The Ellen MacArthur Foundation launches its first circular design strategy to support the transition to a circular economy

INSIGHT by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation

There are six design leverage points, or focus areas, designers can harness to bring about circular economy transformation, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

| From ambition to action: an adaptive strategy for circular design offers tangible, practical actions that are adaptable to any type of organisation. Drawing on the experiences of circular design leaders, from a wide array of sectors and companies, it highlights the crucial role design plays in transitioning to a circular economy.

This transition is essential. 45% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from how we make and use things. And the extraction and processing of natural resources account for 90% of biodiversity loss. By applying the principles of the circular economy, we can redesign our broken, take-make-waste linear economy to eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature.

From ambition to action: an adaptive strategy for circular design continues the journey initiated by the Foundation’s previous circular design insights. It sets the direction of travel for organisations wanting to shift to circular business models.

This new, adaptive strategy – detailing the six design leverage points – can be found on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation website and, although aimed at those leading circular design efforts, it’s a useful tool for anyone wishing to apply circular design to their work.

“There’s an urgent need to transition from our wasteful, linear economy to a regenerative, circular economy. Today, more people understand ‘why’ design is key to this transformation, but we’ve been lacking the full picture of ‘how’ designers can contribute. This adaptive strategy highlights tangible areas that designers of all disciplines can influence. It uses practical examples that can be customised and contextualised for different organisations and situations. To avoid simply patching up our flawed linear system, we must imagine something different. Aimed at designers and innovators, this piece helps organisations leverage the full potential of design to explore the opportunities that a circular future can provide, including the roles we can all play in the journey to get there.” – Joe Iles, Design Programme Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

“Increasing the proportion of our products and solutions that are circular is an important part of Philips’ Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) ambitions. Collaborating with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on this adaptive strategy has been a great benchmark for our circular activities, and has enabled us to further mature our approach to integrating circularity in design across the company, as we work towards our goal of achieving 25% of sales from circular products and solutions by 2025.” – Peter Skillman, Head of Experience Design, Philips.

| about

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is an international charity developing and promoting the circular economy in order to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. We work with our Network of private and public sector decision-makers, as well as academia, to build capacity, explore collaborative opportunities, and design and develop circular economy initiatives and solutions.Increasingly based on renewable energy, a circular economy is driven by design to eliminate waste, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature, to create resilience and prosperity for business, the environment, and people.

Circular design applies the principles of the circular economy to the way we make and use things. It helps us reimagine our current system to create resilient, positive outcomes for people, nature, and business. As such, design is key to the circular economy transition.The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Design Programme creates a clear and compelling conceptual framework for circular design. It encourages and empowers organisations, through tools and resources, to put the concept into practice. And by sharing success stories, it stimulates the wider circular design movement and reinforces the idea of the circular economy.

Further information: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org