Circular Supply Chain Podcast

De-Globalization as Circularity’s Secret Tailwind

🎤 Our Guest Johann Boedecker, Co-founder, Pentatonic https://www.linkedin.com/in/johann-boedecker-56b9994b/ 🗂️ Topics  * Why de-globalization and near-shoring are the biggest drivers of circular supply chains * How tariff-free second-hand markets outperform linear models * Sovereign supply chains as a natural circularity accelerator * Lessons from Johan’s decade in Asia: why products aren’t as optimized as we think * Why circular pilots fail—and how feedback loops and flywheels make them scale * Fashion vs. auto: where circularity efforts hit systemic walls * Commercial upside: data, loyalty, superior materials, and new revenue models 📬 Stay Connected: Sven Schürer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/] Marcus Karten: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/]

From Recycling to Value Creation: Circular Supply Chains in Electronics & E-Mobility

🎤 Guest: Karel Eijkenaar, Business Unit Manager, Logicall https://www.linkedin.com/in/karel-eijkenaar-aa398010/ 🗂️ Topics Covered: * Why electronics is the circular hotbed (embedded material value, supply risk). * EU policy as a driver: right-to-repair, waste rules, regionalized return loops. * E-mobility: AC home chargers (extend life) vs. DC fast chargers (component harvesting). * Product-as-a-Service (PaaS): securing take-back, mastering the aftermarket, swap programs. * Operations maturity for 3PLs: process design, flexible facilities, testing, AI-assisted identification. * Business value beyond “green”: quality feedback loops, DDR memory scarcity, cost control, strategic resilience. * Emerging arenas: MedTech as a circular-by-design growth field. * 2030 outlook: regional circular ecosystems, “license to operate,” and the biggest barrier—complexity. 📬 Stay Connected: Sven Schürer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/ Marcus Karten: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/

Talent, Trust, and Transactions: What Powers Circular Supply Chains

🎤 Guest: David Watson, Managing Director at RL People & Co-Founder at RL Equity https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwatsonrl/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwatsonrl/] 🗂️ Topics Covered: * Why circularity became a core strategy—not a side project * The talent gap: how to find leaders for reverse, repair, and resale * When circularity scales—and when it fails: lessons from M&A * Strategic partnerships: a rising trend (but not without friction) * Why systems and people matter more than plans * Future-ready sectors: re-commerce, ITAD, and textile-to-textile innovation * How AI, robotics & consolidation shape circular logistics by 2030 * Why visibility, reuse and recommerce channels matter most 🔗 Resources Mentioned: * RL People: https://www.rl-people.com [https://www.rl-people.com] * RL Equity: https://www.rl-equity.com [https://www.rl-equity.com] * Circular Connect Newsletter by David Watson (via LinkedIn) 📬 Stay Connected: Sven Schürer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/] Marcus Karten: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/]

We Sell the Coat Three Times” – Why Circularity Is the Smarter Business

🎤 Guest: Wolfgang Lehmacher, Former Head of Supply Chain & Transport, World Economic Forum https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfganglehmacher/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/wolfganglehmacher/] 🗂️ Topics Covered: * Why “selling the coat three times” is more profitable than once * How Apple’s Daisy robot, Zara’s resale app and BMW’s modular cars enable circular supply chains * Policy, technology and behavioral shifts that drive the future of logistics * How to start: take-back schemes, design for disassembly, strategic partnerships * Why collaboration—and a mindset shift—are non-negotiable for success 🔗 Resources Mentioned: * Apple's Daisy robot: https://resource-recycling.com/e-scrap/2024/06/13/apples-iphone-recycling-robot-shifts-gears/ [https://resource-recycling.com/e-scrap/2024/06/13/apples-iphone-recycling-robot-shifts-gears/] * EU Circular Economy Package: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en [https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/circular-economy-action-plan_en] * Patagonia Worn Wear: https://wornwear.patagonia.com/ [https://wornwear.patagonia.com/] 📬 Stay Connected: Sven Schürer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/] Marcus Karten: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/]

From Waste to Value: Rethinking Circularity with Ave Crotti

🎤 Guest: Ave Crotti, Sustainability Manager, Kühne+Nagel LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/avestellamariscrotti/] 🗂️ Topics Covered: * Why recycling is often a misleading focus—and why companies must start with design and material choice * The role of logistics providers as active agents in circularity, not just passive executors * Practical examples: from bamboo-based prosthetics to regenerative agriculture and synthetic fuels * How regulation like the EU’s CSDDD shifts sustainability from a CSR checkbox to a business requirement * Hidden internal innovation: how cross-team dialogue unlocks ideas already within companies * Final-mile paradox: why last-leg logistics may erase upstream sustainability gains * Digitalization and “depaperization” as overlooked enablers of circular strategies * Ave’s vision: from short-term ROI thinking to long-term relationship-driven transformation * Why early adopters will disrupt—and laggards may disappear 🔗 Resources Mentioned: * EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) [https://www.corporate-sustainability-due-diligence-directive.com/] * Kühne+Nagel Sustainability [https://home.kuehne-nagel.com/en/-/company/corporate-social-responsibility] * Fit for 55 – EU Climate Package [https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/fit-for-55/] 📬 Stay Connected: * Sven Schürer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/svenschuerer/] * Marcus Karten: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-karten/]