For companies that want to seize these opportunities, a circular economy provides a useful and comprehensive toolkit. Broadly speaking, the transition towards a circular economy implies a shift away from the traditional “take – make – dispose” model of economic processing, by lowering or eliminating waste and pollution through design and keeping products and materials in use. To achieve this goal, a circular economy offers a set of tools that allow companies to retain the value in products, components, and materials and to create new value for both producers and customers. These tools cover a broad range of business activities, from product design to logistics and value chain management, as well as business model innovation. Altogether, a circular economy allows companies to integrate the various dimensions of sustainable development into a single strategy, to adapt to new regulations (e.g., circular economy policies in the EU and China), and to redefine their purpose in the face of the growing environmental crisis.
Circular economy is a growing trend both globally and in the Swiss context. A new Swiss-wide and vibrant movement titled Circular Economy Switzerland was launched on the 5th of February this year. As part of this movement, the Circular Economy Transition (CET) initiative provides the background knowledge and implementation tools to facilitate the transition towards circular Switzerland. Funded by the MAVA Foundation, the CET is implemented by the Swiss Impact Hubs in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich, and by sanu durabilitas – the Swiss foundation for sustainable development, based in Biel. By engaging entrepreneurs, businesses, policy makers, and citizens, the CET aims to shift Switzerland towards a leading innovative role in a circular economy, considerably reducing the consumption of natural resources and contributing to sustainable development. Within the CET, the BusinessLab supports SMEs in overcoming the barriers and identifying related market opportunities linked to the transition towards a circular economy. It offers business model innovation tools based on up-to-date scientific knowledge and expertise regarding technical, business, and regulatory dimensions. By joining the CET BusinessLab, companies can gain access to forward-thinking experts and decision makers, to science-based prototyping methodology, and to a platform for showcasing innovative solutions.
The CET BusinessLab invites all interested companies to shape the circular future of Switzerland. Get in touch, let’s explore the business case for a circular economy and advance the sustainable economy agenda – together!
