The future is circular
and the future starts now.
No matter how fast we succeed with the green energy transition it will only take us half way. We need innovation to radically rethink how we produce and consume products and food to take us to a future that is regenerative by design.
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Why the circular economy guides all the work we do
There is no way the take-make-waste business as usual way of operating is going to work in the 21st century. We would need at least 3 planets if everyone lived and consumed like the average European today. Global supply chains are being disrupted. A new generation of consumers demand high customisation and full transparency.
Both from an economic and a planetary point of view we need to keep products and materials in use and regenerate our natural systems.
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The circular economy is a radically different way to do business, inviting companies to rethink everything from how to design and manufacture products to their relationships with customers. The focus is no longer on consumption, but instead on the use of a function. We see front runners that embrace circular economy principles build more long-term relationships with their customers and build better businesses. We see solutions that are thought-through to minimise or completely design out waste and pollution.
The shift is already in motion
Around the world a movement is taking place to deliver everyday products without packaging waste. We see a shift from a sole focus on incremental packaging improvements to global FMCGs and retailers fundamentally rethinking their packaging, products and business models. PepsiCo’s Sodastream is an example of a reuse model that gives users the benefit of customisation while saving 87% CO2 compared to single use. Also, Unilever is exploring how selling shampoo, detergent etc. could happen in intelligent dispensing units currently tested in e.g. Walmart, ASDA and Lidl.
See more than 100 examples in the Upstream Innovation Guide co-authored by Annette for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Why own: Clothes that you aren't using? Office furniture that will have to be replaced as needs change? Headphones that become insufficient as technology evolves? Winning in the circular economy requires business models that keep products and materials in use rather than let them go to waste.
Pioneer Gerrard Street has demonstrated the business case for modular headphones on subscription. Recently we have also seen Zalando's pre-owned category offer grow tenfold to over 200.000 items since its launch in 2020, while furniture giant IKEA is scaling their take-back and repair programs in their quest to be a fully circular business.
Leading businesses are asking how they can restore and regenerate natural systems rather than simply reduce their negative impact. Slow is an example of an industry rebel that is introducing forest grown coffee using regenerative farming principles. They have a fully integrated value chain removing 15-20 intermediaries and track value based on the level of farmers’ livelihood, biodiversity, carbon binding and transparency.
One of the world’s largest organic sugar producers, Native, has shown how to do a successful transformation based on regenerative business principles at scale. And recently, food giants like Nestlé and Danone are also boosting investment and innovation in nature-positive business models and products.
Around the world a movement is taking place to deliver everyday products without packaging waste. We see a shift from a sole focus on incremental packaging improvements to global FMCGs and retailers fundamentally rethinking their packaging, products and business models. PepsiCo’s Sodastream is an example of a reuse model that gives users the benefit of customisation while saving 87% CO2 compared to single use as usual. Also Unilever is exploring how selling shampoo, detergent etc. could happen in intelligent dispensing units currently tested in e.g. Walmart, ASDA and Lidl.
See more than 100 examples in the Upstream Innovation Guide co authored by Annette for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Why own: Clothes that you aren't using any longer? Office furniture that will have to be replaced as needs change? Headphones that become insufficient as technology evolves? Winning in the circular economy requires business models that keep products and materials in use rather than let them go to waste.
Pioneer Gerrard Street has demonstrated the business case for modular headphones on subscription. Recently we have also seen Zalando's pre-owned category offer grow tenfold to over 200.000 items since its launch in 2020 while furniture giant IKEA is scaling their take-back and repair programs in their quest to be a fully circular business.
Leading businesses are asking how they can restore and regenerate natural systems rather than simply reduce their negative impact. Slow is an example of an industry-rebel that is introducing forest grown coffee using regenerative farming principles. They have a fully integrated value-chain removing 15-20 intermediaries and track value based on the level of farmers’ livelihood, biodiversity, carbon binding and transparency.
One of the world’s largest organic sugar producers, Native, has shown how to do a successful transformation based on regenerative business principles at scale and recently, food giants like Nestlé and Danone are also boosting investment and innovation in nature-positive business models and products.
We zoom in on the user needs and zoom out to the system
Designing for the circular economy requires us to zoom in on the core user needs - what's the job to be done - and challenge the way it is served today by zooming out and seeing it in a systems perspective.
Our Toolbox
For us circular design is not a dogma or a checklist - it is a set of tools we utilise across the innovation process.
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