FESTIVAL PROGRAMME.

Join us for a live streamed morning of content from circular economy thought leaders discussing the future of the design landscape, current business model challenges and practical use-cases of CE models in operation. 

A warm welcome to the first day of the Festival of Circular Economy 2025!

• Life in 2070: How environmental adaptations redefine living, making, and consuming.
• Resource Revolution by 2050: The ripple effects of resource-focused policies and net-zero goals on industries.
• AI’s Design Evolution: How artificial intelligence is reshaping product and service innovation.
• Next-Gen Materials: The breakthroughs, innovations, and challenges driving a circular future. 

• Early Inclusion of Designers: Are designers being brought in at the right stage of critical product and service discussions?
  Circularity in Briefs: Is circularity being prioritised from the outset of the design process?
  Client vs. Designer: Who’s the true client, and are they ready to embrace sustainable design adaptations?
  Designer Power: How much influence do designers have to challenge and reshape proposals for sustainability?

• Purpose vs. Practice: Balancing CE business models with product purpose, e.g. designing for in-use recycling versus longevity.
• Good Intentions, Limited Resources: Are brands falling short on sustainability due to financial and/ or operational constraints?
• Measuring Circularity: What effective metrics can evaluate circular design success?
• The Recoverability Debate: Is it truly the most viable and economic business model?

Join 4 exciting textiles and materials focused circular economy businesses in this insights session as they delve into who they are, what they do, and discussion the following points: 

• Why Circular? What drives your commitment to this way of operating?
• Systems vs. Products: How does systems thinking shape your strategy and daily operations?
• Overcoming Challenges: What’s been your biggest hurdle, and how did you address it?
• Cost and Competitiveness: Has circularity helped reduce costs and maintain market edge?
• Customer Connections: Has circularity boosted retention and brand loyalty?
• Your Best Advice: One key tip for adopting a circular economy approach.

Join 4 exciting textiles and materials focused circular economy businesses in this insights session as they delve into who they are, what they do, and discussion the following points: 

• Why Circular? What drives your commitment to this way of operating?
• Systems vs. Products: How does systems thinking shape your strategy and daily operations?
• Overcoming Challenges: What’s been your biggest hurdle, and how did you address it?
• Cost and Competitiveness: Has circularity helped reduce costs and maintain market edge?
• Customer Connections: Has circularity boosted retention and brand loyalty?
• Your Best Advice: One key tip for adopting a circular economy approach.

Welcome back to an afternoon of content focusing on designs role in minimising waste and re-defining how we design CE business models to support sustainable consumption. 

• Retrofitting Reality: Can circularity truly be integrated into traditional linear models?
• Supply Chain Overhaul: What core changes are needed to enable global supply chains to function circularly, such as closed-loop packaging systems?
• The ‘halo’ effect in moving from linear to circular: How do you avoid greenwashing as part of this transition?
• The Hard Truth: What challenges and casualties should we expect during this seismic shift in business models? 

• Design for Zero Waste: How can design minimise waste right from the start?
• Collaborating to Reduce Waste: How do we create more opportunities for collaboration to cut down production waste?
• Closing the Loop: Is the supply chain communicating enough to enable circularity?
• Building Trust for Change: How can we empower stakeholders to adopt alternative, sustainable solutions?

A review of the latest presidential report from CIWM’s president Tim Walker, delving into the overproduction of ‘stuff’ and the urgent need to turn the tap off on materials. The full report is available to read via the link here! 

More info to follow. 

• Redefining Degrowth: How can we reshape the concept to align with circular economy principles?
• Consumerism vs. Viability: Can society consume less while remaining economically sustainable?
• Breaking the Newness Myth: How do we challenge societal values tied to “brand-new” consumption?
• Degrowth Opportunities: What advantages emerge from embracing circularity in a degrowth framework?

Wrapping up day one with a focus on the transition ahead, the circular economy is not just turning down a production dial, but a long term generational shift.
Join us for day two of FOCE, delving into the details around materials, manufacturing, infrastructures and supply chains.  

Join us for the second morning of live streamed content from circular economy thought leaders as we delve into the details of material choice and product design, with highlights from a range of groundbreaking innovations in action.

A welcome back to the second day of the Festival of Circular Economy.

• Beyond Labels: What does product composition really mean? Diving into the specifics of fibres, collagens, and material make-up.
• Eco-Design for Longevity: How can design principles prepare materials for multiple lifecycles, balancing single-material and mixed-material products?
• Standards for the Unknown: Can robust standards mitigate the long-term impacts of materials and chemicals, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs)?

Use case in action – more info to follow.

Use case in action – more info to follow.

• Materials as a Service: Which non-fossil-based options are excelling, and what makes them stand out?
• Overcoming Obstacles: How are these materials tackling access, adaptability, and flexibility, while introducing new challenges?
• Mainstream Momentum: How do we pilot and scale these innovations to support growth and mainstream adoption?
• Beyond One Life: How are alternative materials embracing circularity and multipurpose life cycles?

Use case in action – more info to follow. 

Use case in action – more info to follow. 

• Materials vs. Products: What distinguishes materials from finished products, and why does it matter?
• Educating Consumers: How can we define material value and promote cost-per-use awareness?
• Design for Value: Strategies to maximise material worth through product and infrastructure design aligned with CE business models.
• Leveraging Inner Loops: How can we create higher-value opportunities while managing environmental impacts?

Welcome back to an afternoon of content continuing the circular economy lifecycle discussion, focusing on the next phases of the cycle, production and supply chains. 

• Identifying Bottlenecks: Where are biodegradable and bio-synthetic materials facing hurdles in current systems and supply chains?
• Legacy System Fixes: Are there practical, quick fixes to legacy systems for better material handling and processing?
• Responsibility Debate: Should innovators adapt materials to fit existing processes, or should industries evolve to support innovation?
• Collaborative Supply Chains: How can collaboration across the supply chain reduce material costs by simplifying handling challenges?

Use case in action – more info to follow. 

Debating the arguments for and against global vs local production and supply chains including:
 – Onshoring vs. Offshoring: Are transport miles always bad, or can global materials play a sustainable role?
 – De-risking Costs: How the Global North can support and stabilise global supply chains.
 – Local vs. Global Economies: The trade-offs between building localised economies and supporting global systems.
 – Geo-political Challenges: The influence of international politics on procurement and supply chain resilience.
 – Production Standards: Are multinationals applying consistent, high production standards across all geographies?

• Global Social Impact: What will implementing circular supply chains mean for manufacturers and operators worldwide? 
• Mitigating Social Risks: How can we minimise value chain casualties and protect livelihoods during the transition? 
• A Just Social Transition: Redesigning value chains to ensure sustainability for all stakeholders. 

More info to follow.

Wrapping up day two by considering the checklist of things you need to be discussing before making big product or service decisions.
Join us for day three, FOCE LIVE! @ Second Homes in London where we are adding practicality from the themes covered across the last two days of global content.

A welcome to day three of festival, FOCE LIVE! Our first in-person day as part of this event series!
This day is about adding practicality to the themes covered across the virtual days – here’s a recap of the key themes, insights and outcomes from some incredible talks and innovative use-cases. 

Use case in action – more info to follow.

Use case in action – more info to follow.

A debrief of the upcoming workshops you’ll be joining.

More info to follow soon. 

More info to follow soon. 

• Engaging Your Team: How can businesses bring staff along on the journey to a circular way of working?
• Evolving Supply Chains: What does the shift to circular products and practices mean for supplier relationships?
• The Power of Clarity: Why information, clear communication, and practical deliverability are essential to de-risking the transition. 

• Breaking Barriers: How accessible is the circular economy to businesses, communities, and individuals?
• Shifting from Opportunity to Action: How does the social value of a circular economy move from an opportunity to a contraction?
• Embedding Sustainability: Making sustainable practices the default to create a new norm without requiring conscious choices.
• Innovating for the Future: How today’s ideas can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving tomorrow. 

More info to follow soon. 

Wrapping up a jam packed day focusing on positive implementation opportunities, the practical’s of putting this into business practices and facilitating the ‘what next’? 

After a day at FOCE LIVE, continue the exciting conversations and expand your connections at the After Hours Networking Party! 

More info to follow soon.