Circular Economy 101 with Katie Whalen

In this episode, I interview Katie Whalen, the host of the Getting in the Loop podcast about circular economy basics, and why it's important for our environment and economy.  She explains the concept behind slowing loops and closing loops, and uses cell phones as an example. We also discuss how the idea of a circular economy is seen in the United States compared to Europe. For example, we talk mostly about zero waste and sustainability in the United States. In Europe, the importance of transitioning to a circular economy is more widely accepted. Finally, we discuss the challenges associated with getting to a circular economy.  Katie is an enlightening, knowledgeable and easy to understand expert in all things circular economy. She is currently getting her Ph.D. in circular economy at Lund University in Sweden. She is also one of the teachers in Coursera's Circular Economy course.  I hope you enjoy the episode and share it with friends and family who are interested in sustainability and the economy.