Circular Business Design

A guide to help business leaders identify circular opportunities and design business models that create, deliver and capture value in ways that also benefit society and the environment.

The circular economy is an opportunity that could deliver benefits of €1.8 trillion in Europe alone by 2030. While technology, policy and regulation have critical roles to play in the transition to a circular economy, the role of businesses of all sizes — finding new, circular ways of creating, delivering and capturing value in ways that also benefit society and the environment — is also vital.

This practical guide has been developed as an Ellen MacArthur Foundation Network collaborative project by business design, sustainability and circular economy experts at PA Consulting and Exeter Business School, with regular testing with small and large businesses across sectors and regions. It includes all the required practical steps, tools, templates and examples to identify circular opportunities and design business models that create, deliver and capture value in ways that also benefit society and the environment. Regardless of sector, region, business activity, size or maturity, it can be used to:

• identify new ‘greenfield’ circular business opportunities and define the business and operating models required
• explore and define how existing linear businesses can become circular
• design new circular business models
• refine existing circular business concepts and pilots. 

The guide explores how to create, deliver and capture value in its different forms, in ways that also benefit society and the environment, recognising that this is critical to investable and scalable circular economy business models.