
City of Zurich: Circularity potential check and introductory workshop
Reform supports the
Process and services
In order to fulfil the ambitious goals and political mandate of the city of Zurich, Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ) offers comprehensive support services on the topic of circular economy for companies, especially SMEs (small and mid-sized enterprises). As part of this, Reform was commissioned to develop two elements of ERZ’s services for organisations that are at the beginning of their journey: The circularity potential check and a replicable introductory workshop for organisations.
Reform developed the structure and content of the potential check in close collaboration with the team at ERZ and external experts. The co-created content is based on an analysis of existing national and international tools and the specific requirements of the City of Zurich. The potential check enables organisations to determine the status quo of their circular activities and identify their most important fields of potential.
The design parameters were discussed at the Zurich Climate Forum with a group of representatives of local SMEs and organisations as well as stakeholders to ensure the practical relevance of the questionnaire. In a second step, the questionnaire was successfully tested with 10 organisations from different sectors. The content prototype was handed over to ERZ for integration into their existing system and corporate design.
Building on the potential check, Reform developed the structure, content and interactive elements for a replicable workshop, which is being conducted by the ERZ team as well as a collection of key questions and examples for the ERZ website.
Key areas of focus
- Tools and innovation process
- Knowledge and capability building
Impact
The potential check and introductory workshop are available free of charge to all organisations in the city of Zurich. They provide a low-threshold introduction to the topic of the circular economy and thus empower companies – especially those 90 percent of organisations that are still at the beginning of their circular economy journey («Statusbericht der Schweizer Kreislaufwirtschaft» by Bern University of Applied Sciences in collaboration with ETH Zurich and KOF, 2021).
The introductory workshop provides organisations with practical support to translate the opportunities identified in the potential check into a tailored action plan. This promotes the concrete implementation of circular activities in operational business.
In addition to raising awareness, both offerings contribute to the success of the company and to the net zero target of the City of Zurich, described in the «Circular Zurich» strategy.
Co-lead at Reform
Network partner
- Julia Hunt (ex Circulytics Lead, Ellen MacArthur Foundation)
Testimonials
«Die Zusammenarbeit mit Sarra und Simon war sehr bereichernd und hat uns auch grossen Spass gemacht. Wir schätzen ihre gesamtheitliche Herangehensweise, die gleichermassen breite, tiefe und stets aktuelle Expertise in Design und Kreislaufwirtschaft. Wir konnten uns absolut auf Sarra und Simon verlassen und haben in diesem Projekt viel gelernt – herzlichen Dank!»
Sara Graf and Milan Marquard, Circular Economy Project Managers, Entsorgung + Recycling Zürich (ERZ)
Photos Zurich Climate Forum: © Stefan Beusch
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