Circular Economics - Beyond Production & Consumption

I was first introduced to the notion of a circular economy by Paul Polman at an Oxford SBS lecture last fall.  The call for re-engineering our current linear economic model of production and consumption resonated with me right away. However, in order to become widely adopted as a viable, industry agnostic tool to drive change and innovation, I believe there needs to be recognition that waste is not the only meaningful output of a linear economy.  Most of the academic literature and dialogue on circular economics and innovation references "take-make-dispose" which emphasizes consumption and waste. However, in industries such as travel, tourism & hospitality, adopting a circular mentality has significant potential to reduce negative outcomes on individuals, communities, population level mental health and wellbeing, cultural heritage and practices, to name a few.  For anyone looking for a bit of insight into circular innovation and how it applies beyond the scope of consumer-based industries, I recommend this resource.  I’d also be interested in dialogue with other travel industry peers and risk management practitioners on how circular innovation is coming into your daily practices.