Using a circular economy approach to redesign renewable energy infrastructure — By Tansy Robertson-Fall, Senior Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation The need to integrate a circular economy approach into the renewable energy transition is clear. While there are barriers in the current system to overcome, a number of pioneering businesses and policymakers are forging ahead to create solutions. Their efforts, especially if…

The circular economy idea is out there. In the past ten years, it’s gone from being a niche idea to an undeniable trend. Many are captivated by the potential for change in the way they live, work, or innovate. And many more are feeling the urgent need for a circular economy, as the ‘burning platform’ moves from metaphor to real life. So whether through passion or necessity, the idea isn’t going away — it’s the end of the beginning.

The current food system doesn’t work. Industrial farming has turned agriculture into a substantial source of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, and is driving biodiversity loss. In 2019, 15 city governments set out to change that. Three years on, this is what they have learnt. — By Laura Collacott, Freelance Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation The industrial food system is past its sell-by date. From monocrops and the vanishing of the bees, to unchecked palm oil expansion and cow burps, industrial farming has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years, and has been found wanting.

The global food system currently accounts for a third of greenhouse gas emissions. A circular economy for food could almost halve these. As the consumers of three quarters of all natural resources, cities can drive the transformation. — By Laura Collacott, Freelance Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation American economist Edward Glaeser is famously quoted as saying: “Great cities are not static, they constantly change and take the world along with them,” highlighting both their significant impact and ability to drive global transformations. …

Everything from our infrastructure to our finance systems is set up to support the current linear economy. These entrenched mechanisms make it hard to change a system as big and complex as the global economy. Momentum for a circular economy is growing but how do we break free of the linear mould? — By Laura Collacott, Freelance Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Remember Betamax? No, chances are you don’t (even less so if you’re of the Netflix generation). Despite it often being considered the superior videotape technology in the 1980s, it was the VHS format that dominated TV sets — and the market. …

In recent years, we have all experienced the economic turmoil caused by global crises — from the Covid-19 pandemic to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the multiple disruptive impacts of climate change. As a result, vulnerabilities in global supply chains have been exposed and questions have been raised about the resilience of the international trading system By Amelia Kuch, Policy Insights Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Connectivity enables complex supply chains and is accelerating the transition to circular business models and practices By Laura Collacott, Freelance Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Digital technologies are driving a profound transformation of our lifestyles and economy. From smart thermostats that can be controlled from a phone, and sensors that tell…

Blockchain has been exciting circular economy experts for years with its promising function of material tracing. But the significant systems-level benefits it offers require a greater level of collaborative work By Claire Murphy, Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation If you haven’t heard of blockchain, it’s possible you have been living in a cave for the past few years. …

Research shows that shoppers are ready for single-use packaging alternatives that will be at the heart of a circular economy for plastics. By Claire Murphy, Editor, Ellen MacArthur Foundation Between 2019 and 2021, people altered their shopping habits to actively avoid plastic packaging, according to a study by consultancy GlobeScan…