Share Shed | Mapping waste | Dreaming | A ‘golden path’ | Profit without loss
Here’s the latest round-up of what I’ve shared, and what’s inspired me. This time, there’s a travelling theme – a mobile circular ‘shed’, digital mapping for waste streams, choosing different pathways to the future, and a story to build a ‘golden path’ to a brighter future. Let’s start with the shed…
Podcast #124, Share Shed: the world’s first travelling library of things
Libraries of Things can help people save money, space and resources, build bridges between people’s needs and wants and the resources already available in their community, support more collaborative and sustainable lifestyles and inspire people to engage in social change.
The Share Shed van visits rural communities in Devon, UK, so people can borrow a wide range of useful things, including tools, household appliances, camping and gardening equipment, sewing machines, suitcases and much more!
I talk to co-founder Mirella Ferraz, who explains how Share Shed works in practice. We hear how it’s been evolving as it expands to serve more communities – including finding ways to make the service more convenient for those who can’t make it to the Shed’s pick up and drop off locations and schedule. Mirella also tells us how perceptions and attitudes are changing, too – for a variety of reasons.
Find episode 124 show notes and audioplayer here or search for Circular Economy Podcast on your favourite player.
Podcast #123 Topolytics: making waste visible, verifiable and valuable
Why is it important for business to map, and understand their waste flows? How many organisations really know what each waste flow consists of, specifically; where it comes from and goes to; how much there is – and why?
Only by getting to grips with the data can you begin to understand the opportunities for wasting less and circulating more value.
Michael Groves and Fleur Ruckley of Topolytics explain how data analytics, mapping and machine learning helps waste and resource management more transparent, efficient and effective, both commercially and environmentally.
Find episode 123 show notes and audioplayer here or search for Circular Economy Podcast on your favourite player.
Dreaming our way to a fairer, thriving world
“The real act of discovery consists not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.” Marcel Proust
Many of us can easily imagine how regenerative, circular and ‘doughnut’ economic systems would create so much more value for all, with far less pollution and harm.
And yet, our visions and ideas are often dismissed as utopian. We’re told to ‘get real’ – in other words, keep quiet and carry on with business-as-usual. Why aren’t we turning the tables on those naysayers? How realistic are their plans for a better future? How does more extraction, exploitation, extinction and emissions help humanity? Once we see its impacts, it’s clear that take, make, waste just doesn’t stack up.
Instead of being held back, by those who want us to keep believing the false promises of consumerism, it’s time to break free, to choose a better way: a Giant Leap towards sustainable, prosperous and equitable wellbeing for all.
Read more in my blog.
A story to help us build the ‘golden path’ to a fairer, thriving economy
My recent conversations* for the Circular Economy Podcast with Ken Webster, one of the circular economy’s leading thinkers and a member of Earth4All nudged me towards one of his recent books, The Wonderful Circles of Oz: A Circular Economy Story. *Podcast episodes 119 and 119 Bonus
Ken Webster teamed up with creative writer Alex Duff, resulting in a different way of looking at the problems of our modern economy unset out ideas for a restorative alternative. It’s an intriguing, thought-provoking book that tackles key issues including the use of personal data, digital currency, the rise of the ‘rentier class’ and the future of food.
In the first part of the book, the author’s re-imagine the well-known Wonderful Wizard of Oz story by Frank L. Baum, published in 1900. (We discover that several respected historians claim Baum’s story was an allegory, highlighting the unfair and challenging effects of using the gold standard to control the money supply for the US economy, back in the 1890s.)
Click the link to read my full review of The Wonderful Circles of Oz. The book is published by Routledge and it’s also available from Amazon UK.
Profit without loss…
…how conserving resources benefits the economy, businesses and consumers (Green Alliance, 24 Nov 2023)
Green Alliance and the experts it consulted believe the outcome of a genuinely circular economy would be significantly more positive than is currently understood, noting that “the only environmentally sustainable route to growth in the long term is to grow using fewer natural resources.”
Whilst this paper focuses on the UK, I think the findings will be relevant to many industrial and post-industrial economy.
This paper reviews the studies and modelling used to assess how greater resource efficiency affects the UK economy, and the assumptions behind them. As most scenarios don’t model reductions in total primary raw material use, this is likely to overstate the costs and understate economic benefits.
In part two, the paper draws on interviews with ten circular businesses to explore how some will be able to grow into new niches and increase their profitability by adopting circular models, such as rental and resale.
Part three reviews new analysis on how the consumer experience might change and show how people can make substantial savings buying second hand or repaired items. However, the authors highlight the need for policy change to support better access to these options.
Read the full paper: https://green-alliance.org.uk/publications/ and thanks to Charlotte Morley, founder of childrenswear subscription service alittleloop for sharing the paper on LinkedIn…
Circular innovations: Riversimple
On the way to get my car serviced, I listened to one of my circular economy heroes talking to one of my favourite changemakers. Manda Scott interviewed Hugo Spowers MBE, founder of Riversimple Team – the groundbreaking, hydrogen fuel cell powered Mobility-as-a-Service business, on the Accidental Gods podcast.
As Manda explains, ‘Riversimple is addressing personal transportation AND creating a genuinely transformative model for a whole different way of doing Business.’
Riversimple’s purpose is ‘To pursue, systematically, the elimination of the environmental impact of personal transport.’
Giving personal transport up is one of the many sticking points when people try to imagine a way through to a fairer, healthier future. And yet, we’re becoming increasingly aware of the limitations of electric vehicles, reliant on under-pressure critical materials with massive environmental downsides.
It’s a 90-minute conversation, and I found it fascinating, learning lots from Hugo’s clear explanations. If you’re short of time, here’s a summary of the main sections:
- 0:00 Intros
- 6:00 Hugo’s motor racing background
- 10:53 Batteries vs hydrogen vs ICU
- 13:52 Hydrogen energy systems – fuel cells vs burning
- 21:10 Benefits of Riversimple’s car overall design vs Electric Vehicles and ICE
- 37:29 Business models – ownership vs mobility as a service
- 43:05 Business models – purpose and As a Service benefits
- 59:39 Governance – Riversimple’s Future Guardian model
Check out the podcast player and transcript here: https://accidentalgods.life/cars-of-the-future-not-evs-transforming-transport-and-business-with-hugo-spowers-of-riversimple-movement/ or find it on your favourite podcast app (S16, Ep11 or # 210)
Signals of circularity
IKEA UK sees continued engagement from customers wanting to repair their stuff… Marsha Smith, Deputy CEO, IKEA UK says “Last year, we gave away more than half a million spare parts […] that’s more than we ever have before.” Interviewed in Navigating the Say-Do Gap, The Bottom Line, BBC Radio 4 & World Service, 19 Feb 2024 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001w7ny (you should be able to find The Bottom Line on your podcast app)
I’m making slooooow progress with the book, and looking forward to giving my regular talk to the UNSSC Circular Economy course next week, asking “Does circular = sustainable?”.
Keep being part of the solution (not the pollution!)
I believe businesses thrive by making a better world, for people and planet. I focus on supporting those who want to explore how circular and regenerative approaches create value and shrink your footprint. I aim to help you clarify what to do (and why), convince your stakeholders, and make a solid business case.