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People’s priorities are changing, as we realise more stuff doesn’t make us happier– so how can businesses thrive by doing better, with less?
In this episode, Catherine Weetman suggests it’s time to bust one of the myths of the modern economy – people don’t want more and stuff! Priorities are changing, people are realising that more stuff doesn’t make us happier. Instead, people are discovering that life is better when we care for, share and treasure our stuff, and what’s more, that’s better for our planet and society.
But this presents a big challenge – a paradox – how can businesses succeed without selling more stuff, every year? Many of the Circular Economy Podcast guests are already doing just that, using circular strategies to thrive by doing better with less.
You probably already have big questions on this. It feels logical to say that new designs and innovations will always make life better, that people want to keep up with trends and the status that comes from having the latest thing,
And of course, that making new products underpins the success of a business … but Catherine shares research and insights from guests in the last series of podcasts to show why we need to question conventional wisdom, and choose alternative strategies that are fit for the current business landscape.
Podcast host Catherine Weetman helps businesses use circular, regenerative and fair solutions to do better, with less.
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Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Links for this episode:
Books, people and organisations we mentioned
- Episode 101 Circular is better for people, planet and profit! How three simple strategies can help you get started with circular and regenerative solutions that are better for people, planet and profit https://www.rethinkglobal.info/101-circular-is-better-for-people-planet-and-profit/
- This 2018 study is the largest known study of stress levels in the UK, using an online poll by YouGov with a sample size of 4,619 respondents – Stress: Are we coping? https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/stress-statistics
- Andrew Oswald’s study, discussed in Harvard Business Review – Advertising makes us unhappy: https://hbr.org/2020/01/advertising-makes-us-unhappy
- IKEA and Globescan study on people’s priorities for the relationship with things, in IKEA Circular Product Design Guide (2019), using survey data from Globescan:
- https://about.ikea.com/en/newsroom/2021/09/01/ikea-circular-open-source-blueprint
- Article on increase in pre-loved fashion: https://www.drapersonline.com/insight/analysis/whats-driving-the-rise-in-pre-loved-fashion
- Vinted’s Climate Impact Report https://company.vinted.com/sustainability and the survey summary https://press-center-static.vinted.com/Climate_Impact_Report_Summary_EN_2023_89b136c376.pdf
- Article on sales of secondhand across categories: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/29/online-marketplaces-report-surge-in-sales-of-secondhand-goods
- The Common Cause Foundation and its work on values https://commoncausefoundation.org/ You can hear more from Ruth Taylor of the Common Cause Foundation on Manda Scott’s Accidental Gods podcast – https://accidentalgods.life/transforming-narrative-waters-with-ruth-taylor-of-the-common-cause-foundation/
- Tara Button, author of A Life Less Throwaway https://tarabutton.co.uk/alifelessthrowaway and founder of Buy Me Once https://uk.buymeonce.com/
- An article about the Converse+Beyond Retro remanufactured sneakers: https://www.fastcompany.com/90821217/converse-velvet-sneakers-vintage-dresses
- Riversimple’s Future Guardian Model and Circular Business Model: https://www.riversimple.com/sustainability/
- Article introducing Michel Bauwens’ thoughts on the peer-to-peer economy: https://medium.com/dark-mountain/michel-bauwens-an-introduction-to-p2p-8bcfbdc421ed
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Podcast music
Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.