One of my favourite moments in a circularity discussion is when I get to stop being the smart one — and start getting ideas from the other side of the table.
I recently spoke with a medical institute.
At the beginning, the conversation was neutral. I was asking the questions:
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How would you evaluate your sustainability and circularity situation?
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What projects have you worked on, or are you working on now?
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Where are your pain points — regulation, capacity, cost?
She answered. I did most of the talking.
We discussed the handling and separation of medical waste, the high energy consumption of the equipment, and the strict regulations around all of it. Then we moved to transportation.
And this time, the next idea didn’t come from me. She asked:
“How about checking the plastic trays?”
The flip
That was the moment the conversation changed.
From “let me tell you where I see circularity potential” to “wait, what about this?”
From me explaining, to her exploring.
And that’s when the real discussion starts. Now you can dig into the questions that actually matter:
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Which materials are actually being discarded?
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Why are they being discarded?
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Which requirements are driving that?
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Which materials are single-use because they have to be — and which simply because that’s how the process evolved?
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Where are the biggest cost and material flows?
Why this moment matters
I’m not claiming every one of these questions leads to a circular solution.
But the moment people start seeing through the “circular lens” themselves — that’s the moment their real circular journey begins.
What’s something in your own operation you’ve never questioned — but maybe should?