Hosted during edie’s special Circular Economy Week of digital content and events (23-27 May), the Circular Economy Inspiration Sessions took place on Thursday 26 May and offered up an afternoon of live, interactive webinar presentations and discussions – all dedicated to capturing the business opportunity of a resource-efficient, zero-waste economy.
How do zero-waste commitments interrelate with climate-related goals? What must happen at a policy level to accelerate the circular economy transition? How can closed-loop systems and products be scaled up at pace? Ultimately, what will it take for businesses to accelerate the circular economy?
This online event, sponsored by EY and Reconomy, effectively combines three edie webinars into a single afternoon, with each webinar session taking a particular focus and format. The first session (one hour) is a Q&A-style circularity debate; the second session (one hour) will be a series of quick-fire zero-waste case studies; and the third session (45 minutes) takes a ‘masterclass’ format.
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Registrants for this online event can still gain access to all three sessions on-demand. Full details of the three sessions are as follows:
1) The Big Circularity Debate: What will it take to achieve our zero-waste goals? (12:30 – 13:30)
Kicking off our Inspiration Sessions, a selection of circular economy leaders and corporate sustainability practitioners will discuss some of the biggest drivers, challenges and opportunities when it comes to accelerating the circular economy transition, both in the UK and globally.
Discussion points:
- Policy and regulation: What happens next?
- Plastics and packaging: The race to 2025
- What true business leadership looks like in the context of circularity
Speakers:
- Matt Mace, Content Editor, edie (chair)
- Alenka Turnsek, EMEIA Sustainability Tax Services Leader, EY
- Louisa Ziane, Chief Operating Officer, Toast Ale
- Alice Bodreau, Strategic Partners Manager, Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- Allison Lin, Global Vice President of Packaging Sustainability, Mars
2) Rethink, reduce, reuse: Business case studies to accelerate the circular economy (13:45 – 14:45)
Our second Inspiration Session offers up a series of never-before-seen, quick-fire case studies, hearing from some of the individuals and organisations that are redesigning systems, embracing innovation and engaging with key stakeholders to eliminate waste.
Discussion points:
- Rethinking business models to increase resource efficiency
- Closing loops through supplier and consumer engagement
- What circular economy innovation looks like in practice
Speakers:
- Sarah George, Senior Reporter, edie (chair)
- Harvey Laud, Divisional Director, Reconomy
- Peter Bragg, EMEA Sustainability & Government Affairs Director, Canon
- Natalia Agathou, Sustainability Director, L’Oreal UK and Ireland
- Cheryl Robb, Partnerships Manager, Zero Waste Scotland
3) 45-Minute Masterclass: How to achieve your plastics and packaging goals (15:00 – 15:45)
Our third and final Inspiration Session will equip you with specific tools and insights to accelerate your journey towards minimising single-use plastics and harnessing innovation to switch to alternative packaging materials.
Discussion points:
- Moving beyond packaging commitments to meaningful action
- Internal action to accelerate change around plastics
- Compostable, recyclable, re-usable: Pathways to becoming single-use-plastic-free
Speakers:
- Sarah George, Senior Reporter, edie (chair)
- Sandrine Ricard, Head of Sustainability and Responsibility, Pernod Ricard
- Speaker TBC
An on-demand recording of all three sessions is now available. Register and watch here.