Episode 1: Linear vs. Circular Economy

We know for a fact that global production sectors are responsible for one-fifth of the world’s carbon emissions, and are consuming 54% of the world’s energy sources. It's urgent that the global production sector addresses these challenges. Here circularity is seen by many as one of the solutions. What is circularity? And what role can the manufacturing industry play in realizing a circular economy? How can the manufacturing industry adapt circular business models and still be a profitable business?

 
Meet Mats Sundell, R&D Director from Mirka and Kari Herlevi, Programme Director from Sitra in the first episode of our sustainability podcast. 

Episode 2: Trash to Treasure

Europeans use nearly 26 kilos of textiles and discard about 11 kilos annually. Less than half of these clothes are collected for reuse or recycling. Clothing consumption in the EU has increased by 40% in recent decades, driven by lower prices and faster fashion cycles. It has been said that we have enough clothes to dress the world for the next 100 years, yet 150-200 ton of textile waste (60 to 75 truckloads) are dumped, burnt, or sent to landfills every day. How to find transformative ideas for extracting value from waste? What does a concept look like that goes beyond recycling? How to redefine how we view and use resources and design products? Is a system change and circular business models the solution?

Meet Petra Härmälä, R&D Manager from Mirka and Jan Timm Utecht, Managing Director from Globe Hope in the second episode of our sustainability podcast. 

Episode 3: The Remanufacturing Revolution

With an EU market potential of 90 billion euros by 2030, remanufacturing is set to become an increasingly important aspect of the future manufacturing industry. Remanufacturing is the process of returning a used product to at least its original performance with a warranty that is equivalent to or better than that of the newly manufactured product.

From a customer viewpoint, the remanufactured product can be considered the same as a new product. By keeping components and their embodied material in use for longer their climate impact can be reduced.

How does remanufacturing differ from recycling or traditional manufacturing methods? Why is remanufacturing seen as a key strategy in transition towards a circular economy? What business opportunities does it offer and what are the environmental benefits

Meet Mats Bystedt, Business Development Manager from Mirka and Minna Kröger, Head of Sustainability from Elisa in the third episode of our sustainability podcast.