How to build Circular Supply Chains? A look back at a collaborative workshop

On November 22, Lab SupplyChain4Good and our partner Citwell orchestrated a dynamic working day, bringing together over 50 people from a wide range of professional backgrounds. Companies, institutions, academics, local authorities and associations came together to share their expertise and experiences, affirming together that the circular supply chain is essential for a circular economy.

Objectives of the Circular Supply Chain workshops

The key idea guiding the day was the conviction that transforming supply chain models is essential to embracing circularity. Indeed, to keep pace with changing business models, the supply chain must also adopt a circular approach, given its cross-functional nature.

The workshops focused on three key objectives:

Aligning with the transformation of supply chain models required for the flyer

List the obstacles and levers YOU have encountered on the way to the newsletter

Mobilizing energies to build a circular supply chain coalition

Exploring the Circular Supply Chain

Fascinating conferences deepened our understanding of the circular supply chain. Two testimonials highlighted crucial topics: the decarbonization of transport and circularity in textiles. These examples revealed innovative operational processes and strategies, going beyond conventional methods such as reverse logistics and reusable packaging.

Expert voice - Anaïs Leblanc - PARTNER AND SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION MANAGER at Citwell

Four loops, four lines of thought for concrete, operational results

The day was structured around four fundamental loops:

1. Intensifying usage: how to maximize the use of existing resources?
2. Repair and Redistribution: explore opportunities for product repair and redistribution.
3. Remanufacturing and sustainable production: how to build robust, sober products?
4. Recycling: how to recover materials, regulatory and technical developments, and traceability?

The workshops produced over 30 concrete, rapidly operational solutions, the result of the commitment and creativity of the participants. The second workshop, focused on resolving the obstacles identified in the morning, was particularly fruitful.

Categorization of workshop solutions

Financial assistance / MO

Great proposal

Sharing group

Working group

Experimental track

Service

Awareness

Research topic

After the non-tangible "big ideas", the majority of proposals were for knowledge sharing, followed by more or less specific working groups. Some tangible means of providing manpower or premises and know-how

The pragmatism of the proposed actions

Not tangible for us

Necessary prerequisites

Short term

40% non-tangible principles, 33 actions that could be launched if pilots and coordinators were identified.

The day was the scene of an enriching collaboration and generated practical solutions to steer the Supply Chain towards circularity. These tangible results testify to the willingness of players to transform their practices for a more sustainable future. We'll soon be inviting you to take part in our series of testimonials, starting in April. Share your experiences, successes and challenges in implementing circular practices within your Supply Chain.

Together, let's build a future where circularity becomes the norm.