A host of top brands, as well as high-profile speakers and organisations – including eBay, H&M, Microsoft and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation – have lent their support to the inaugural Festival of Circular Economy, CIWM has announced.
Taking place on 20-21 April, the Festival of Circular Economy is a flagship event organised by CIWM and events experts, Haymarket. CIWM says that it’s a ‘one-of-a-kind virtual festival focusing exclusively on all aspects of the circular economy’.
The festival is supported by organisations with an ‘allying circular ethos’, it says, including the Circular Economy Club, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, WRAP, the International Solid Waste Association, ReLondon and Zero Waste Scotland.
Sarah Poulter, CIWM’s CEO, said: “The Festival of Circular Economy presents an opportunity for us to collaborate and learn from one another as we move towards sustainable closed-loop systems that not only work for the environment but have a supportable business case, too.
“Not only that – it’s a chance to raise awareness and promote real change at a time when change is possible. We shouldn’t let this unique opportunity go to waste and to do that, we have to come together.”
Driving change
A number of high-profile global brands have joined the speaker line-up, including eBay, H&M, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Siemens, National Trust and Nestle.
eBay’s Senior Business Development Manager, Laura Richards, will be speaking in a day-two session offering lessons learnt on proving a business model based on the circular economy.
Laura said: “The Festival of Circular Economy is a hub for people who want to drive change, learn and network, and I am looking forward to meeting like-minded people as we all work together to reach a shared goal – climate action.
By working together, I hope that we will achieve improvements to the environment sooner rather than later, and this event is a step in the right direction for this
“In my role at eBay, I’m well aware that businesses need to co-ordinate their efforts in order to bring forward the circular economy. By working together, I hope that we will achieve improvements to the environment sooner rather than later, and this event is a step in the right direction for this.”
Laura will be joined by a range of speakers such as Dr Walter Stahel, Bert Van Son of Mud Jeans, Niall Walker of Diageo and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Nikki Kapp, who will get to grips with how we measure and certify circularity.
A greener future
The Festival of Circular Economy will include plenary conference sessions, case studies, break-out tracks, an interactive exhibition area, and messaging and chat facilities to enable networking and conversation.
It sets out to offer a forum for all actors – from start-ups to multinationals, from research projects to governments – to generate ideas and learn from those at the forefront of change.
The two-day global festival will include a focus on:
- Circular Packaging
- Circular Construction
- Circular Fashion
- Circular Food Systems
- Circular Electronics
- Circular Economics
- Circular Cities
- Circular Procurement
- Circular Systems
- Circular Design
- Climate Change
- Circular Business Models
- Circular Investment
“The construction sector generates over 60% of the UK’s waste and therefore offers enormous opportunity to improve industry’s environmental impacts,” said Element4’s managing director, Georgia Elliot-Smith, who will chair the day-two session on reducing construction waste.
“I’m delighted to participate in the Festival of the Circular Economy, communicating exciting innovations, fresh perspectives and practical measures to help industry drive forward to a new green future.”
Further details can be found at www.circulareconomyfestival.com