Season Three

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 Michael sits down with Elin Bergman, Vice Chair at Cradlenet and co-founder of the Nordic Circular Hotspot, to explore circular economy trends in Sweden and the Nordics. Elin discusses impactful initiatives like the Circular Economy Outlook Report, the role of EU regulations like CSRD, and the growing secondhand market. She shares advice for businesses starting their circular journey and insights into Nordic collaboration in circularity. 

Anniina Virta-Toikka, VP of Sustainability at Konecranes, discusses integrating circular principles into crane manufacturing and lifting services. She highlights modular design, refurbishment, and electrification to extend product life cycles and reduce emissions. Anniina also explores sustainable supply chain practices, predictive maintenance innovations, and Konecranes’ net-zero ambitions, showcasing how circularity drives efficiency and sustainability across industrial sectors. 

 Harald Friedl, founder of the Circular Economy Innovation Agency, reflects on over a decade of driving circular transformation across business, government, and society. He shares insights from Davos, the latest Circularity Gap Report, and innovations in agriculture, construction, and finance. With optimism for emerging technologies like AI and digital product passports, Harald envisions a future of waste-free cities, carbon-neutral industries, and thriving local economies. 

Jan Timm Utecht, CEO of Globe Hope, joins Michael to discuss how the company has led sustainable fashion for over 20 years by transforming discarded textiles into high-quality upcycled products. He shares insights on circular design, material innovation, and the evolving consumer mindset. Highlighting collaborations and the shift toward scalable recycled materials, Jan Timm envisions a future where circularity is fully embedded in fashion. 

Dominik Patzelt, Director of Business Development at VCG.AI, joins Michael to discuss how AI is transforming industrial side-streams into valuable resources. VCG.AI’s platform analyzes vast data to identify circular opportunities, helping businesses repurpose waste and adopt sustainable sourcing. From regulatory shifts to emerging AI capabilities, this episode explores how technology is accelerating circular business models and driving new revenue streams in the transition to sustainability. 

 Vietnam is rapidly embracing circularity, and    Hong Quan Nguyen is leading the way. As Director of the Institute of Circular Economy Development, he works with government and industry to shape policy and drive innovation. In this episode, he shares insights on Vietnam’s Green Economy Strategy, circular policy challenges, and financing for SMEs, highlighting the country’s growing role in ASEAN’s circular transition. 

  Finnair is rethinking aviation through circularity and Tarja Koski is leading the charge. As Senior Sustainability Manager, she’s driving Finnair’s efforts to embed circular economy practices across everything from catering to aircraft refurbishment. In this episode, Tarja shares insights on material innovation, supply chain collaboration, and how circularity complements emissions reduction in aviation. 

 Peter Evans, a global expert in circular platforms and digital strategy, joins Michael to explore the trillion-dollar circular platform economy. They discuss key trends, challenges, and how companies like IKEA and Amazon are integrating circular marketplaces. Peter highlights the role of AI, digital product passports, and data-driven resale models in scaling circular solutions and shaping the future of commerce. 

 Dr. Claas Oehlmann, who leads the Circular Economy initiative at the Federation of German Industries (BDI), joins Michael to explore how German industries are integrating circularity into their business strategies. They discuss the shift from compliance-driven sustainability to market-driven circular models, the role of eco-design, and the economic opportunities in secondary raw materials. Claas highlights key regulatory challenges, the need for systemic change, and his vision for a circular, competitive European industry by 2040. 

Alvaro Conde, lead author of the Circularity Gap Report 2025, breaks down why the world’s circularity rate has dropped to just 6.9% and what that means for business, policy, and the planet. He explores why circular strategies are struggling to scale, how linear systems remain deeply entrenched, and what companies can do to unlock value through circular innovation. Hear how collaboration, data, and mindset shifts can close the gap and build a more resilient global economy.

Recorded live at ARKI135 during WCEF2025, this special episode brings together Woamy, Lumene, and Fazer to explore how circularity is reshaping packaging, beauty, and food. From regulatory shifts to breakthrough collaborations, hear how startups and industry leaders are scaling sustainable innovation.

Mikko Pihavaara, Head of Sales Partnerships & Hospitality at FC St. Pauli, joins Michael to explore how one of football’s most iconic clubs is redefining sustainability in sports. They discuss St. Pauli’s unique approach to purpose-driven partnerships, circular hospitality, and community-led innovation, from vegan bratwurst and recycled jerseys to solar-powered stadiums and social impact programs. Mikko shares why values, not visibility, are the key to meaningful collaboration in the game and beyond. 

Dan Dicker, Founder and CEO of Circular&Co., shares how his journey from Dyson designer to circular pioneer shaped one of the UK’s most recognized circular brands. From building products with “100% recycled, 10-year, 100% recyclable” principles to rethinking reuse and leasing models, he reveals how pragmatism, design discipline, and persistence turn circular ideals into scalable business reality. 

 Biomethane takes center stage at European Biomethane Week 2025, where policymakers, scientists, financiers, and innovators reveal how this renewable gas is becoming a connector across energy, agriculture, and waste. From industrial symbiosis and circular finance to breakthroughs in technology and farming, the episode shows how biomethane transforms climate policy into circular strategy and turns residues into valuable resources. 

Allison Jordan, Executive Director of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, shares how California built one of the world’s most advanced sustainability programs across more than 2,600 vineyards and wineries. From climate resilience and regenerative farming to global certification and digital transparency, she reveals how collaboration, continuous improvement, and long-term stewardship are shaping the future of winegrowing. 

Kate Reimann, founder of Rogue Wave Toys, shares how a moment on the beach sparked a breakthrough in compostable, plant-based materials and a mission to rethink the future of play. From biopolymer science and intentional design to consumer education and industry ambition, she reveals what it takes to build a regenerative product and spark a broader shift away from petroleum-based plastics. 

 In this special episode from the Circular Valley Forum, leaders from industry, science and social innovation share how circularity is shifting from vision to practical constraint and competitive strategy. From ecosystem collaboration and real-scale demonstrators to new business models and cultural engagement, the episode distills what it takes to turn circular ambition into action and scale solutions that reshape industries and communities. 

 In this special Slush 2025 episode, founders across materials, electronics, chemistry, agriculture and even space show how circularity is shifting from aspiration to implementation. From second-life batteries and bio-based materials to repairable devices, regenerative filters and space-safe satellites, the episode captures a new wave of entrepreneurs building commercially scalable circular solutions that fit real markets and existing infrastructure. 

Costas Papaikonomou, co-founder of Una Terra, unpacks what it truly takes to scale circular innovation, from making new materials compatible with existing manufacturing to navigating long industrial adoption cycles and building the right technical-sales muscle. He explains why commercial viability must come before impact, why patience and pragmatism are essential for circular ventures, and why the transition ahead is a century-scale opportunity for Europe and global industry. 

In this Christmas special of the Circular Coffee Break, Michael Hanf explores what the holiday season looks like through the lens of circularity. From gift wrapping and waste, to circular design and community traditions, the episode reflects on how small, thoughtful choices can reduce pressure and add meaning to Christmas. Featuring short perspectives from TOMRA, Circular&Co, and WWF Germany, this episode shows how circular practices often emerge naturally during the holidays, not out of obligation, but from a desire for simplicity, connection, and care.

In this episode of Circular Coffee Break, host Michael Hanf sits down with Filipe Camaño Garcia, Lead, Global Circularity Protocol at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Filipe has spent more than a decade working across supply chains, humanitarian operations, policy, and sustainability transformations, and now leads one of the most ambitious global efforts to standardize how businesses approach circularity.

Jaakko Nauha was the first interview guest of The Circular Coffee Break back in early 2023. Almost three years later, he returns as the final interview guest of the podcast, now as CEO of Tracegrow.

In this conversation, we look at what has changed since those early days and what building a circular business looks like once initial ideas meet market realities. We discuss Tracegrow’s expansion from recycled battery-based fertilizers into broader industrial side streams, the move into seed treatment, and the development of battery-grade manganese for energy storage and electric vehicles.

In this solo episode, host Michael Hanf reflects on why the podcast was created, what he learned through three years of conversations, and why it feels right to bring the series to a close now.

Rather than offering a recap, the episode explores recurring themes that emerged over time: circularity as a governance and decision-making challenge rather than a technical one, the importance of collaboration across systems, uneven but real progress, and the role of context in shaping what change can look like in practice.