#CircularOctober - A celebration of all things circular
What is Circular October? It is a celebration of all things circular. Why October? As funky as it sounds, October seemed a natural choice simply because its first letter is a circle. In 2017, Circular October was born, and it started with five themes over 31 days, one Fact Sheet for each day of the month.
This October, our theme is Circular Innovation Eco-Systems with five themes: (1) Narrowing the Loop; (2) Slowing the Loop; (3) Closing the Loop; (4) Regeneration; and (5) Inform.
Circular Innovation Eco-Systems
Circular Innovation Eco-Systems is the brainchild of three researchers – Jan Konietzko, Nancy Bocken and Erik Jan Hultink, who wrote a paper, A Tool to Analyze, Ideate and Develop Circular Innovation Ecosystems, with the five themes and is the third course in the Essential Skills Program (the third course is not yet uploaded). Circular Economy Asia was inspired by their approach, turned it into an online course and greatly expanded the type and scope of the case studies.
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Narrowing the Loop: Narrowing refers to using fewer products, components, materials, and energy during design, production, delivery, use, and recovery.
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Slowing the Loop: Slowing refers to using products, components, and materials for a longer period. A product principle for slowing is ‘design for physical durability’.
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Closing the Loop: Closing refers to a business activity that brings post-consumer waste back into the economic cycle.
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Regenerating: Regenerating refers to a business activity that manages and sustains natural ecosystem services, uses nontoxic materials, and is powered by renewable energy.
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Inform: Informing refers to using information technology as a support strategy for the circular economy.
Just Launched – Free Skills Training
Skills Training for the
Circular Economy
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Skills Training, The Essential Skills™ Program, Circular Resources™ Skills Training, and The Nine Steps Towards a Circular Business™
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The primary focus of the circular economy is to better manage our finite resources, the natural capital of many countries.
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The Nine Steps is a series of tools to enable the circular economy. Each Step provides the guidelines specific to a company’s requirements.
Is This Course For You?
The Circular Economy Foundation Course targets two types of learners.
Learners looking for a practical approach to the circular economy – The course provides all the working tools that make up the system known as the circular economy.
Companies interested in implementing the circular economy – Although companies and individuals will need to be selective as to which tools apply to their requirements, learners require a wholistic understanding to take full advantage of the potential of the circular economy.
The Circular Economy Foundation Course provides learners with all they need to know to embrace the circular economy. The course also strives to develop essential skills for individuals and companies as we head towards a sustainable and circular world. There is a strong focus on embedding processes within companies to collect data and information that supports their circular initiatives.
Learners then jump straight into the Circular Rs, the building blocks of the circular economy. The next stage is to understand the past with a lens on the future. The rest of the course moves into resource management, materials, closed & open-loop systems, design and business models.
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What is the Circular Economy?
The circular economy is an economic system that focuses on the efficient management of resources.
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Resources and Materials
The efficient use of resources is critical if we are to live within the limits of our planetary boundaries.
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Circular Design Principles
Circular Design redesigns products to prolong life, minimise waste and potential loss of technical (man-made) materials.
The Circular Rs &
resource management
Check out our latest infographic – how our natural resources are the source of almost everything we buy and use.
Learn about the Circular Rs – download the infographic or visit the Circular Rs page.
