On June 21-22, 2018, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation held a Higher Education Workshop and its annual Summit in London, UK.

The Higher Education Workshop was targeted at “academics and educationalists in higher education who have an interest in circular economy teaching and learning.” Nora Clinton and Ken Webster of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation opened the event, outlining the principles of the circular economy and the opportunities it presents for business, society, and the environment. Participants then took part in parallel workshops during the morning and afternoon sessions:

Alysia Garmulewicz and Liz Corbin introduced their newly launched non-profit organization Materiom, a platform for sharing material recipes for a circular economy. Materiom provides information on “locally abundant natural ingredients and life-friendly chemistry” with the aim to “enable everyone, everywhere to participate in the next generation of materials.” Participants of the workshop were then invited to “cook” a bioplastic from water, agar, and glycerin. Bas Flipsen of repair company iFixit led the workshop participants through developing criteria for assessing the repairability of electronic products. Attendees then had the opportunity to disassemble and reassemble portable electronics and share their experiences.

The 2018 Summit of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation featured speakers from major businesses, cities and national governments, academia, consultancies, as well as digital and biotech start-ups. Ellen MacArthur opened the event, highlighting the momentum the circular economy concept has gained to disrupt the linear economy and achieve systemic change. The summit explored new digital technologies, the role of government, and business perspectives and examples that can contribute to moving towards a circular economy.

Read more

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (May 18, 2018). “2018 Summit returns to the Roundhouse, London – registration now open.

Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2018). “Higher Education Workshop.

Share