eBay is investing in a more circular world and the e-commerce company has partnered with Circle Economy to launch Circle Lab, a platform for crowdsourcing some of the solutions that will make it happen.
Circle Economy created the Circle Lab after findings from its Circular Gap Report showed that the global economy is only 9.1% circular and that the current linear production system is continuously harming the planet. The aim, with Circle Lab, is to create an open-access environment where circular economy experts, innovative entrepreneurs, forward-thinking businesses, citizens, cities and governments can pool ideas to create more circular solutions.
“Circle Lab is an ideation platform that leverages and combines the power of crowdsourcing with circular economy expertise, in an open-access environment, to create circular solutions. If you are a problem solver, circular enthusiast, policy maker or finance specialist, Circle Lab is the place to make a real impact,” Harald Friedl, CEO of Circle Economy, said.
And eBay believes this is the perfect partnership as its own circular mission aligns with Circle Lab’s goals.
“eBay has been at the heart of the circular economy since its founding over 20 years ago,” Amy Millington, president of eBay Foundation, said. “The eBay Foundation believes that by using the power of technology to bring people together, the circular economy can help fuel the future of commerce. We are proud to support Circle Lab, a platform that accelerates creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial action toward a more circular economy.”
Over the years, Circle Economy has supported, collaborated on and implemented several initiatives focused on fueling a new circular future. And throughout the years it has come to realize the need for a collaborative platform where shared ideas can be brought to fruition.
In 2017, during its market validation phase, Circle Lab successfully connected nearly 14,000 people and co-created unique reverse logistics solutions for the mobile phone industry. Then in August, Circle Economy added an open-access knowledge hub to Circle Lab, which has since brought together nearly 2,000 circular economy supporters who are now using the hub’s 750 case studies to share and further learn about the topic.
“The launch of the knowledge hub and results of the market validation showed us that there is a high demand for a global community to engage and co-create circular solutions,” Friedl said.