Circularity.fm

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.

Transforming a linear business into a circular one requires the support of many colleagues. But how do you win them over for a circular future? In this episode, Vojtech Vosecky, LinkedIn's Top Green Voice with more than 143k followers, gives an insight into his communication strategy. Whether for building new circular business models, circular product design or improving recycling rates, Vojtech's tips help circularity professionals with internal stakeholder communication. This episode is part of the CIRCULAZE Summit series from November 2024.

What insights do board members need to know, and what decisions must they make before starting a product-as-a-service proposition? Product-as-a-Service may look easy but is transformative for customers and the operating company. Being aware of the requirements and pitfalls helps to succeed. In this episode, Mailin Jappé, formerly Director Device-as-a-Service at Acer, and Patrick Hypscher look back at the fifteen episodes of PaaS Decoded and wrap it up for board members. This episode is the 16th in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

How can customers and operators benefit from Product-as-a-Service? By creating efficiency gains that both parties share. With its Pay-Per-Part model, TRUMPF developed a concept that forced the OEM to rethink major elements of its offering. In doing so, overall machine efficiency increased to a degree that customers and TRUMPF benefitted from. In this episode, Tom Schneider, Benedikt Braig, and Jörg-Andre Junker provide insights into efficiency gains and their requirements. This episode is the 15th in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

When customers operate their equipment poorly, the time has come for Product-as-a-Service. The cooling of large building complexes such as shopping centres, university campuses or offices is a case in point. In this episode, Dave Mackerness, Director at kaer, explains how Cooling-as-a-Service work. By optimising the equipment, connecting it and operating it much more efficiently, Cooling-as-a-Service can yield cost and emission reductions. This episode is the 14th in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

How integrated should a Product-as-a-Service proposition be in the core business? If an existing company starts a new as-a-service business, this question needs to be answered. In this episode, Rob Keulemans, Chief Commercial Officer at Royal Ahrend, describes the organisational journey of their Furniture-as-a-Service proposition. After a separate start, significant elements of FaaS are now part of core processes and systems. This episode is the 13th in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

A durable and long-lasting product is a promising starting point for circular activities. Yet organisational challenges remain. In this episode, Caroline Stern gives insights into Hilti Group's challenges when measuring and improving its circularity. It starts with logistics, spans over accounting, and includes selecting the right input data for ERP systems designed for a linear world. This episode is the 12th in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Rental and Repair business models come with the promise of superior circularity. However, it is unclear if a specific company can deliver on this promise. In this episode, Dr. Marianne Kuhlmann, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Circularity, presents insights from the first market report of UNDRESS Circularity. UNDRESS Circularity provides a framework and practical guide to determine the impact of rental and repair business models. It is a collaborative industry project led by Circularity in collaboration with Fraunhofer IZM, Systemiq, and 12 industry partners (Assurant, circulee, Everphone, fixfirst, Foxway, Grover, Ingram Micro, rebuy, Recommerce Group, Reverse Logistics Group, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone), further supported by Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt and Deloitte. This episode is the eleventh in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Traditional reporting and accounting practices are designed for linear sales models.However, a circular product-as-a-service proposition requires a different logic and KPI. In this episode, Jonas Bulach, Project Manager Product-as-a-Service at Swiss Home Appliance Manufacturer V-ZUG, explains how V-ZUG creates transparency about the business and handles accounting challenges. This episode is the tenth in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Every Product-as-a-Service needs a product in the first place. A well-designed product supports the success of the subscription proposition. The Cradle to Cradle school of thought paved the way for circular thinking in product design. Products should be designed so that their materials and components can be repaired, repurposed, or recycled indefinitely. In this episode, Nora Sophie Griefahn, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Cradle to Cradle NGO connects circular product design with Product-as-a-Service. This episode is the ninth in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Grover is a role model for debt-based asset funding. With nearly € 2bn of debt from various lenders in multiple rounds Grover has shown a way of separating startup and asset risk. In this episode, Mitja Sadar, former Senior Vice President Finance and Head of Debt Capital Markets at Grover, gives insights into Grover's approach. Mitja explains the various stages, pitfalls and the interrelation between the product portfolio and debt structures. This episode is the eighth in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Do PaaS models reduce overall resource consumption? Enhancing circularity is one motivation for starting PaaS. But PaaS does not necessarily deliver on that promise. It requires monitoring consequences and benchmarking them with other behaviours. In this episode, Ankita Das, PhD Researcher on Circular Business Models at Circular X at Maastricht University, explains the origin and character of rebound effects. She does not stop there but shares common mitigation strategies and ways to implement rebound thinking in the early design process of a business model. This episode is the seventh in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

When is a business model considered circular? A fund with circularity in its name must answer this question. Andrew Shannon, Partner at Circularity Partners, gives us her answer. A benchmark market method is used to examine the behaviour of the portfolio company's customers. In addition, Andrew describes how the financing challenges of PaaS businesses can be overcome. This episode is the sixth in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Funding the assets is a prominent challenge for PaaS businesses. Assets have to be prefinanced, as customers only pay a monthly few. Generally, three partners can provide support: venture capital investors, banks, and strategic partners, such as manufacturers. In this episode, Lennert van Mens provides a bank's perspective on a PaaS business, including the overall business model, the cashflow design and the value generation. This episode is the fifth in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Running a Product-as-a-Service Business includes refurbishing products. It is not only a process in itself. It can also be another business model in itself. Philips created a symbiotic relationship between PaaS and Refurbishment. PaaS returns are refurbished and sold as refurbished products. And many more products that are not available as subscriptions can be bought as refurbished. In this episode, Boris Romero and Vincent van Lamoen from Philips give us insights into the refurbishment process, customer communication and the differences between the subscription and refurbishment propositions. This episode is the fourth in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Consumers are looking to adopt a circular economy, based on renting and buying second-hand. Anna Balez, founder and CEO of Lizee, shares her insights about consumer preferences with us. Customers demand solutions for their problems. Subscriptions can be one solution, but they are not the only one. This interview looks at the differences between renting and second-hand from a customer, operations, and company perspective. This episode is the third in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

Never run out of ink - that is the promise of HP Instant Ink. This promise attracts millions of customers worldwide. Shuchir Bhatia, Global Product Manager for HP Instant Ink takes us on a journey to discover how HP runs this proposition on a global scale. Shuchir explains why HP chose a Pay-per-Month over a Pay-per-Use (or Pay per Page) plan and how the ink and the printer play together for HP Instant Ink. Connectivity is key, also for fraud protection. Additionally, we get insights into regional adaptation parameters and the go-to-market interfaces with the local sales organisation. This episode is the second in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

In this episode, Bert van Son, founder and spokesperson of MUD Jeans, presents the Lease-a-Jeans proposition. Launched already in 2013, this proposition is a key instrument for closing the loop. Bert shares the reasoning behind the proposition and explains major elements of it, like the one-time fee as a means to improve cash-flow. Moreover, we address key aspects and challenges of the circular economy , like the use of non-virgin material, the role of taxation on resources and labour, and the importance of a passion-driven brand. This episode is the first in the series PaaS Decoded, 16 conversations about the fine details of product-as-a-service.

This episode features Patrick Peter, Director at phiyond by adelphi. Patrick presents how phiyond supported Korozo in creating transparency about its level of circularity. The starting point was the change in the regulatory landscape. Patrick and his team needed to gather and process circularity data to meet upcoming reporting standards. He shares how the reporting effort triggered the ambition to improve the circular share. The episode concludes with the needs and opportunities for companies to become more circular.

This episode features Calle Medin, Vice President Sustainability at Husqvarna Group. Calle presents a process Husqvarna set up in 2019 to promote circular business ideas. The starting point is the strategic ambition of the management board. Calle and his team defined focus areas and decision criteria. He shares the different motivations of employees to submit ideas and how the selection committee was staffed. The episode concludes with reflections on the implementation of the ideas and success rates.

This episode features Angela Hultberg, Global Sustainability Director at Kearney. She discusses the critical role of circular economy strategies in achieving sustainable business practices. She emphasizes the necessity of rethinking business models, products, and services from the ground up to integrate circularity effectively. Angela highlights the challenges of changing consumer behaviors and the importance of collaboration within and outside organizations to foster a circular economy. She concludes by stressing the urgency of making significant decisions and taking action towards sustainability, despite the complexities of defining complete circularity.

This episode features Alexander Shevelov from Würth Group discussing their journey and strategies in integrating sustainability into business processes. Würth's approach is all about integrating internal and external stakeholders into the process, listening to their needs and giving them ownership. The conversation delves into the role of sustainability ambassadors, having top-management support and involving external partners. People: Alexander Shevelov, Strategy & People Lead Sustainable Value Chain Management, Würth Group Patrick Hypscher, Co-Founder of Green PO, Expert in Sustainable Business Models About Würth (from website): The Würth Group is the global market leader in the development, production, and sale of fastening and assembly materials. The Würth Group operates worldwide and currently consists of more than 400 companies with more than 2,700 branches and shops in 80 countries. In its core business, the manufacturing of assembly and fastening materials, the Würth Group is a firmly established market player. Further Links: Würth Group, https://www.wuerth.com/

Many investors and companies struggle to balance profit and impact. Should we go for one at the expense of the other? Or can we combine the two? And if so, how do we translate this ambition into tangible goals and make them work in day-to-day operations? In this episode, Axel Berger, Chief Sustainability Officer at Haniel, shares how Haniel has profit and impact targets.

What do you do if you need to solve a problem you are not familiar with? You learn new skills. Or you ask for help. It's the same for companies testing a new proposition. So, you have to decide what are the things you do internally and what are the things you ask others for support. In this episode, Robert Klauer tells us how vaude – a German outdoor equipment manufacturer– split the work for running its renting proposition.

At running events, drinks are typically provided in disposable cups. That is a significant amount of waste. SCC events, the Berlin Marathon and Berlin Half-Marathon organizer, wants to change that. So they partnered with Cuna Products, Remondis, and WWF to pilot a reusable cup. Collaboration is essential to move towards a circular economy. This episode sheds light on the implications for the users, the product, the logistics, and the pricing. Thanks to Michael, Head of Operations at SCC Events, and Rafael, CEO and founder of CUNA Products, for sharing their experience with us!

From time to time, ingenious people sit in the laboratory and discover new technology, find new insights about how the world works, or how to improve the status quo. But how to turn that into practice? There might be plenty of possible applications in multiple markets. You cannot start with everything at the same time. How do you evaluate these options? How do you make a choice? In this episode, Juni, co-founder of mujo labs, shares her story about leveraging the benefits of algae to provide biodegradable packaging materials.

What is the best legal entity to start a sustainable business? The way an organization is set up defines its modus operandi. Whether money is a means to an end or an end in itself is decided at that early moment. In this episode, Élie, co-founder of Commown, shares the rationale and details of running an organization as a cooperative in collective interest.

What does it take to reduce packaging waste? Re-usable packaging in e-commerce starts with customer information, checkout adaptations and needs to tackle a fundamental question: How does the packaging return? In this episode, Doris, founder of Hey Circle describes the steps necessary to switch to re-usable packaging.

Do you put planet over profit? Every organization answers this question, mostly implicitly in day-to-day decisions. It's the job of the leadership team to set priorities when it comes to planet and profit ambitions. In this episode, a leader of a purpose-driven startup founded by a stock-listed company shares his experience of balancing planet and profit ambitions.

How can you inform customers about the way in which you apply circularity? Many organizations invest a lot in their circular approach and want to share this with the public. In this episode, Silke from Urwahn tells us how a label can help convey circular efforts.

Building a marketplace requires growing two customer groups at the same time: The buyers and the sellers. Providing platform services that compete with the sellers' offerings adds another twist to the challenge. In this episode, Tobias Kronawitter, founder of kaputt.de, shares his experience in helping people extend the lifetime of smartphones, smartwatches, coffee machines, and game consoles by matching them with local repair shops and offering repair kits.

Why should a brand or manufacturer offer its products as a service? And what will they learn about their products? In this episode Puck Middelkoop, the founder of Hulaaloop will share her experience in renting out kids' clothes from premium brands.

Why should customers rent a product they previously bought? Having a compelling answer to that question is key for the success of every Product as a Service model. And why would you start the service under a new service brand when you already have a well-known product brand? In this episode, Lisette from bedzzzy shares her experience with offering circular Auping mattresses as a service.

Did you ever wonder how a large company organizes the transformation to a more circular business? And what if you're producing and selling thousands of products - how to assess and manage their circularity? These are the main questions we will explore in this episode. Simon Skoog from IKEA shares experiences they made so far.

How to run a Product as a Servíce business together with a social partner? And how to remove the worries of poor people with a subscription? The Papillon project rents out Bosch home appliances to poor people. In this episode, Bruno Vermoesen explains the unique character of Papillon.

This episode will give you an overview of more than 140 different organisations running business models in the circular economy. I assign these organisations to one of five types: Product as a Service, Sharing Platforms, Resource Recovery, Product Life Extension and Circular Supplies.

This is a short introductory episode with essential information about this podcast.