The Circular Economy Show Podcast
Business & Finance
About
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation welcomes you to The Circular Economy Show, a podcast about a new way to design, make, and use things, and how we can build an economy that's fit for the 21st century.
Episodes
- Circular Snapshots: Mexico’s landmark circular economy law and more
This edition of Circular Snapshots covers a lot of ground. Mexico passed landmark circular economy legislation in January — and it deserves far more attention than it got. We also look at Circle Economy's latest report, which puts a €25.4…
- Can paper fix the flexibles problem?
Flexible plastics are hard to collect, harder to recycle, and leaking into our oceans at scale. Could paper step in? And can it do so without creating a whole new problem? In this episode, Pippa is joined by Laura Smith, Programme Manager…
- E-waste: the circular economy’s golden opportunity
E-waste is our fastest-growing waste stream, expanding five times faster than we can recycle it. But it's also one of our greatest untapped opportunities. With the demand for critical minerals showing no signs of stopping, recovering mater…
- How do we fund the shift to a circular economy?
Why is it that despite the success of individual circular business models, we simply aren’t seeing a wider shift across the entire economy? In this episode Lou is joined by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Strategic Finance and investment…
- Circularity: a competitive edge in the era of tariffs?
In a world of rising tariffs and supply chain disruption, could circularity be one of the smartest business moves a company can make? Danielle Holly, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s North America Lead, is joined by Tensie Whelan, founder…
- Inside IKEA's strategy: building a resilient circular business
What if buying second-hand felt exactly like buying new? In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, we explore how IKEA is embedding circular principles into its core commercial strategy. Fin is joined by Conor Hill, Global Director for…
- How to measure marketing success in a circular economy
In a circular economy, products may not be sold just once, but multiple times. This enables businesses to generate more revenue from one item. As a result, businesses are shifting their metrics beyond short-term profit to embrace the long-…
- Policy unplugged: Implementing circular economy policy with Joss Blériot
We are currently seeing a shift where circular economy policy is moving out of purely environmental ministries and into the hands of economic planning authorities and ministries of industry. In this episode, Lou is joined by Joss Blériot,…
- Circular economy, biodiversity, and the road to COP17
Biodiversity loss is accelerating at an alarming rate, but could circular economy solutions help turn things around? In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, Lou speaks with Marianne Kettunen, Biodiversity Lead for Policy at the Ellen…
- What’s next for the plastics industry?
Over the past decade, leading businesses have shown that progress on plastic pollution is possible. And while individual company action has been successful, even the most ambitious businesses are running up against the same obstacles. As a…
- The hidden drivers enabling the circular economy
What do some of the more surprising stories of scale teach us about implementing the circular economy? In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, Fin is joined by Rachel O’Reilly, Global Human Sustainability Design Director at Accenture…
- Circular snapshots: Competitiveness, critical minerals & textiles EPR
Welcome back to The Circular Economy Show and another episode of Circular Snapshots, where we unpack the headlines shaping the transition to a circular economy. This month, Seb explores the EU’s upcoming Circular Economy Act and its shift…
- The critical minerals crunch: How do we secure the future of clean energy?
Wen-Yu Weng, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Critical Minerals Lead, joins Lou to explain why critical minerals are currently taking centre stage in global political conversations. They explore: How we can create secure and resilient supp…
- What’s next for the circular economy in 2026?
Join Seb as he speaks to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s CEO, Jonquil Hackenberg about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the circular economy in 2026. What are your priorities for 2026? Let us know in the comments or on…
- 2025 in review: unlocking the circular economy opportunity
It's been a pivotal year for the circular economy, full of big ideas and practical breakthroughs. Before we fully dive into 2026, we’re hitting pause for a moment of reflection. Join Fin, Lou, and Pippa who have hand-picked their favourite…
- Circular Snapshots | COP30 and progress in the circular economy
It’s easy to look at the news headlines and feel like everything is going backwards, but in this episode we ask you to look a little deeper and see the story beneath the headlines. Progress is possible and happening everywhere from plastic…
- Why should retailers embrace the circular economy? | Conversations from Climate Week New York
Recorded live at Climate Week New York, in this episode we ask ‘why should retailers embrace the circular economy?’ The global food system is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions, and is vulnerable to supply chain shocks. Ou…
- What's tech got to do with it? | Conversations from Climate Week New York
Recorded live during Climate Week NYC, this episode explores how technology can accelerate the transition to a circular economy, not as a bolt-on fix, but as a built-in business strategy. Host Danielle Holly, Executive Lead for North Ameri…
- Why do circular business models fail to scale? Going it alone
This is the fourth and final part of our mini series on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report: How not to fail: Avoiding 10 common pitfalls when scaling circular business models . In this episode, the report’s lead researchers, Maddy…
- Why do circular business models fail to scale? Relying on a narrow business case
Circular business models can drive new revenue streams, build brand strength, customer loyalty, and market traction, while also unlocking value through resource efficiency, cost savings, and reduced risk to supply chain volatility. But the…
- Why do circular business models fail to scale? Strategic misalignment
Circular business models often fail when they’re designed without factoring how the business works, what the customers want, and what the product requires. These need to be considered together, not in isolation, to ensure that delivery, ad…
- Why do circular business models fail to scale? Don’t think too small
What makes circular business models fail to scale? In this new four-part series, we’ll be exploring the common mistakes businesses make on their journey towards circularity. Based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report: How not to…
- Stop minding your own business
Have the current political and economic shocks actually created enormous opportunities for change? Can businesses currently working on transforming themselves, work together on driving an entire market transformation? And what role can the…
- HolyGrail: see it, sort it, scale it
Scaling the circular economy requires more companies to launch circular products and services, but many competitors transitioning towards the circular economy face similar barriers to scale. One way to address this is commercial collaborat…
- Circular Snapshots: EU policy breakthrough
It was a busy summer for the circular economy. In this episode, Seb brings you up to speed with some of the headlines and all in less than 10 minutes! Listen in to hear about: - The latest EU policy breakthrough: EPR for textiles - How new…
- The view in North America and Climate Week NYC
As Climate Week NYC kicks off, what’s momentum like for the circular economy in North America? In this episode, Pippa’s joined by Danielle Holly, Executive Lead for North America at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to explore how circularit…
- How designers can hardwire their skills for a circular economy | Circling Back
Waste and pollution aren’t accidents—they’re the result of design. Which means we can design them out. Design is where it all begins – and where real change can happen. In this episode, host Pippa sits down with Joe Iles, Head of Design Ac…
- The circular economy: a ‘triple play’ climate solution for China | Circling Back
Amid rising emissions, rising temperatures, and the rapid rollout of material-intensive renewable energy systems that promise to curb them both, climate mitigation and adaptation are a central priority for China’s government. In this episo…
- Are circular cities the key to future-proofing Europe? | Circling Back
Could rethinking our cities through a circular lens be the key to future-proofing Europe whilst offering exciting investment opportunities? Join us in the third of our five-part Circling Back series of the Circular Economy Show, to hear ho…
- The competitive case for circular economy: From peripheral to pivotal | Circling Back
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 w…
- Stabilising the supply of critical minerals | Circling Back
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 thousand…
- “It’s a no-brainer”: Arc’teryx on bringing repairs in-store
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…
- How H&M Group is exploring circular business models in The Fashion ReModel
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, a…
- How do we make circular behaviours irresistible?
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 bran…
- How can marketers turn ideas into impactful action?
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 t…
- Stepping into action: Meet The Footwear Collective
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 Amsterd…
- ‘Waiting isn't an option’: the role of retail in future-proofing our food system
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 occ…
- The climate benefits of circularity: What we're missing
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…
- Circular Snapshot: What a $3500 iPhone tells us about the circular economy
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 o…
- Becoming a circular economist with Vojtech Vosecky
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 Sho…
- How are small start-ups, SMEs, and large corporations working together to change the food system?
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…
- How storytelling drives the circular economy transformation inside and out
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, h…
- Beyond business as usual: Biodiversity, collaboration and visionary leadership in the food system
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 organ…
- Driving demand for circular economy: What marketers need to know | Kantar and Swapfiets
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…
- Exploring fashion rental and resale with ACS and SuperCycle
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…
- Material security in a circular economy | Energy and competitiveness
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…
- Food for thought | How do we fix our broken food system?
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…
- Circular design essentials: What every designer needs to know
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 esse…
- What’s stopping Scotland from scaling a circular economy?
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, B…
- What should businesses do to scale a circular economy?
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…