Jonquil Hackenberg: How Can Design Accelerate the Shift to a Circular Economy?

In this episode of Design Perspectives, host Martin Pauli talks with Jonquil Hackenberg, CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, about how design can accelerate the shift from a linear to a circular economy. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in business transformation and sustainability, Hackenberg explains why circularity must become a core economic and strategic driver.

The conversation highlights the circular economy as a powerful, apolitical framework for change, explores design’s role in enabling systemic innovation, and discusses what it takes to move from pilot projects to scalable, real-world impact.

👤 Jonquil Hackenberg – CEO, Ellen MacArthur Foundation

🎙️ Martin Pauli – Director & Global Leader Circular Economy Services at Arup
de.linkedin.com/in/martin-pauli-1aa06974

📌 Three Takeaways:

1. Circular Economy Is More Than Recycling: Jonquil Hackenberg emphasises that circularity is often misunderstood as being synonymous with recycling. In reality, its greatest potential lies upstream: in design, business models and systems thinking. Designing out waste from the start and keeping materials at their highest value for as long as possible creates new economic opportunities and resilience across supply chains.

2. Design as a Strategic Lever for Systems Change: From product and service design to policy, ownership models and behavioural change, design sits at the heart of the circular transition. Whether rethinking battery ownership in the automotive industry or enabling circular business models in fashion and textiles, designers play a critical role in reshaping how value is created, shared and sustained.

3. Collaboration, Courage and Long-Term Thinking: True progress towards circularity requires collective action. Hackenberg highlights the importance of pre-competitive collaboration, brave leadership and aligning sustainability with core business strategy rather than treating it as a reporting exercise. Moving from short-term thinking to long-term value creation is essential to achieving scale and impact.
Design Perspectives ist das Magazin- und Podcastformat des German Design Council rund um die Frage, wie sich Design als Hebel für Transformation und wirtschaftlichen Erfolg nutzen lässt. Darüber sprechen wir mit Persönlichkeiten aus Design, Markenführung und Architektur. Sie geben Einblicke, wie Transformation, Nachhaltigkeit und wirtschaftlicher Erfolg zusammenspielen und welche Rolle Design dabei einnimmt.

🎧 Design Perspectives Podcast
The Podcast by the German Design Council

How can we use design as a lever for transformation and economic success? That is what we discuss with personalities from design, brand management and architecture. They offer insights into how transformation, sustainability and economic success can go hand in hand in business. Interesting, informative, inspiring.

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🔗 Further links:
Ellen MacArthur Foundation: ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
Circular Design Summit: german-design-council.de/circular-design-summit

🕐 Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction: Design and the circular economy
01:24 – Jonquil Hackenberg’s career path and motivation
05:24 – Where the global circular transition stands today
07:46 – Common misconceptions about circular economy
09:55 – From pilot projects to scale: leverage points for change
11:54 – Leadership, collaboration and courage
18:46 – The role of design in driving circular innovation
21:56 – Design opportunities in fashion and textiles
24:12 – Advice for young designers
25:07 – Skills future leaders will need
28:59 – AI, optimism and shaping a positive future
31:55 – Outlook on the Circular Design Summit keynote