Circular Business Models: Doing more, with less, for longer

Certificate of Completion (CoC)
"Circular Business Models: Doing more, with less, for longer"

This verifiable certificate is hereby issued to the holder and serves as proof that all the requirements for the award of the completion certification have been fulfilled. The certificate holder has successfully met the attendance requirements for the "Circular Business Models: Doing more, with less, for longer" course completion.

What is the course about:

• Understanding circular business models (CBMs)
When business models are designed for circularity, they help to slow, narrow and close resource flows effectively and efficiently – boosting performance while reducing environmental impact. In this course, you’ll learn how circular business models (CBMs) can be developed for all industries and organizations, big and small and crucial for the circular transition.

• Three types of CBMs
The course explores three circular business models: 

1. Slowing resource loops (Maintenance & Repair, Reuse, Sharing)

2. Narrowing resource loops (Refurbishing, Remanufacturing, Product-as-a-Service)

3. Closing resource loops (Industrial Symbiosis, Upcycling, Recycling)

Explore how CBMs are key to designing out waste and regenerating our planet.

• How CBMs work
CBMs tend to fall under one or a combination of three strategic approaches to increasing circularity.

1. Retaining product ownership means we speak more about users than ownership

2. Extending product lifecycles such that assets are used longer and more intensively while avoiding the extraction of virgin raw materials

3. Implementing design-for-X principles such that products are engineered to last longer and be easier to repair, maintain, disassemble, upgrade, return and recycle.

• The impact of CBMs

Thanks to CBMs, we can do more – increase economic activity, with less – extract less of the planet’s finite resources, for longer – keep already extracted resources and existing assets in use (and reuse) sustainably. 

• The role of remanufacturing

Remanufacturing can significantly reduce the use of virgin materials, energy and water while extending the useful life of machines, appliances, and more. Explore now how remanufacturing is not only great for the planet but also a highly efficient and profitable business model.

• The role of refurbishing

With the explosion of electronic gadgets in modern living, refurbishment offers consumers the option to buy “like new” and reconditioned products at a more accessible price. Discover why this is a highly profitable CBM.

• The process of closing resource flows

CBMs that help close the loop include reuse, recycling (especially upcycling) and industrial symbiosis. This can reduce costs while reducing environmental impact. Explore how CBMs help to close resource flows by “closing the loop” so there is no waste in the ecosystem, just like in nature.

• Turning industrial waste into raw materials

Discover how Industrial symbiosis is a CBM in which one company’s waste becomes another company’s raw materials. This often requires matching companies from different industries, for example, a shoe manufacturer that uses the rubber from a tire manufacturer for its’ shoes.