The Circular Economy – how to make our lives more sustainable

This event is now full. We will be recording both sessions, and if you would like to be notified when these recordings are available, please register on the waiting – list.

This is a series of two one-hour lectures by Catherine Weetman, MSc, FCILT, FRSA ; they will take place on 10th September and 1st October at 12.30 pm.

Lots of us are thinking about what the post-Covid-19 world could (and should) look like. For many the pandemic is a reflection of the way we have been mistreating our planet, and an opportunity to create a fairer, sustainable future. In the first of the two sessions, we will explore the idea of the circular economy, including some real examples. The second session will look at how circular approaches are better for people, planet and prosperity.

The circular economy uses a different mindset, aiming to keep products and their materials in circulation. Keeping them in use for longer by reusing, remaking, and eventually recycling means we get more value out of them. We aim to improve the productivity of materials and to eliminate waste and pollution.

Instead, in a circular economy, all ‘waste’ becomes ‘food’: either for another industrial process or as food for nature – compost! By discarding/wasting less, we extract fewer virgin materials and slow the use of renewable resources. Circular approaches apply to how we design products, choose materials, and develop services and business models.

Session 1

• Introduction – Maurice Ward
• Definition of a Circular Economy
• History and development of the idea
• What are the components of a Circular Economy?
• What a Circular Economy is not
• What are the benefits of a Circular Economy?
• Examples of successful circular products, materials, and business models
• Q&A

Session 2

• Recap of Session 1
• Any outstanding Q&As
• Why do we need a circular economy? What is wrong with ‘business as usual’?
• Why are we already doing this? Barriers and myths
• What are the potential drawbacks and criticism?
• Q&A
• Examples of local initiatives elsewhere – Maurice Ward
• Way forward – what are we doing and what can we do in Berwick? – Maurice Ward

The main speaker will be Catherine Weetman, MSc, FCILT, FRSA, author of the award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook for Business and Supply Chains (Kogan Page) and host of the Circular Economy Podcast.

The secondary speaker will be Maurice Ward MSc, FRSA.

The lectures will be delivered via Zoom. If you haven’t used Zoom before, please go to www.zoom.us and look at the tutorials. An invitation will be emailed to you.

If you book this course online, we will hold your personal data in accordance with our privacy policy. If you do not wish us to hold your personal data, please book by post (see www.berwickea.co.uk) and do not supply an email address.