Why do circular business models fail to scale? Don’t think too small episode artwork

EPISODE · Oct 14, 2025 · 16 MIN

Why do circular business models fail to scale? Don’t think too small

from The Circular Economy Show Podcast · host Maddy Oliver, Ella Hedley, Pippa Shawley

What makes circular business models fail to scale? In this new four-part series, we’ll be exploring the common mistakes businesses make on their journey towards circularity.Based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report: How not to fail: Avoiding 10 common pitfalls when scaling circular business models, Pippa is joined by Maddy Oliver and Ella Hedley, who led the research on the paper.You’ll hear about the experiences of pioneering companies, and learn about the practical steps that businesses can use to avoid common pitfalls and enable circular business models to reach transformative scale.In this episode, we explore:What opportunities circular businesses can offerHow the report came about, and why it focuses on failureWhy lacking a plan of scale from the outset is the first pitfall and some solutions to considerWhat happens when circular business models don’t align with the existing strategy of the business, and how to avoid thisExplore the reportIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review or a comment on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Your support helps us to spread the word about the circular economy.

What makes circular business models fail to scale? In this new four-part series, we’ll be exploring the common mistakes businesses make on their journey towards circularity. Based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report: How not to fail: Avoiding 10 common pitfalls when scaling circular business models, Pippa is joined by Maddy Oliver and Ella Hedley, who led the research on the paper. You’ll hear about the experiences of pioneering companies, and learn about the practical steps that businesses can use to avoid common pitfalls and enable circular business models to reach transformative scale.

NOW PLAYING

Why do circular business models fail to scale? Don’t think too small

0:00 16:27

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Circular Economy Show Podcast?

This episode is 16 minutes long.

When was this The Circular Economy Show Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on October 14, 2025.

What is this episode about?

What makes circular business models fail to scale? In this new four-part series, we’ll be exploring the common mistakes businesses make on their journey towards circularity.Based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s new report: How not to fail:...

Can I download this The Circular Economy Show Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!