EV batteries, bio-based materials, and the jobs nobody talks about | Circular Snapshots
About this episode
This episode discusses the importance of EV battery recycling, the overlooked policy agenda for bio-based materials, and the potential for circular economy employment.
This month: three stories worth your time. The WEF published a piece on EV battery recycling that reframes the whole conversation. These batteries contain the critical minerals governments are scrambling to secure. The recycled minerals market could be worth $200 billion by 2050. That value needs to be designed for now, not chased later. Up until now the policy agenda for bio-based materials, wood, paper, natural fibres, rubber and leather has largely been ignored. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has published a report that sets out to fix that. And the International Finance Corporation, alongside five major development banks, put a number on circular economy employment: 121 to 142 million people. Nearly half in repair and maintenance. Over half in the informal economy. The opportunity is real. So is the gap. Plus four quick headlines on Scotland's material flows, Europe losing critical minerals through its own waste streams, fashion resale and repair policy, and flexible packaging.
People in this episode
Host: Ellen MacArthur
Topics covered
- EV batteries
- bio-based materials
- circular economy employment
- recycling
- sustainability
Keywords
- EV batteries
- bio-based materials
- circular economy
- recycling
- employment
- sustainability
- critical minerals
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Ellen MacArthur Foundation, World Economic Forum, International Finance Corporation
Places: Scotland, Europe
More episodes of The Circular Economy Show Podcast
- How do we break the silos between bio-based policy and circularity?
- Driving circularity: shared infrastructure for scalable change
- How does business benefit from regenerative practices?
- Is it game over for the CSO?
- From niche to necessity: the circular economy's strategic moment
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