It's the circular economy, stupid

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It’s the circular economy, stupid So why can’t we keep it simple? 10 tips to break the ice when it comes to public engagement G A GO CIRCULAR PHOTO ESSAY

Transcript of It's the circular economy, stupid

Page 1: It's the circular economy, stupid

It’s the circular economy, stupid

So why can’t we keep it simple?

10 tips to break the ice when it comes to public engagement

GA GO CIRCULAR PHOTO ESSAY

Page 2: It's the circular economy, stupid

Don’t call it the circular economy

No-one really knows what the circular economy means. Even those

who talk about it the most admit the model is open to interpretation;

it means different things to different people. There is no universal

definition of the circular economy. Go figure.

Page 3: It's the circular economy, stupid

Questions naturally attract attention.

They are great tools to make people

think differently. But no-one likes a

smart arse. Keep your question simple.

Do you want the CD,

or the music it plays?

What if we could make

waste disappear?

Could we have a better

relationship with our stuff?

Start by asking a question

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This is a great question to ask if you want to get people

curious about the deeper, more invisible stuff. In terms

of lifecycle impact, a kettle needs to be filled more than

30 times with water to produce the tea leaves, milk and

sugar that goes into making a single cup of tea*. Should

we really be throwing tea bags away after a quick dunk?

How much water to make a cup of tea?

* Sources: The Water Footprint of Food by Professor Arjen Y Hoekstray, and John Kazer, The Carbon Trust

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Most chatter around the circular economy is quite dry. But appetites

need wetting. Don’t talk about systems thinking, material optimisation

or industrial symbiosis. Frame the conversation around more relevant

and emotional themes. How can this new economy tap into peer

values, steer social impact and build communities?

Keep it human

Page 6: It's the circular economy, stupid

Tell stories — they live on

Good stories are like family heirlooms. They are treasured,

remembered and passed on. Every product has a lifetime,

therefore every product has a story to tell. Who made it?

For what purpose? Did it follow a global supply chain? If so,

it’s probably travelled the world way more than you.

Where might it go next?

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Rebel yell

The call for action. If we are serious about making this transition,

we will have to change how we consume. So be honest, tell people

how disruptive this is. Ask them if they are willing to own less. But

don’t just challenge. Present alternatives — better alternatives,

such as on-demand goods and services that can be customised to

suit individual lifestyles.

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Show me the money

Yep, it remains a key motivator. People

want to know what it’s going to cost

them. Access over ownership may be

cheaper in the long run, but if it looks

more expensive on first sight, don’t

expect anyone to read the small print.

New ways of consuming will likely

require some upfront investment.

Passing these costs on will be easier to

swallow for someone if you can

demonstrate added value.

Page 9: It's the circular economy, stupid

Perfect timingSome say the circular economy is ahead of it’s time. Others say it’s long overdue. Timing is hugely important — it can often make or break a start-up idea. Speak too early, and people won’t be ready for it. Speak too late and you’ll be seen as old news. So look out for weak signals — what trends are capturing the public mood? What’s going viral on social media? Trust your gut. You need to hit that sweet spot where technology and customer needs are about to meet.

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Doing it for the kids

Children are a great sounding board for any conversation.

Can you explain what the circular economy means

to a five-year old? You might

get asked ‘Why?’ a lot — so be

prepared. Steve Jobs once said:

“Simple can be harder than complex. You

have to work hard to get your thinking clean

[but] once you get there, you can move

mountains.” Young minds can help in your

quest to make it simple.

Page 11: It's the circular economy, stupid

Everyone likes a trier

Let’s face it, our relationship with waste isn’t great. Even if we

are learning to be more sexy about it. Expect a few knock-backs

when you first start out on this journey. Circular economy

messaging will likely need refining over time. But keep on.

Worst case — you’ll learn to fail better.

Page 12: It's the circular economy, stupid

Go Circular is an online platform for circular economy dialogue. It looks to promote unique thinking

by bringing journalism, insight and research together into one place, making it a useful access point

for those who wish to learn more about this transitional concept.

Go Circular offers a range of editorial services to help organisations deliver compelling narratives

for their circular strategies — whether it’s through content marketing, PR, journalism, copywriting,

research, thought leadership or report authoring.

www.gocircular.com | [email protected]

GGO CIRCULAR

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