Making the Circular Economy Work: Bridging Policy, Business and Technology
On October 8, leaders from government, business, and technology came together at Edinburgh Napier University for an afternoon dedicated to one pressing question: What if all businesses in Scotland were purposeful and circular?
Hosted by the Centre for Business Innovation and Sustainable Solutions (CBISS) in partnership with Edinburgh B Corp, the event explored how Scotland can turn circular ambitions into reality through collaboration and practical action, writes Kate Trofimova*.
Associate Professor Miles Weaver opened the session by framing the conversation around Scotland’s emerging leadership in sustainability and innovation. With the UK currently using three times global resources than the planet can sustainably provide, the message was clear: moving towards a circular economy is not optional — it’s essential.
- Scotland’s Policy Roadmap for a Circular Economy – Maurice Golden MSP
Maurice Golden MSP, long-time advocate for circular policy, set the tone with a challenge “Policy is not about making things harder. It’s about making them easy.”
He noted that while the UK has missed nine out of twelve major climate targets, Scotland is taking a more ambitious path through the Circular Economy Bill and the campaign for a Better Business Act, which seeks to make companies legally responsible for benefiting workers, communities, and the environment while still delivering profit.
Golden was clear: “We need to make changes if we don’t want to still be talking about Net Zero in thirty years.” He also reminded the audience that systemic change starts with individual behaviour — “Only 44% of people can sort their waste correctly. How can we talk about sustainable consumption if we can’t even separate our rubbish?”
He cited Wales as proof that rapid progress is possible, with recycling rates now exceeding 65%, driven by clear systems and public accountability. For Scotland, he argued, the opportunity lies in smarter design, better data, and rewarding sustainable business models like rentals, repairs, and reuse.
- Embedding Sustainability in Everyday Products – Eilidh O’Connor, Vegware
Eilidh O’Connor from Vegware offered a practical vision for how circular thinking can work in everyday products.
Vegware, an Edinburgh-based pioneer in compostable food packaging, ensures its materials can be processed alongside food waste — returning nutrients to the soil rather than landfill. The company provides free waste consultancy and a simple five-step framework for change:
- Switch to compostable alternatives.
- Simplify waste streams and label bins clearly.
- Communicate the system visually.
- Train and engage staff.
- Measure and share progress.
O’Connor emphasised that the key is simplicity for the user. “If a coffee cup is part plastic, part cardboard, part compostable — people won’t separate it. They’ll just throw it in the general bin.” Effective circular systems make the right choice easy, not time-consuming.
- How Digital Tools Can Support Circular Business – Barry O’Kane, HappyPorch
Barry O’Kane, founder of HappyPorch, demonstrated how digital innovation underpins the circular economy. From IoT sensors and data platforms to digital product passports, technology now enables companies to trace materials across their entire lifecycle — allowing reuse, repair, and recycling at scale. HappyPorch’s partnership with Reath, for example, helps businesses track reusable packaging across multiple cycles, ensuring transparency and compliance.
O’Kane also made a crucial communication point: “Sometimes it’s not about what you ask, but how you ask.” Businesses often struggle to sell sustainability because they frame it as a cost. Instead, he argued, the focus should be on long-term profitability — showing how circular systems save money, extend product life, and improve efficiency over time.
- Leveraging B Corp Certification for a Circular Scotland – Jayne Saywell
Jayne Saywell from the Edinburgh B Corp 500 initiative explored how certification can hard-wire sustainability into business models. The B Corp framework assesses companies across five key dimensions — governance, workers, community, customers, and environment — through a rigorous 200-question impact assessment. Recertification every three years ensures continual improvement rather than one-off compliance.
Through Edinburgh CAN B and the B Corp 500 programme, Saywell aims to help 500 Scottish businesses achieve certification by 2030, with circularity now one of the seven impact themes.
She also offered a sharp reflection on behavioural change: “Value is a hard thing to change — and I think we don’t have time to change it. But ego? We can use it. You can make people feel good by being sustainable — an eco shower, a reusable cup. Maybe we don’t need to fight ego; we just need to use it in the right way.”
Her point landed: while awareness programmes in schools are vital, the change must happen now — and using people’s natural motivations can accelerate it.
Bringing It All Together
The session concluded with a lively panel and closing reflections from rapporteur Kate Trofimova, who captured the spirit of the day: “If we keep these lessons in mind, we won’t just be chasing the rainbow — we’ll be building something tangible and lasting, together.”
That shift from vision to action was clear throughout. As Kate reminded attendees, just last year at a Balfour Beatty sustainability workshop, participants expressed frustration over “policy mismatches, mission fatigue, and lack of resources.” A year later, the picture looks different: policy is aligning, digital tools like HappyPorch’s are enabling, and communities like Edinburgh Can B are creating shared momentum.
Scotland’s circular economy is no longer theoretical — it’s underway.
Call to Action
To be part of Scotland’s circular future:
- Join the Edinburgh B Corp 500 and align your business with evolving sustainability standards.
- Explore CBISS resources and training to embed circular practices.
- Collaborate with innovators like Vegware and HappyPorch to design practical, lasting solutions.
Circularity is not just the ethical choice — it’s the smart, profitable, and future-ready one.
*Written by: Kate Trofimova, Marketing Finalist, Edinburgh Napier University
Session Rapporteur for “Making the Circular Economy Work – Bridging Policy, Business and Technology” (CBISS x Edinburgh B Corp)