  • Design & Materials
  • Food & Water Systems
  • Business Model Innovation
  • Logistics & Infrastructure
  • All-Access Pass Required
  • Sign-up Required

Speakers

  • James George
  • Joe Murphy
  • Joe Iles
  • Dorothy Mackenzie

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Regenerative Futures Lab: Imagining the Unimaginable

Tutorial

Understanding regeneration requires moving beyond fragmented problem-solving and towards realizing new potentials within whole, complex systems. 

The more we understand planetary life cycles of birth, growth, death, decay, and regeneration, the clearer it becomes that human civilization is dependent on and inseparable from them. Given the countless unintended consequences and existential threats we face, it’s easy to catastrophize the future.

Is it possible to reverse the impacts of these threats? For many of us, this is an unthinkable thought. Yet the role of foresight tools are to help us radically reimagine the future. Which begs the question: What paradigms and assumptions are informing foresight processes and our understanding of sustainability? 

To date, the field of sustainability has been largely dominated by a mechanistic interpretations of natural resources, assets, and the commons, tacitly informed by models of competition and scarcity. How might we re-envision these - and explore potential futures - from a regenerative perspective?

This interactive workshop reframes how shared assets are imagined. Are they perpetually scarce (fixed and diminishing) or potentially abundant (living and regenerative)?  How can we invest in assets - and communities - to increase their capacities and capabilities over time?

Featuring aerial photography of Oakland by Stephen Loewinsohn. 

Pre-register to ensure access to your first choice of tutorial. Select “Already Registered?” here and enter your email address and confirmation number to log in. Then, click the “Modify” button to add a tutorial to your registration.

Tracks

  • Design & Materials
  • Food & Water Systems
  • Business Model Innovation
  • Logistics & Infrastructure
  • All-Access Pass Required
  • Sign-up Required

Speakers

  • Dawn Danby
  • David McConville
  • Nicole Boyer
  • Adam Flynn

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Wednesday, October 17th, 2018
8:30am to 9:30am
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Economy First: Scaling Investment in Circularity

Breakout

Circular economy solutions will only scale when the economics are sound, and a divergence from the existing linear model will require new and innovating financing. Hear from investors about what it will take to finance circularity. And learn about the market signals that will guide investment opportunities.

Tracks

  • Business Model Innovation
  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Ellen Martin
  • Emily Landsburg
  • Scott Jacobs
  • Sarah Dearman

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9:45am to 10:45am
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The Blockchain-Food Nexus

Breakout

Does this emerging technology have real-world potential to transform the global food and agriculture system? This session will explore blockchain applications aimed at enriching soil health, encouraging regenerative agricultural practices and improving supply chain transparency and food safety from farm to fork.

Tracks

  • Food & Water Systems
  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Gregory Landua
  • Heather Clancy
  • Tejas Bhatt

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The Circular City

Breakout

The concept of the circular economy offers a framework through which city governments and policymakers, urban planners and designers, businesses and individuals can rethink urban systems — and begin to close the loop on the flow of materials. As cities embark on the transition towards a circular economy, information and digital technology will play a crucial role in helping them address these challenges. Data forms part of the “connective tissue” linking urban systems together — from the movement of traffic, to the health of buildings, to how citizens can produce and consume energy. This session will explore the role of data in transforming urban life and building long-term prosperity, resource sufficiency, economic viability and well-being in a circular city. 

Tracks

  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Nicole Lombardo
  • Jessie Denver
  • Alex McDonough

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11:15am to 12:15pm
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Optimizing Water Infrastructure in the Built Environment

Breakout

To efficiently manage water in the built environment, we must think beyond the boundaries of buildings. This session will discuss some of the most innovative and regenerative water infrastructure projects that design for abundance, take the burden off of aging infrastructure and reimagine the flow of water in cities. 

Tracks

  • Food & Water Systems
  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Paul Kephart
  • Megan White
  • Brook Mebrahtu

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Value Chain Engagement for a Circular Plastic Supply Chain

Breakout

Circularity cannot be achieved in a silo; a systemic shift requires engagement across the entire value chain. Brands, manufacturers, municipalities and materials recovery facilities/processors each face different challenges in scaling circularity, so cross-functional communication will be key to understanding and motivating them. This session will bring together key stakeholders to discuss what it will take to achieve a truly circular plastic supply chain.

Tracks

  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Eric Potashner
  • Bridget Croke
  • Brandie Barrett
  • Stephanie Baker
  • Kevin Rabinovitch

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Thursday, October 18th, 2018
8:30am to 9:30am
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Biomimicry in Cities: Fireside Chat with Janine Benyus

Breakout

How can we design cities to function in harmony with the ecosystems they inhabit? By using a systemic, design-thinking approach, this session will explore the potential for cities to seek inspiration not only from nature as a whole but also from the specific environment in which they function. 

Tracks

  • Design & Materials
  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Janine Benyus
  • Joel Makower

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12:15pm to 4:30pm
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Circular Plastics Summit

Summit

The Circular Plastics Summit is a half-day, invitation-only working session convening 100 key stakeholders to focus on how to redesign the plastics value chain to eliminate waste. 

Refer to our Circular Plastics Summit page  for more information and to request an invitation.

Tracks

  • Design & Materials
  • Business Model Innovation
  • Logistics & Infrastructure
  • Invitation Only

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1:30pm to 2:30pm
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Forging Links Across the Circular Supply Chain

Breakout

While the circular economy creates and captures new value for businesses, it also brings new challenges and complexities across material supply chains. This session will bring together practitioners from across sectors to explore the idea of a "circular supply chain" and identify how companies can help establish transparency and embed sustainability across all links.

Tracks

  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Katie Schindall
  • Lauren Smith
  • Kyle Rudzinski
  • John Davies

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3:00pm to 4:00pm
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Operation Take-Back: Models, Markets & Reverse Logistics

Breakout

What does it take to successfully reclaim a product and ensure the transition to its next life rather than an end of life? As companies begin to rethink waste, product take-back programs are an increasingly strategic approach for capturing previously untapped value. This session will explore these new business models, identify the market incentives and regulations that could help inspire higher rates of product returns and discuss the challenges of implementation from the economics of reverse logistics to engaging customers as partners in enabling circularity.

Tracks

  • Business Model Innovation
  • Logistics & Infrastructure

Speakers

  • Scott Breen
  • Ann Starodaj
  • John Atcheson

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