Catherine Weetman says “episode 101 seems like a good time to update my ‘what is the circular economy’ summary from Episode 1, back in 2019.

In that first episode, I outlined the 5 components in my CE Framework, one of the core themes in A CE Handbook. Those 5 components are product design, safe, sustainable materials, circular processes, recovery flows, and business models.  I see these as the intervention points in value chains, the places where you can start to develop circular solutions, so you get more value from less resources, and you eliminate the concept of waste. 

For businesses, it’s often easier to start with strategy, and so when I talk to organisations today, I focus on 3 simple strategies that are better for people, planet, and profit. To unpack that a bit, these strategies make positive impacts for sustainability and create more value for all your stakeholders – customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders – and, crucially, for future generations. If you like, these 3 strategies target the sweetspot between sustainability and stakeholder value.

Today, we’ll explore those strategies and unpack some of the ways they create value – financial benefits, improving resilience, reducing risk – and providing solutions your customers will love.”

Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer.  Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started.  Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).

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Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.

 Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app.  Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…

You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes, links and transcript delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.

• A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover!
  
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Sarah Archer Social Media & Website Links:

• Signature Talk Masterclass: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/masterclass
  
• Website: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk
  
• Podcast: https://www.thespeakingclub.com
  
• Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraharcher15/
  
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraharcher15/
  
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahArcher15
  

Resources we mentioned…

• Episode 24 – Steve Haskew of Circular Computing https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-24-steve-haskew-of-circular-computing/
  
• Episode 77 Steve Haskew – The world’s first Kitemark for Remanufactured Laptops https://www.rethinkglobal.info/77-steve-haskew-remanufactured-laptops/
  
• Episode 33 – Greg Lavery of Rype Office https://www.rethinkglobal.info/episode-33-greg-lavery-of-rype-office/
  
• PlasticFree toolkit from A Plastic Planet “The world’s first innovation platform for materials and systems solutions, PlasticFree will become the trusted, global, authoritative resource to help the creative industry design out plastic waste at source and accelerate towards a better future.” https://aplasticplanet.com/trust-marks/
  

Speaking is the most powerful marketing and motivational tool, and we use it everywhere in business, from pitches to presentations … but people often make mistakes that can sabotage their success, and that’s what Sarah Archer helps you avoid, so that you can get more success when you talk. 

Sarah is on a mission to show authors, experts, coaches and aspiring change makers how to create a signature talk that uses stories to get more compliments and conversions. This is so that you can have more impact, invitations and income as a speaker – in a way that aligns to your values and without losing your personality! 

Sarah is a speaking and marketing coach, writer, comedian, performer, ex-HR Director, and host of The Speaking Club Podcast, (which is in the top 1.5% of podcasts and in over 190 countries). This mix means she is uniquely qualified to teach you how to create content that makes your audience stop, engage and fall in love with your message.

Click here to open the transcript…

Want to find out more about the circular economy?

If you’d like to learn more about the circular economy and how it could help your business, why not listen to Episode 1, or read our guide: What is the Circular Economy? 

To go deeper, you could buy Catherine’s book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy.  Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable. 

Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts.  Or send us an email…

Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’.  Or, follow them on Twitter.

19th March 2023


Circular economy


risks


strategy

Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit. Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a…

5th March 2023


Carbon


Circular economy


services


social value


technology

Ben Jeffreys, co-founder of ATEC, is a multi award-winning social entrepreneur making better things happen. Right now, he’s focused on decarbonising cooking