The Circular Business Revolution: A Practical Framework for Sustainable Business Models

This practical book will help you transform your business from a linear take-make-waste approach into one that is sustainable, circular, but also profitable, resilient, and competitive.

The triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss is demanding action from companies - resources are limited, supply chains are vulnerable, and consumers are demanding change. Business leaders face the challenge of shifting from a linear ’take-make-waste’ approach to one that is circular, regenerative, resilient, and profitable to ensure long term success.

Whether you’re just starting to explore circularity, or you are already actively advancing a circular business agenda, this book caters to your unique journey. It introduces a set of circular business model patterns as a pathway to transformation and creating value in a circular economy. It offers over 100 real-world case studies of circular business model innovation to highlight emerging trends, new opportunities, and the pathway to sustainable change.

Our goal is to empower YOU to actively craft your own circular transformation pathway, step by step, ensuring a hands-on and personalized journey toward implementing circular business models. This handbook is designed to be both practical and interactive. We have developed four guiding worksheets that will help you crystallize your insights, refine your strategy, and solidify your path toward a successful circular transformation. These tools serve as companions, ensuring that the journey from inspiration to implementation is tailored to your specific needs.

Julia Binder, professor of Sustainable Innovation and Business Transformation at IMD Lausanne, is a renowned thought leader recognised on the 2022 Thinkers50 Radar list for her work at the intersection of sustainability and innovation. With over a decade devoted to sustainability research and teaching, she actively supports business leaders in driving meaningful change to address global challenges. Before joining IMD, Julia initiated a sustainability initiative at EPFL and co-led a large-scale European project on sustainable innovation at TUM. Outside the professional realm, Julia dives into the joyful chaos of motherhood, takes on the challenge of speedy cooking, gardens passionately and occasionally indulges in sports finding satisfaction in the beauty of everyday life.

Manuel Braun is an expert in the domain of sustainability and resource productivity, working at the intersection of research and practice. He is director at Systemiq, a global think tank focused on sustainable systems change, where he leads the circular business programme. Manuel holds a PhD from the Technical University of Munich and is actively engaged in teaching and executive training programmes across Europe. Previously, he spent eight years at McKinsey & Company, leading sustainable product development and design projects across industries. Manuel is a nature enthusiast in the professional realm and beyond. He is a passionate alpinist and loves to spend time with his family exploring the great outdoors whether on foot, mountain bike or ski.