The World Business Council and Boston Consulting Group release Implementation Guide to the Circular Economy

Today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and The Boston Consulting Group published, “The new big circle: How circular economy is already disrupting business models.” This is designed to be an implementation guide to the circular economy.

Davos Switzerland, 24 January 2018: Building off the success of the CEO Guide to the Circular Economy, this implementation guide to the circular economy gives middle managers the tools they need to implement the circular economy across their businesses.

The guide draws from research, survey responses and interviews with individuals who have first-hand experience integrating the circular mindset.

Important highlights include:

• 10 recommendations for implementing the circular economy
• Over a dozen new case examples written for middle managers  
• A new process for thinking about circular innovation within business
• Recommendations to take human capital into account
• Empowering and educating employees

The guide also includes compelling business reasoning behind circularity. For example, 96% of practitioners surveyed for the publication believe that the circular economy is important to their company’s future success. An even higher percentage (97%) indicated that the circular economy drives innovation to help make the company more efficient and competitive.

“The new big circle” concludes a year of WBCSD content development aimed at sharing information about the circular economy to build momentum and move forward. Factor10, WBCSD’s circular economy program launched yesterday, establishes a collaboration that moves business beyond information sharing and into implementation. Residing under the “Inform” priority of Factor10, the implementation guide provides the details and insights that address the specific challenges that companies face in the circular economy.

Sustainability leaders from 13 companies contributed to the report including AkzoNobel, C&A, CMPC, Cohealo, Green Home, Hirdaramani, Ikea, LafargeHolcim, Michelin, Philips, Rubicon Global, Skanska and Solvay.