Overview

Transitioning to a circular economy will require a systemic change across supply chains, involving both technological and business model innovations. This will necessitate a whole systems approach and life cycle thinking to capture and address the complex interrelationships between different aspects of the circular economy. One of the complexities is that ‘circular’ does not necessarily mean ‘sustainable’. Hence, we need to be able to understand the full implications of a switch from the ‘linear’ to ‘circular’ economic models. Focusing on environmental impacts of that switch, this talk will discuss how we can measure the ‘circularity’ on a life cycle basis and what that may mean in practice, considering examples in the food, energy and chemical sectors.

The IChemE Learned Society Committee is seeking to bring together those of its members with an interest in this topic in order to establish a dialogue about the circular economy: what it means and how it can be achieved, including examples, constraints and constructive criticism.

This webinar is the first in a short series of scene-setting webinars in the first half of 2024. We are interested in identifying member volunteers to present material at future meetings, particularly those associated with SIGs and member groups. We may also include presentations by other members and non-members of IChemE. If you are interested in being a presenter (all lengths of presentation considered), please contact Jonathan Seville.

Speaker

Adisa Azapagic, Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering, University of Manchester

Adisa is Professor of Sustainable Chemical Engineering at the University of Manchester. She the Founding Editor-in-Chief of Sustainable Production and Consumption and a recipient of the George E. Davis Medal for her contribution to engineering and sustainability.

The material presented in this webinar has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter’s own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Sustainability Special Interest Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.

Webinar recording