Making circularity work in practice (Part 2): From questions to action

The article was a summary of the insightful discussion from our recent webinar, ‘Circularity in practice – an initiative to deliver material change’, led by Dr. Adam Read MBE with John Scanlon of SUEZ in the UK, Dr. Greg Lavery of Rype Office and Bill Firth of EMR. It showed that circularity is no longer a fringe idea or a future ambition. It is already happening, and in some sectors, it has been happening for years.

We received a flurry of questions from the webinar attendees, showing where businesses are now. Not stuck on whether circularity matters but trying to work out how to apply it in real commercial conditions.

Where should we start?

This question came up in different forms throughout the Q&A. Not ‘do we need to do this?’ but ‘where do we start without turning it into a major project?”

The answers were practical. Start with areas where circular options already exist and are easier to implement. In fit-outs and refurbishments, that means looking first at furniture, suspended ceilings, raised flooring systems and carpet tiles, where remanufactured options are already available.

There was also a clear recommendation to start small. A trial project or a single space can be enough to test how circular approaches work in practice, build confidence and learn what needs to change.

Circularity, in this context, is not a full reset. It starts with one decision handled differently.

What does ‘practical’ look like?

Several questions asked for real examples, particularly in areas such as WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) and circular manufacturing.

The answers pointed to organisations already operating in this space. In the UK, this includes Reconome and Tech-Takeback, alongside remanufacturers such as Circular Computing and marketplaces like Back Market for second-life devices.

More broadly, remanufacturing is already standard practice in sectors such as aerospace, automotive and electronics. Companies like Rolls-Royce, Caterpillar and Sony routinely rebuild products as part of their operating model. EMR, for one, is on of the UK’s largest recyclers of end-of-life vehicles as an answer to a reduced demand for new materials

For businesses, the implication is straightforward. The model is already proven. The question is where it fits best within their own operations.

Will it cost more?

Cost sat behind many of the questions.

Remanufactured office furniture was noted as typically around 70% cheaper than recommended retails prices and around 20% cheaper than wholesale equivalents on a like-for-like basis. The panel also said that remanufactured furniture uses around 80% less energy, or 80% less carbon emissions, than using virgin materials for the same item.

In other cases, the benefit is longer-term. Some circular solutions do not reduce upfront costs but allow products to be used across multiple life cycles, creating whole-of-life savings.

Practical suggestions included starting with the options that already cost the same or less than traditional alternatives, many of which exist today.

What if policy gets in the way?

Some of the most grounded questions focused on legislation and classification.

One example raised was how materials leaving a stie may still be classified as waste, even when they are intended for re-use, which affects how progress is measured. Once something is treated as waste, it moves into a more restrictive system.

The practical implication is to act earlier. The more re-use is considered for these materials early in the process, the more options remain open.

At the same time, policy is evolving. Government Buying Standards are being updated and are expected to introduce minimum re-use requirements, while the Circular Economy Growth Plan and sector roadmaps aim to drive change through regulation and incentives.

Organisations do not need to wait for that shift. Circularity in Practice was positioned as a way to act now using solutions that already exist.

How do we avoid losing value too early?

Several questions focused on how reusable materials are handled in practice.

The answer came back to planning and segregation. Mixed materials can be processed but separating them earlier improves efficiency and helps retain value.

For example, understanding the types and quantities of steel in a building before work begins allows reusable sections to be identified and managed differently, rather than being sent straight into recycling.

This is a small shift, but a practical one. Decisions made earlier determine what is possible later.

One question pointed to the importance of maintaining UK processing capacity, particularly through electric arc furnaces, so that scrap steel can be turned back into new material locally rather than exported or downcycled. That matters not just from a supply chain perspective, but environmentally too, as recycled steel can save around 1.2 tonnes of carbon compared with primary production.

Wood, on the other hand, was highlighted as a strong circular material, with around 96% of waste wood already reused, recycled or recovered. At the same time, sending wood to energy recovery was described as a lower-value outcome, as it releases stored carbon.

How do we deal with logistics?

Storage and logistics were raised as practical barriers and the answers pointed to a shift towards better use of information. If you know what materials exist, where they are and when they become available, you can plan their next use more effectively and reduce the need for storage.

Platforms such as Reyooz and Excess Materials Exchange are some of the ways to connect available materials with new uses. For Rype Office, information is overcoming the need for storage and now uses AI to quickly build inventories for remanufactured office furniture. This helps avoid long storage and encourages quick action. Overall, the issue is less about space, and more about visibility and coordination.

The Q&A brought to light the questions businesses have about the circular economy and it also pointed to a clear direction.

In other words, very practical suggestions came out of the Q&A ranging from starting where solutions already exist and running a small trial to working with organisations already delivering circular solutions and considering re-use and segregation early on.

Webinar attendees clearly were looking into how they can act on the circularity issue without adding complexity. Circularity, after all, needs to move from idea to application. Not thought one big change, but through a series of decisions that build over time, each grounded in what is already possible.

If you missed them, you can read the first part of this blog series here and watch our live webinar session on demand here.