The Circular Economy Show Podcast

2025 in review: unlocking the circular economy opportunity

It's been a pivotal year for the circular economy, full of big ideas and practical breakthroughs. Before we fully dive into 2026, we’re hitting pause for a moment of reflection. Join Fin, Lou, and Pippa who have hand-picked their favourite, most insightful, and memorable moments from the conversations they’ve had this year. This episode may show condensed snippets, but it is packed with big ideas, practical breakthroughs, and the highlights that defined the circular economy in 2025. Thanks for listening to the Circular Economy Show from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Help us grow our audience in 2026 by sharing your favourite episode with your friends and colleagues. Explore the episodes discussed in order of appearance: Ep 201: Why do circular business models fail to scale? Going it alone [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/podcasts/ep-201-why-do-circular-business-models-fail-to-scale-going-it-alone] Ep 188: “It’s a no-brainer”: Arc’teryx on bringing repairs in-store [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/podcasts/ep-188-its-a-no-brainer-arcteryx-on-bringing-repairs-in-store] Ep 197: Stop minding your own business [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/podcasts/ep-197-stop-minding-your-own-business?sortBy=rel] Ep 179: How are small start-ups, SMEs, and large corporations working together to change the food system? [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/podcasts/ep-179-how-are-small-start-ups-smes-and-large-corporations-working-together?sortBy=rel] Ep 185: How can marketers turn ideas into impactful action? [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/podcasts/ep-185-how-can-marketers-turn-ideas-into-impactful-action] Ep 174: Material security in a circular economy | Energy and competitiveness [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/podcasts/ep-174-material-security-in-a-circular-economy-or-energy-and-competitiveness?utm_campaign=critical-raw-materials&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=ce_show_podcast&utm_content=FORMAT_Podcast/TOPIC_CRM&utm_term=AUD_Decisionmakers/SUBAUD_Policymakers]

Circular Snapshots | COP30 and progress in the circular economy

It’s easy to look at the news headlines and feel like everything is going backwards, but in this episode we ask you to look a little deeper and see the story beneath the headlines. Progress is possible and happening everywhere from plastics to fashion to the automotive sector, and even at COP. Listen in to hear: * Whether COP still matters, and if so, for what? * Why Honda’s circularity center in Ohio is an important step * What we learned from Patagonia’s first ever environmental and social progress report * Why many of the world’s biggest brands are backing a new agenda for plastics ---- Explore the articles Seb mentioned in this episode: 1) Circular economy thematic day at COP30 (Circular Online) https://www.circularonline.co.uk/news/cop30-marks-first-ever-circular-economy-day-as-global-climate-talks-intensify/ [https://www.circularonline.co.uk/news/cop30-marks-first-ever-circular-economy-day-as-global-climate-talks-intensify/] 2) Honda opening its circularity center (Trellis) https://trellis.net/article/honda-recycling-ohio-plant-opens-circularity/ [https://trellis.net/article/honda-recycling-ohio-plant-opens-circularity/] 3) Analysis of Patagonia’s environmental and social report (Trellis) https://trellis.net/article/patagonias-comprehensive-plan-counter-rising-emissions/ [https://trellis.net/article/patagonias-comprehensive-plan-counter-rising-emissions/] 4) Reuters on businesses supporting the Foundation’s 2030 Plastics Agenda for Business https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/global-companies-push-regulation-plastics-reduction-report-shows-2025-11-04/ [https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/global-companies-push-regulation-plastics-reduction-report-shows-2025-11-04/]

Why should retailers embrace the circular economy? | Conversations from Climate Week New York

Recorded live at Climate Week New York, in this episode we ask ‘why should retailers embrace the circular economy?’ The global food system is responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions, and is vulnerable to supply chain shocks.  Our guests discuss why circularity must be easier, more convenient, and more irresistible than the linear option, and why retailers and brands need to invest in shared solutions to scale a circular economy for food. Joining the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Executive Lead for Retail, Reniera O’Donnell, are: * Nate Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer at Visa * Burgess Davis, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for North America at PepsiCo * Scot Case, Vice President of Sustainability for the National Retail Federation Learn more about retail and the circular economy [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/retail/overview] Sign up for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s North America newsletter [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/sign-up-to-our-north-america-newsletter] Help us spread the word about the circular economy! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your colleagues, or leave us a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.

What's tech got to do with it? | Conversations from Climate Week New York

Recorded live during Climate Week NYC, this episode explores how technology can accelerate the transition to a circular economy, not as a bolt-on fix, but as a built-in business strategy. Host Danielle Holly, Executive Lead for North America at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is joined by Jen Huffstetler (Chief Sustainability Officer, HP), Jim Sullivan (Head of Product Management, SAP), and Vrushali Gaud (Global Director of Strategy and Operations for Net Zero, Water, and Circularity, Google). Tune in to hear: * Why AI and digital growth make circular strategies essential to meet rising material and energy demands * How companies such as HP and Google are embedding circular design and open data into products and services * What it takes to move from ‘bolt-on’ fixes to ‘bolt-in’ circular systems across business and finance * The biggest blockers and how collaboration can help solve them * Why pragmatism and focused collective action are key to turning ambition into measurable impact Listen back to the series on why circular business models fail to scale [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/podcasts/what-makes-circular-business-models-fail-to-scale-podcast-series] Sign up for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s North America newsletter [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/sign-up-to-our-north-america-newsletter]

Why do circular business models fail to scale? Going it alone

This is the fourth and final part of our mini series on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report: How not to fail: Avoiding 10 common pitfalls when scaling circular business models [https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/how-not-to-fail-avoiding-10-common-pitfalls-when-scaling-circular-business]. In this episode, the report’s lead researchers, Maddy Oliver and Ella Hedley, explain how success at scale demands more than a strong model – what really matters is who is empowered to deliver it and how well are they aligned. If you enjoyed this series, then please share with your colleagues, or leave us a review or comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.