Co-creation moves circular economy beyond theory

This was the consensus from our panel of speakers at our recent webinar, ‘The Circular Economy Taskforce: Can its co-creation model deliver new opportunities in the UK?’, hosted by Dr. Adam Read MBE, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK’s Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer. The expert panel included SUEZ Chief Technical Development and Innovation Officer Stuart Hayward-Higham, CIWM President and Circular Economy Institute Vice President Dr. David Greenfield, and Screwfix Head of Quality John Fretwell.

The tone of the discussion was practical rather than theoretical, with the panel focusing on what is already changing now, from refurbished products selling quickly, to repair and buy-back models being explored, to new projects finding productive uses for materials once treated simply as waste.

The panel was equally clear on why this topic matters now. Circular economy was discussed not only as an environmental goal, but as a route to growth, lower costs for consumers and better use of materials already in the UK. In a period of economic pressure and global uncertainty, that combination helps explain why the issue is becoming more important.

Early in the session, the audience got a preview of the scale of the challenge with the circular economy touching 69 million people in 29 million households and 5.7 million businesses and their 28 million employees across the UK. It is estimated that 250 billion to 300 billion items are sold into the UK market each year, with up to 1.3 billion serviced and maintained, 1.6 billion to 2.5 billion repaired and 1.2 billion to 1.6 billion resold or reused. By contrast, 150 billion to 250 billion items are discarded in their first year of ownership, and around 50 billion to 100 billion items retained beyond the first year and discarded in the years following.

The point is that the circular economy is not a niche issue. Instead, as these numbers show, it sits inside everyday economic life, from what households buy to how businesses design, sell, repair and recover products.

Why the taskforce model gained support

At the heart of the webinar was a simple question: Can the circular economy taskforce and its co-creation model create new opportunities in the UK?

The panel’s view leaned clearly towards yes. Speakers repeatedly made the point that circular economy reaches into too many areas of modern life to be designed well by one department working alone. It touches product design, materials, repair, re-use, waste systems, planning, regulation, skills and trade. Move one piece and several others can shift with it.

That helps explain why the taskforce approach was welcomed. It brought together people from business, academia, NGOs, start-ups and government much earlier in the process, rather than asking for feedback once proposals were already taking shape. One speaker, reflecting on many years of working with government, described this as a significant change from how consultation often worked in the past.

For businesses used to rules appearing late and sometimes awkwardly, that point is likely to resonate, because the process is quite complex with numerous constraints and challenges.

The discussion gave a useful sense of why timelines may not be straightforward. A circular economy growth plan does not sit in isolation. It must connect with tax, regulation, procurement, planning, trade, skills and other reforms already underway. Add devolved administrations, international pressures and millions of households and businesses making daily choices, and the scale becomes clearer. This does not necessarily explain every delay, but it does show why a plan of this kind is more complex than publishing a single standalone policy paper.

Unsurprisingly, the audience wanted to know when the long-awaited growth plan would finally appear.

No confirmed date was offered. One panel member suggested autumn as the most realistic expectation, while making clear that this was personal judgment rather than inside knowledge.

Even so, the speakers did not sound as though everything was on pause. Instead, they pointed to signs of movement already underway, including mayoral guidance documents being issued, DEFRA’s expanding secondment opportunities and a number of regional initiatives all being cited. One panel member even remarked that there had never been more momentum in the space, despite the plan not yet being published.

The panel noted that the government’s role was ‘less of a doer and more of a facilitator’ and will help create the right conditions through clear rules, support and direction. Much of the real progress, though, was expected to come from businesses trying new ideas, improving how they work and responding to what customers want. In that sense, policy may guide the direction, but business still drives the pace.

Real-life opportunities for businesses

Some of the strongest moments came when the discussion moved away from frameworks and into day-to-day business reality.

John Fretwell of Screwfix described work on refurbishment, repairs, spare parts, packaging improvements and exploring take-back or buy-back schemes. He also highlighted efforts to reduce waste through simpler packaging, including changes to cardboard and the removal of unnecessary plastic. Refurbished products were said to be popular with customers and to sell out daily when listed online. Screwfix sells over 70,000 products and has around 12 million customers.

That matters because Screwfix, which has over a thousand stores in the UK, Ireland and France, serves customers who tend to value price, convenience and products that do the job properly. If refurbished goods are thriving in that setting, it suggests circular models are becoming commercially credible in mainstream markets, not just among niche audiences.

The panel also discussed rental models, subscription services and the stronger customer relationships that can come through repair and upgrade offers.

What the audience polls showed

The live polls gave a peek of the mood in the room.

When asked whether the co-creation model could deliver the policy intervention needed to ‘supercharge’ the circular economy, 51% voted yes, 46% said it was difficult to say and 4% voted no.

That feels supportive, but sensibly so. Many attendees appeared open to the idea while still wanting to see results.

Later, when asked where opportunities were most likely to emerge, answers were spread across several options, including longer customer relationships through repairs and upgrades, brand recognition and new service offerings such as rentals.

In other words, the audience saw more than one route to value.

Why local authorities mattered too

One panellist said local government, alongside central government, is absolutely critical in setting the scene for circularity. Between them, central and local government are among the UK’s biggest spenders. Through procurement, they can help create demand for longer-lasting, repairable and lower-waste products and services. Through planning, they can also influence how places, buildings and infrastructures are designed from the start.

The webinar closed on an upbeat but practical note.

One speaker urged organisations to learn from others, not to be scared and be positive about it. Another described the right approach as a ‘win win win’ for customers, business and the planet. A third offered perhaps the most grounded line of all: do not wait for the big things but get on with the little things.

That neatly summed up the discussion. The UK may still be waiting for the formal plan, but many of the opportunities linked to circular economy seem to have started already.

If you missed the live webinar session, you can watch it on-demand here.