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The Circular Economy Show Podcast

The Circular Economy Show Podcast

Ellen MacArthur Foundation 230 Episodes Jul 21, 2026

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation presents The Circular Economy Show, a podcast exploring a new approach to designing, making, and using things. It discusses how we can build an economy that is fit for the 21st century by moving away from the traditional linear model of take-make-dispose. The show features insights from business leaders, policymakers, and academics on the transition to a circular economy.

Episodes

How do we break the silos between bio-based policy and circularity?
How do we break the silos between bio-based policy and circularity? Jul 21, 2026 00:24:48 For years, the circular economy conversation has generated significant research, policy development, and business action around finite materials. But the same attention has not been given to bio-based materials. How can products and components made from these materials circulate and create value in a circular economy? In this episode of The Circular Economy Show, Fin is joined by Guilherme Suerteg
Driving circularity: shared infrastructure for scalable change
Driving circularity: shared infrastructure for scalable change Jul 14, 2026 00:11:00 Individual pilots are great, but they don't scale themselves. So, how do you shift an entire system to move an unmovable market? This week on the Circular Economy Show, Lou and Fin explore the critical foundation of shared infrastructure. Whether it’s launching scalable refill coalitions with Aldi and Ocado, aggregating future demand to bring 90% emission-reducing fuel to ocean transport, or rewri
EV batteries, bio-based materials, and the jobs nobody talks about | Circular Snapshots
EV batteries, bio-based materials, and the jobs nobody talks about | Circular Snapshots Jul 7, 2026 00:07:31 This month: three stories worth your time.   The WEF published a piece on EV battery recycling that reframes the whole conversation. These batteries contain the critical minerals governments are scrambling to secure. The recycled minerals market could be worth $200 billion by 2050. That value needs to be designed for now, not chased later.   Up until now the policy agenda for bio-based materials,
How does business benefit from regenerative practices?
How does business benefit from regenerative practices? Jun 30, 2026 00:20:46 In this episode of the Circular Economy Show, Pippa speaks with JJ Freijo, Chief Sustainability and Product Innovation Officer at Brambles. JJ explains how the company rents, rather than sells, pallets, crates and containers, creating a continuous loop of reuse across global supply chains. Having achieved 100% certified timber procurement across 64 countries, Brambles began asking a bolder questio
Is it game over for the CSO?
Is it game over for the CSO? Jun 23, 2026 00:14:02 Today, amid cost inflation, geopolitical conflict, and an ever-changing global business landscape we are staring down a massive shift in corporate sustainability and it’s starting to prompt some pretty big questions.  Does navigating the triple threat of media, politics, and boardroom backlash mean we need to change the playbook? In this episode Lou is joined by Mark Lancelot from Better Business
From niche to necessity: the circular economy's strategic moment
From niche to necessity: the circular economy's strategic moment Jun 16, 2026 00:28:49 Trade wars, resource shortages, and the AI-driven scramble for critical minerals are exposing the fragility of our current economy.  And for businesses still operating on a linear model, the vulnerabilities are becoming impossible to ignore. The global economy isn’t just being disrupted, it’s being restructured.  In this episode, Seb is joined by Julia Binder, Professor of Transformation at IMD Bu
Circular Snapshots: Mexico’s landmark circular economy law and more
Circular Snapshots: Mexico’s landmark circular economy law and more May 12, 2026 00:07:37 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 trillion price tag on the value destroyed every year by our linear economy, and the EU Circular Economy Act as it heads toward autumn adoption. Plus a quick run
Can paper fix the flexibles problem?
Can paper fix the flexibles problem? May 6, 2026 00:26:39 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 for Plastics and Packaging at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Jonathan Gill, Global Head of Sustainability, Plastics, at Unilever and Valerie Langer, Strategic L
E-waste: the circular economy’s golden opportunity
E-waste: the circular economy’s golden opportunity Apr 28, 2026 00:20:03 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 materials from the billions of dollars’ worth of mobile phones hibernating in our drawers is increasingly important. In this episode, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s
How do we fund the shift to a circular economy?
How do we fund the shift to a circular economy? Apr 21, 2026 00:22:39 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 team, Emily Healy and Joe Rodgers. Together, the team explores how systemic investing and capital orchestration could be the tools we need to take this transitio
Circularity: a competitive edge in the era of tariffs?
Circularity: a competitive edge in the era of tariffs? Apr 14, 2026 00:28:24 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 of the Center for Sustainable Business at NYU Stern and former President of the Rainforest Alliance, to explore this and more. Tensie explains the ROSI (Return o
Inside IKEA's strategy: building a resilient circular business
Inside IKEA's strategy: building a resilient circular business Apr 8, 2026 00:26:07 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 Circular and Sustainable Living at IKEA, who shares how the brand is delivering measurable impact, all while making circularity affordable and accessible for th

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