Circularity.fm

How do you scale refurbishment through existing dealer networks? In this episode, Rolf Keller, Head of Circularity, explains how Vitra built its circular model around buying back, refurbishing, and reselling furniture through its dealers, saving 60 to 90% CO2 compared to new products. Co-hosted by Heiko Tullney, Executive Director at Indeed Innovation, this conversation focuses on: • The role of modular design and why backward compatibility across product generations matters • How Vitra structured dealer access to circular stock, including list pricing, visibility into inventory, and revenue sharing • The criteria behind Vitra's buyback decisions, from product age and condition to logistics and location The episode also covers how replacing seat covers solves stock mismatches in contract orders and how Vitra embeds circularity requirements into new product development. This is the first episode in the series Irresistible Circular Businesses, sponsored by Indeed Innovation, the global design and innovation firm pioneering the circular economy. The series showcases business practices that deliver irresistible commercial and circular results, with examples from different industries across different R-strategies.

How do you design circular systems, not just circular products? In this episode, Anne Farken from Designworks, a BMW Group Company, talks about why circular design is not only about the product itself, but about the ecosystem around it. The conversation looks at the gap between saying design should be integrated from the beginning and actually thinking product and business model together from day one. What you'll hear in this episode: • How to design the product ecosystem and integrate product development, business model, and value creation from day one • The role of designers in translating business model insights into product requirements and facilitating integration across teams • Why the more you rethink a product, the more you need tolerance for ambiguity and alignment across teams The episode also touches on why constraints and tradeoffs should be seen as creative opportunities. This is the final episode in the series Implementing Circular Design Principles, produced in collaboration with the German Design Council. The series explored how design decisions shape circular outcomes at the material, product, and system level, following the principles of Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

How can rethinking product design drive innovation, circularity and reduce costs? In this episode, Nicola Stattmann, Co-founder and CEO of OMC°C, explains why circular product development, when integrated from the start, leads to less investment needed.  The conversation looks at how rethinking material and component choices enable innovation and simplify manufacturing, using the Nike Flyknit's reduction from 50 components to 5 as an example. What you'll hear in this episode: • Why less materials, components, and process steps translates to reduced costs • The role of curiosity and enthusiasm in rethinking how products are made • Why designers need to make their processes transparent to gain alignment across departments The episode also explores how Stattmann applied these principles at OMC°C, building an interdisciplinary team of top experts to develop a modular urban greening system.  This episode was recorded in German. English subtitles are available on all our platforms. This is the second episode in the series Implementing Circular Design Principles, produced in collaboration with the German Design Council. The series explores how design decisions shape circular outcomes at the material, product, and system level, following the principles of Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

What should designers know about materials before product development? In this episode, Andreas Maegerlein, Head of the Creation Center Europe at BASF, talks about circular design from a material perspective, focusing on how material choices enable or limit circularity. The conversation looks at how product design is affected when materials are developed to last for decades, while products are often designed to be disposable or short-lived. What you'll hear in this episode: • The importance of aligning material choice with product lifetime and use cycles •Why material selection need to be informed by recycling infrastructure, recycling technologies, and energy-usage • How the role of designers is evolving from showcasing quality alone toward also conveying sustainability This episode opens the series Implementing Circular Design Principles, produced in collaboration with the German Design Council. The series explores how design decisions shape circular outcomes at the material, product, and system level, following the principles of Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

How do you identify and act on the biggest levers in your environmental footprint? In this episode, Marcel Niederberger, Head of Sustainability, and Marc Vetterli, Sustainability Expert in Engineering, explain how V-ZUG used life cycle assessment to discover that material intensity (and not just energy efficiency) drives environmental impact in home appliances. What you'll hear in this episode: • Why it is essential to carry on life-cycle assessments of all products. • The development process behind high-quality recycled ABS for visible white panels in washing machines and dryers, and its scalability. • V-ZUG's self-imposed CO2 penalty that funds fundamental research and early-stage circular projects. The episode also explores practical implementation topics, including closing material loops with suppliers, designing for reuse across product generations, and building competitive advantage. This episode concludes the "Recycled Plastics for Premium Brands" series, sponsored by HolyPoly. The series focused on the practicalities of using technical recyclates in long-lasting, high quality products.

Can recycled technical plastics meet quality, performance, and price requirements at the same time? In this episode, Isabelle Gola from Bosch Power Tools explains how Bosch developed a closed-loop pilot for power tools using recycled technical plastics while maintaining the same quality and performance standards, at the same price point for the end consumer. What you'll hear in this episode: • How recycled technical plastics were tested against existing quality and performance specifications. • How communication, certification, and transparency shaped internal alignment and customer response. • How Bosch defined success in the pilot, with feedback, learning, and data as central KPIs. The episode also looks at practical challenges behind the closed-loop approach, including reverse logistics considerations, sourcing sufficient volumes, and using disassembly data to inform eco-design and future product development. This episode is part of the “Recycled Plastics form Premium Brands” series, sponsored by HolyPoly.

How do you get organisational buy-in for sustainable initiatives? In this episode, Nhung Kieu, Head of Sustainability at Vorwerk Group, and Michael Kroh, Fellow Materials Engineering and Sustainability Officer at Vorwerk Engineering, share how Vorwerk increased the use of recycled plastics in products such as Thermomix and Kobold vacuum cleaners. Based on Vorwerk's experience, we discuss how organisational support was built across engineering, procurement, and management. What you'll hear in this episode: • What drove Vorwerk to increase recycled content and position sustainability as part of the business strategy. • Which barriers had to be addressed, including quality perceptions, pricing constraints, and internal skepticism. • Which factors help to create both sustainability impact and economic value.  Listen now to get a practical perspective on how circular initiatives gain traction inside organisations by aligning technical feasibility with business and organisational realities. This episode is part of the “Recycled Plastics form Premium Brands” series, sponsored by HolyPoly.

Mandatory recycled-content targets are expanding, while recycling capacity is not. In this episode, Fridolin Pflüger, co-founder and CEO of HolyPoly, looks ahead to how regulatory recycled-content requirements and carbon pricing are likely to reshape plastics supply chains over the next decade. This conversation explores the future of plastics recycling, highlighting the challenges and opportunities within the industry. It discusses the impact of regulatory changes, the dynamics of supply and demand, and the differences between mechanical and chemical recycling. This episode is the first in our “Recycled Plastics for Premium Brands” series, sponsored by HolyPoly.

95% of all products contain chemicals, which makes chemistry central to every industrial value chain. But what would it take to make this foundation of European production more circular? In this episode, Frank F. Meyer from Henkel Consumer Brands, Inge Neven from VITO, Prof. Regina Palkovits from RWTH Aachen and the CATALAIX program, Prof. Manfred Renner from Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Fraunhofer CCPE, and William Stevens from Tech Tour join moderator Carsten Gerhardt to discuss the future of circular chemistry.  Together they explore three core questions: What is on their horizon in terms of chemical innovation? What does it take to scale these technologies across industrial settings? And what does it take to bring something successful in the lab to the market? This episode concludes our series in collaboration with Circular Valley, which aims to advance Europe's transition toward a circular economy across the cross border region of North Rhine Westphalia, Flanders and the Netherlands. The panel was recorded at the Circular Valley Forum 2025.

How can the metals sector advance circularity while navigating rising demand, resource scarcity and geopolitical pressure? In this panel from the Circular Valley Forum 2025, industry and policy leaders discuss the opportunities and constraints of creating a more circular metals system. The speakers include Inge Hofkens, COO at Aurubis, Dr. Heike Denecke-Arnold, CEO of Salzgitter Flachstahl, Bruno Pelli from Vale in Brazil, Dr. Ing. Paul Mählitz from the German Mineral Resources Agency (DERA) and Dr. Matthias Koehler, Deputy Director General for Raw Material Policy, Circular Economy and Resource Protection at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The panel explores recycling limits, alloying element recovery, the role of scrap in decarbonisation, and how global market dynamics shape European resource strategies. This episode is part of our series in collaboration with Circular Valley and features sessions recorded at the Circular Valley Forum 2025.

How can cross-border cooperation accelerate the transition to a circular economy in Europe's industrial heartland? This panel from the Circular Valley Forum 2025 brings together three senior public-sector leaders: Susanne Hagenkort-Rieger, Director General of the Economic Policy Department at the Ministry of Economy in North Rhine-Westphalia; Brigitte Mouligneau, Transition Manager at OVAM and Circular Flanders; and Arnoud Passenier, Circular Economy Advisor to the Government of the Netherlands. They discuss how their regions structure circular economy policy, where joint priorities lie, and why trilateral collaboration is essential for scaling circular value chains across chemicals, construction and battery materials. The conversation highlights the need for shared infrastructures, coordinated industry support and policy alignment to make circular business models viable at European scale. This episode is part of our series in collaboration with Circular Valley. The series features recorded sessions from the Circular Valley Forum 2025.

How to create a successful circular hub for electronics that holistically integrates social and commercial aspects into the model? In this episode, we speak with Timothy Washira, Operations Manager at Close the Gap's Circular Economy Hub in Mombasa, Kenya. Close the Gap first started in Belgium in 2003 with the mission to provide high-quality pre-owned computers and bridge the digital divide. The organization started its first operations in Kenya in 2019 in Nairobi, before moving the Circular Economy Hub to a bigger, state-of-the-art facility in Mombasa in 2020. The Circular Economy Hub is the logistics backbone for Close the Gap in Kenya. Its focus is on IT Asset Disposition which involves collecting used IT devices from corporate partners in Kenya, conducting data wipe processes; refurbishing or recycling the devices, and deploying the pre-owned high quality devices to impact projects. Timothy talks about how Close the Gap is driving socio-economic transformation through for example, its incubator space and the BOOST program. Listen to hear how Close the Gap integrates commercial success with social impact, creating jobs, promoting the circular economy, and empowering over 6 million people with access to technology and skills.

How can a reusable pad company address education, employment, and environmental waste simultaneously? In this episode, Madhvi Dalal, founder of PadMad, talks about why and how she built a social enterprise to tackle period poverty in Kenya, a country where 65% of women and girls cannot afford menstrual products. This crisis leads to girls missing school and exams, forces them to improvise pads with unhygienic materials, and leaves them exposed to be taken advantage of. Madhvi walks us through PadMad's three-pillar focus: education, running workshops in schools and workplaces to break stigma and provide information. Empowerment, employing marginalised women to manufacture the pads. And environment, creating reusable pads from textile waste to reduce plastic pollution. You'll also hear how this model has scaled to impact over 150,000 people and prevented millions of disposable pads from polluting Kenya's environment.

How can fish waste solve a national animal feed crisis and empower local communities? In this episode, Faith Mwende from Sea Ventures explains how her startup tackles the massive post-harvest losses in Kenya's fishing industry, where 60-70% of the catch becomes waste. You'll hear how Sea Ventures creates a circular economy model by collecting this fish waste and processing it into high-quality animal feed, directly addressing Kenya's scarcity of animal feed. Faith also talks about the company's social impact, which includes creating jobs, providing training in sustainable farming, and empowering women in both the fishing and agricultural sectors. Recorded in Mombasa, Kenya, this episode showcases a local solution that integrates environmental action with economic and community development.

How do you build a sustainable e-waste management system in Kenya? In this episode, Jane Muriithi and Thuo Lawrence from E-waste Initiative Kenya (EWIK) talk about their approach to e-waste management across Kenya. Jane describes EWIK's collection model through drop-off points and door-to-door pickups across multiple cities, their repair and refurbishment process, and the challenges of managing different materials when items can't be repaired. You'll also hear about EWIK's skills training programs for youth, including e-waste handling and ICT repair, with specific support for young mothers through onsite childcare, entrepreneurship courses, and mentorship. Thuo explains their research mapping Kenya's e-waste value chain through stakeholder interviews to inform Extended Producer Responsibility schemes. Listen to know how to build environmental and social impact through e-waste management, and to understand why partnerships necessary to scale e-waste recycling across East Africa.

How can we transform the textile industry in Kenya to embrace a circular economy? In this episode, Alex Musembi from Africa Collect Textiles (ACT) and Sarah Njau from Green Forest Solutions discuss their collaborative efforts to streamline textile recycling and reuse in Kenya. Alex describes ACT's model of collecting post-consumer textiles through drop-off points and door-to-door pickups, sorting them for resale and upcycling, and the challenges of incentivizing proper disposal. Sarah explains the role of Green Forest Solutions in helping set up Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, which are vital for funding the infrastructure needed for effective textile waste management. They both highlight the impact of fast fashion, the need for better product design, and the importance of international partnerships to sustain these environmental initiatives. This episode sheds light on the intricate dynamics of the textile recycling market in Kenya and the global efforts required to support it.

How do you build a circular economy for plastic that includes the informal sector? In this episode, Keiran Smith from Mr. Green Africa explains their approach to plastic recycling, which is built on integrating the informal waste collection sector into a formal business. Keiran details their model: a decentralized system of buy-back centers that use a proprietary app for transparent payments, a processing facility that turns collected plastic into pellets, and direct partnerships with corporations who use the recycled material in their packaging. You'll hear how Mr. Green Africa navigates the challenges of a fragmented supply chain, competes with the cost of virgin plastic, and plans to expand its operations from Kenya into other markets in East Africa.

What does it take to operate a waste management company in a market where you have to compete with a dump site fee of just one dollar per ton? In this episode, Daniel Paffenholz from Taka Taka Solutions details the realities of building an integrated waste management and recycling company in Kenya. He explains the immense challenge of scaling in a heavily fragmented and informal market, where you must compete against hundreds of other operators. We discuss the entire operational flow, from collection and sorting at their material recovery facility. Daniel describes the economic pressures of operating without gate fees and the strategic necessity to move beyond simple recycling into value-added compounding to build resilience against global market shifts. Recorded on site in Nairobi, this episode provides a ground-level view of the complexities and strategic decisions involved in the waste management industry in an emerging market.

What does it take to build community in one of Africa's largest dumpsites? In this episode, Cricket Writes from The Artistic Junction Collective talks about the reality of daily life at Dandora Dumpsite and community efforts to create change through art and collective action. Cricket walks us through the physical site and the social structures that govern it: the hierarchy between "big fish" and ordinary waste pickers, the struggle for school fees, and the dangers workers face without compensation or protection. You'll hear how The Artistic Junction Collective uses theatre, film, and poetry to address gender-based violence, provide alternatives to crime for youth, and work towards establishing a community art centre that offers residents a space to tell their own stories. Participating in this episode are also Geoffrey Karani, Kennedy Kiige, Wambui Gitangu, Susan Nyambura, and Ann Mega. Recorded on site at Dandora Dumpsite in Nairobi, Kenya, this episode showcases the harsh realities of working in waste and how communities respond to systemic neglect with creativity and solidarity.

Can circular entrepreneurship reshape Kenya's waste economy? In this episode, Richard Kainika (Kenya Association of Waste Recyclers), David Ongare (National Environment Management Authority), and Hanna Dittmeyer (AHK Services Eastern Africa Ltd) share how Kenya is building circular systems from the ground up through informal networks, selective regulation, and everyday business ingenuity. From secondhand markets and plastic recycling to extended producer responsibility and policy enforcement, Kenya's circular economy is already in motion. But challenges remain, especially in waste infrastructure and electronic waste management. Recorded live in Kenya, this episode opens the Circularity.fm series on circularity in Kenya, spotlighting how local actors are turning waste into value and shifting systems from the bottom up.

How can we create a business case for restoring nature instead of exploiting it? In this episode, Thomas Norman from EcoTree explains how to turn environmental action from a cost into an asset by making people actual owners of trees. Inspired by Denmark's successful bottle recycling system that achieves 92% return rates through financial incentives, Norman shows how this approach can be applied to forestry by allowing individuals and companies to buy trees and claim both environmental benefits and future timber revenues. In his keynote, you'll hear more about the financial incentives that drive environmental behavior, tree ownership as an investment model, and market-based solutions for scaling sustainable forestry initiatives. Norman also explores how capitalism's core concepts like property law and market mechanisms can democratise nature investment and scale conservation efforts. Recorded live at the LOOP Forum 2025, this episode features key insights and ideas from this year's leading Nordic conference on circularity.

How can a global company cut emissions while growing their business by 37%? In this episode, Katrine Grytter, Corporate Affairs Director at Mars Incorporated, shares how the company is working toward net zero while expanding their business. Mars has reduced emissions by 23% since 2018 while growing sales significantly, showcasing that sustainability and growth can work together. Grytter explains Mars's approach to net zero planning, from measuring emissions across their entire value chain to setting milestone targets every five years. She discusses the challenges of working with suppliers and partners to reduce emissions beyond their direct operations, and how they integrate sustainability into leadership bonuses. Her keynote explores net zero strategy development, value chain partnerships, milestone-based planning, and linking sustainability performance to business incentives. This episode is part of our series on the LOOP Forum 2025 highlights, bringing you the key ideas and insights from this year's leading Nordic event on circularity. Listen to hear practical insights from one of the world's largest food companies on their net zero journey.

What happens when businesses destroy the very resources they depend on to survive? In this episode, biologist and radio host Alexander Holm explains the biodiversity crisis and reveals how industries are systematically eliminating themselves through overexploitation of natural resources. Nature provides essential services like cleaning water, holding soil together, and pollinating crops that would cost trillions to replace. Holm shows how Amazon beef production is destroying the rainfall it needs, fisheries have collapsed from overfishing, and farms are degrading their own soil. His keynote explores what biodiversity actually means, the free ecosystem services nature provides, and practical solutions for sustainable resource use without reducing living standards. This episode is part of our series on the LOOP Forum 2025 highlights, bringing you the key ideas and insights from this year's leading Nordic event on circularity.

How can conversation become a real driver of circular transformation? In this episode, George Marshall explains why conversations are central to circular change and how to design them to build trust, reach across difference, and motivate action. Circular economy strategies often focus on systems and structures but lasting change only happens when people connect new behaviors to their own identity and values. Without shared understanding and engagement, technical solutions risk staying at the surface. Recorded live at the LOOP Forum 2025, his keynote explores how businesses can move beyond top-down messaging to create real dialogue that activates people at every level of an organisation. This episode is part of our series on the LOOP Forum 2025 highlights, bringing you the key ideas and insights from this year's leading Nordic event on circularity.

What does it take to build truly regenerative economies? Circularity is not just about recycling or material flows. It also requires transforming how we use land, manage ecosystems, and design business models that work with and not against the biosphere. In this episode, speakers explore how to move beyond technical fixes and address the broader environmental and economic systems that shape regeneration. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Michael Obersteiner from the University of Oxford and Miki Yokoyama from Aurum Impact to share perspectives on what it takes to turn regenerative economy concepts into practical strategies. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festiva

Do we really understand the value of product passports? As regulations like the Digital Product Passport take shape, many companies are focused on compliance. But the deeper question is whether we are using product data strategically: across lifecycles, across systems, and for actual circular value creation. In this episode, speakers explore how data can move beyond reporting requirements to become a driver of innovation, competitiveness, and business model transformation in the circular economy. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Susanne Kadner from CIRCULAR REPUBLIC, Tilmann Vahle from Quantis, Pascal Köhler from ebm-papst, and Caroline Cassignol from Siemens to discuss how data availability, transparency, and intellectual property concerns intersect with real circular impact. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festival.

Can robotics make large-scale disassembly a reality for the circular economy? Automated disassembly is emerging as a key enabler for circular strategies such as repair, remanufacturing, and high-quality recycling. But turning this vision into scalable practice requires technical integration, economic viability, and alignment across industries. In this episode, speakers from robotics, recycling, and research explore how automation technologies can extend product lifecycles, reduce waste, and unlock new efficiencies in resource use. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Fridolin Franke from SOLAR MATERIALS, Rebecca Zhu from Circu Li-ion, Tobias Ortmaier from voraus robotik, and José Saenz from Fraunhofer IFF to discuss the role of robotics in enabling circularity through disassembly. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festival.

How can the chemical industry become a driving force for a circular economy? From molecular design to large-scale production, the chemical sector underpins nearly every material stream in the global economy. But transforming it for circularity means rethinking not just processes, but business models, regulation, and collaboration between industry and science. In this episode, speakers from startups, corporates, and research institutions share what it will take to reshape chemistry for a circular future across materials, markets, and supply chains. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Manuel Häußler from Aevoloop, Gerben Meier from LyondellBasell, Christian Schiller from Cirplus, and Peter Seeberger from CTC. The discussion was moderated by Leonhard Nima from Studio Nima. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festival.

What does it really take to build a successful textile recommerce model? Product lifetime extension and recommerce are widely seen as pillars of a circular economy, but moving beyond pilot projects requires more than ambition. Brands must confront operational, financial, and customer-facing challenges to scale recommerce in a way that delivers both impact and profit. In this episode, speakers from fashion, outdoor gear, and platform services share practical insights on what works, what stalls, and what it takes to grow textile recommerce models at scale. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Christina Rosenberg from HUGO BOSS, Carl Warkentin from CIRCULAR REPUBLIC, Jens Oellrich from Bergzeit, Matt Peterson from Gore, and Max Grosse Lutermann from Trove to explore the barriers and enablers of circular resale strategies. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festival.

Is circularity the next frontier for German engineering? From industrial automation to in-vehicle electronics, high-performance systems depend on complex, globally sourced materials. This creates serious challenges for sustainability and supply security - but also opens new opportunities for circular strategies that extend product lifespans and recover critical resources. In this episode, speakers from manufacturing, mobility, and tech explore how German industry can integrate circularity into core business functions including R&D, procurement, and governance. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Ansgar Kriwet from Festo, Eva Riesenhuber from Siemens, Patric Tullio from BMW Group, Lukas Biedermann from SPARETECH, and Niclas-Alexander Mauss from CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to discuss what circular electronics and automation could mean for the future of German engineering. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festival.

How can Germany design a workable EPR scheme for textiles? With Extended Producer Responsibility approaching, the textile sector in Germany faces increasing pressure to develop systems that are both legally compliant and operationally feasible. But turning regulation into practice requires coordination across brands, recyclers, and service providers. In this episode, speakers from across the textile sector explore how to create an EPR framework that can function in real market conditions and deliver measurable impact. Recorded live at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025, the panel brought together Steffen Gerlach of eeden, Julia Haas of Interzero, Marie Nawrocki of Decathlon, Sophie Herrmann of SYSTEMIQ, and Carl Warkentin of CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to discuss the legal, logistical, and strategic dimensions of EPR for textiles. This episode is part of our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC FESTIVAL 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festival.

Are we truly shifting beyond the linear economy or just circling around it? Despite growing pressure on natural systems and the depletion of critical resources, the shift toward a circular economy remains slow and complex. While pioneering efforts have demonstrated circular potential, questions persist about whether we are replacing the linear model or simply repackaging it. In this episode, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, former Co-President of the Club of Rome, stresses the need for systemic change to address both environmental collapse and social injustice. Following her keynote at the CIRCULAR REPUBLIC Festival 2025, she joined Jocelyn Blériot, Executive Lead for Policy and Institutions at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, for a panel discussion moderated by Niclas-Alexander Mauss. Together, they explored what is holding back the circular transition, from cost structures to deeply embedded incentives for extraction. This episode is the first in our CIRCULAR REPUBLIC Festival 2025 series, created in partnership with CIRCULAR REPUBLIC to bring you the key debates and insights from this year's festival.

Why is design still overlooked in Germany's circular economy events? Most circular economy events in Germany focus on engineering, technology and economic policy. But design, where 80% of a product's environmental impact is determined, rarely takes center stage. In this episode, Bernd Müller, Director of Relations and Sustainability at the German Design Council, explains why they created the Circular Design Summit to change that. He shares how the summit brings together companies, designers and other departments to work on circularity from the start of the product lifecycle. Bernd reflects on the value of collaboration, and why both design and business need to evolve together. He also points to upcoming trends like repair, resale and the search for scalable materials. This episode is part of Circular Design Summit in cooperation with the German Design Council.

This episode is a recorded panel session from the Circular Design Summit 2025 explores how design can accelerate the shift toward a circular economy by rethinking roles, materials, and systems. Moderated by Karel J. Golta, the conversation brings together perspectives from Kathie Morgenroth (Google), Steffen Erath (Hansgrohe), and Markus Kühlert (Wuppertal Institute). The panelists discuss the need for transdisciplinary collaboration, integration of compliance into early-stage design, and redefining what it means to be a designer in the context of sustainability. From hardware-software integration to product-as-a-service models, the discussion highlights how circularity requires embedding longevity, repairability, and desirability into the entire product experience. This episode is part of the Circular Design Summit series, a Circularity.fm series in collaboration with the German Design Council.

How can design help tackle the global e-waste challenge? In this episode, Katie Morgenroth, Head of Sustainable Design at Google, explains how her team works across hardware products like Pixel, Nest, and Fitbit to reduce environmental impact. She shares Google's approach to using recycled materials in metals and textiles, extending software support to make devices last longer, and developing 100% plastic-free packaging. Katie describes the collaborative work with engineers, materials scientists, and supply chain teams needed to redesign products for repairability and durability, and emphasizes the value of sharing design guides and learnings openly. She also talks about using storytelling and exhibitions to make circular design visible, and why embracing “progress over perfection” is essential for industry-wide change. This episode is part of the Circular Design Summit series, a Circularity.fm series in collaboration with the German Design Council.

Regeneration is gaining traction, but what does it take to finance and scale truly regenerative businesses? In this episode, Alessa Berg, founder of Top Tier Impact, explains why regeneration requires a systemic mindset, how financial instruments can support regenerative models, and what founders need to consider before taking funding. Alessa shares practical distinctions between debt, grants, equity, and blended finance, and advises founders to get clear on their long-term vision before choosing a path. She explains how regenerative VC funds differ from traditional ones in capital structure, return expectations, and alignment with impact. The conversation also highlights overlooked local opportunities for regeneration, especially in Europe, and challenges in shifting global supply chains.

What does it take to secure funding for asset-heavy, circular startups? In this episode, Jakob Röskamp, CFO at Traceless Materials, shares how customer validation builds investor confidence, why off-take agreements are key to de-risking CapEx-heavy models, and how combining equity, debt, and grants can reduce the cost of capital. While this series looks at how VCs select circular startups, it's equally important to understand how startups choose their investors. Jakob shares practical insights on what that process looks like from the startup side. He also talks about Traceless's approach to lifecycle assessments, as well as managing complexity when scaling a circular solution in the real world.

How can purpose-driven founders and investors work together to build the solutions our economy urgently needs? Many startups are building solutions that target the root causes of today's biggest challenges. But purpose-driven angel investors still have to evaluate each team individually, making it hard to fund impact at scale. In this episode, Tina Dreimann, founder of better ventures, explains how her network connects founders and investors to systematically change our economy towards impact and return. Tina also points out the principle of integral investing, where revenue and impact grow together. She shares how startups and established companies can form a symbiosis: combining entrepreneurial startup speed with corporate scale to shift entire value chains. Tina also advises founders to prioritise team strength and early customer validation. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

What will it take to recover more critical materials when demand is growing and recovery systems aren't keeping up? With the growing deployment of solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and data centers, demand for metals and minerals is rising fast. But current systems for recovering and reusing these materials are limited, inefficient, or missing entirely. In this episode, Aly Bryan, Senior Member of the investment team at Closed Loop Partners' Venture Group, explains why critical materials have become a central topic in the circular economy. She introduces the concepts of small-loop and large-loop circularity, discusses the role of modular recovery infrastructure, and shares why relying on large, centralized processing facilities may no longer be the most effective approach. Aly also explores how circular startups can work within existing supply chains and why reverse logistics is essential to making recovery work at scale. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

What does it take for circular and impact-driven startups to raise funding from VCs? In this episode, Charlotte Lafont, Principal at Ring Capital, explains how funds can integrate impact into every stage of the investment process, from evaluating impact intentionality to setting KPIs that are audited and tied to carried interest. Charlotte highlights what circular founders need to demonstrate to attract funding: strong product–market fit, alignment with existing value chains, and the ability to scale beyond niche markets. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

What does it take to invest in circularity in construction - an industry defined by waste, emissions, and long scaling cycles? In this episode, Bengt Steinbrecher of Holcim MAQER Ventures shares how one of the largest building materials companies works with startups to decarbonise the sector. From reusing 10 million tons of demolition material to testing carbon-storing concrete across Europe, Holcim blends strategic relevance with clear circular KPIs. The episode explores how corporate venture capital enables circular startups to scale in the construction industry - through market access, operational integration, and long-term collaboration. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

Decarbonising the economy is a political goal and a commercial opportunity. How can circular startups benefit as well? In this episode, Mark Windeknecht, Principal at World Fund, discusses the connection between decarbonisation and the circular economy. By examining the battery recycling startup Cylib, the food startup Planet A Foods and the consumer tech startup Faircado, Mark provides insights into the drawdown potential of different business models. As a considerable share of circular startups are asset-heavy, Mark touches upon the challenges and opportunities of financing the growth of these circular business models. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

Ocean plastics are a danger to the environment and humans. Cleaning it up and avoiding it from happening is a business opportunity, though. In this episode, Ellen Martin, Chief Impact Officer at Circulate Capital, presents how the circular startups in their portfolio tackle the plastics crisis while running profitable businesses. With venture capital investments in Asia and Latin America, Ellen highlights commonalities and differences of markets in these continents. She illustrates the dependency of circular business models on local circumstances. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

What is the better place to launch a circular statup, the US or Europe? In this episode, Maya Hassa, Principal at Circular Innovation Fund, discusses regional differences in circular business models and stresses the possibilities a fund can offer startups when working with corporate limited partners. This episode is part of VC for Circularity - the Venture Capital Perspective on Circular Economy Startups.

What happens when the local farmers refuse to work with you? You build your own vertical farming factory. In this episode, Anja Brachmüller, COO at Veganz, shares the company's remarkable 13-year evolution from a single supermarket to an innovative food tech powerhouse with three factories across Europe. Discover how a small cashew cheese operation transformed Veganz's business model, and learn about their groundbreaking vertical farming technology that grows protein-rich peas using just 5% of the water required for traditional agriculture - potentially solving food security challenges worldwide. This episode is part of the series about the CIRCULAZE Summit from November 2024.

Everyone says that the circular economy needs cooperation. But how is that supposed to work? In the KARE project, sixteen organisations are working to establish a regional competence centre for labour research into the circular economy of plastics. Companies of different sizes and degrees of maturity have to come together, as do competitors. In his talk at the CIRCULAZE Summit, Andreas Jenne, Head of Sustainability at REHAU Technologies, reports how the partners are coming together. It is only possible at eye level, with personal dialogue, simple KPIs and pragmatic R-strategies. This episode is part of the series about the CIRCULAZE Summit from November 2024.

The expansion of Solar energy is progressing rapidly. But how do we keep this new equipment in circulation? Pamela Ong presents a systematic analysis of the solar panel supply chain. It covers product design and stakeholder collaboration as well as supply chain incentives and regulation. Pamela's talk is based on a new report from Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, E.ON Group Innovation and Institute for Manufacturing Engage, that explores the challenges and circular solutions associated with the expected increase in end-of-life solar PV waste over the coming years. This episode is part of the series about the CIRCULAZE Summit from November 2024."

The construction industry consumes the most new resources. At the same time, they have access to an enormous reservoir of materials: old buildings. But how can these urban mines be tapped? In his presentation, Matthias Heinrich uses the example of the Patrick Henry Village in Heidelberg to explain what is needed to reuse old buildings. You can find his presentation with illustrations on the episode's website. This episode is part of the series about the CIRCULAZE Summit from November 2024.

The circular gap is immense, even in the fashion industry. Why is it not possible to do business more circularly? Serena Bonomi cites several reasons: from emotionality to incentives to the question of the economic system. Hear for yourself how a pioneer in circular fashion outlines problems and solutions. This episode is part of the series about the CIRCULAZE Summit from November 2024.

Many family businesses are smart. That is why they look into circular business opportunities. But how can circularity be integrated into their corporate strategy? In this episode, Carl-Luis Rieger, unfolds the circular strategy of WEPA, a family business and European leader in producing hygienic paper. Looking into business development close to the core business, reducing and repurposing production waste and investing in startups close to the value chain. This episode is part of the CIRCULAZE Summit series from November 2024.

Championing circularity in a big company can be tough. But what if you could learn from someone who's already navigated the challenges? Let's uncover their key takeaways! In this episode, Nina Fechler, Director Global Circular Economy Program at Evonik, shares her three major learnings from the last years. They involve attitude towards the business, collaboration, and the right timing. This episode is part of the CIRCULAZE Summit series from November 2024.