Transforming Together Summit

The summit brought together Madaster partners, industry leaders, and changemakers to explore the theme Transforming Together – a powerful call to action for driving a circular economy. This event was part of Madaster’s commitment to empower our Partners with knowledge sharing and network building through the Madaster Network.

Here’s a look at the key takeaways from his address and how they can inspire action toward a more sustainable future.

The staggering scale of consumption and waste

Every 20 minutes, the numbers are astonishing:

• 3.7 million tonnes of materials are extracted
• 22.8 petajoules of energy are consumed, enough to power 8 million American households
• 71 tonnes of clothing and 2,000 tonnes of electrical goods are discarded

These figures underscore the pressing need to rethink how we design, use, and dispose of resources. With over 90% of extracted materials eventually ending up as waste, David emphasized that our current trajectory is unsustainable.

The circular economy: A systemic solution

At its core, the circular economy is about redefining waste as a resource and keeping materials in circulation for as long as possible. David stressed that achieving this requires systemic change, especially in the design phase—where 80% of environmental costs are locked in. The circular economy offers a roadmap to:

• Reduce material use through better design and planning
• Reuse and recycle resources, keeping them in circulation
• Leverage innovation to create sustainable alternatives to traditional materials

Using Madaster’s powerful data platform to create and manage material passports enables designers to make data-driven choices to reduce waste and improve sustainability in building design.

Collaborating Across Sectors

No industry exists in isolation, and David’s work spans multiple sectors—from construction and textiles to automotive and food. Collaboration is vital to embedding circular principles across the economy. For instance:

• In construction, reuse hubs and the integration of circular materials, like the Brighton Waste House (built from 90% post-consumer waste), are paving the way for more sustainable practices.
• In materials innovation, companies like Notpla are creating seaweed-based packaging, and Bio Bean transforms coffee grounds into construction materials and fuels.

These examples highlight the potential of cross-sectoral partnerships to drive systemic change. Here again, material passports are vital, enabling effortless sharing of data across the supply chain to support joined up decision making.

Inspiring circular projects in the UK

David pointed to inspiring circular economy strategies in the UK, including route maps developed for regions like the West Midlands and Brighton & Hove. Examples of how locally tailored approaches can address specific challenges while contributing to global progress.

Building the circular economy together

David laid out a clear action plan for organizations looking to embrace circularity:

1. Baseline your systems: Understand where you are and the resources you consume.

2. Identify circular interventions: Explore opportunities to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

3. Build an action plan: Create a roadmap to implement changes.

4. Deliver and monitor: Take action, track progress, and adjust as needed.

5. Celebrate success: Share data and case studies to inspire broader adoption.

The path to sustainable prosperity

The circular economy offers more than environmental benefits; it’s a pathway to sustainable prosperity. By shifting away from a linear “take-make-waste” model, we can create systems that are resilient, resource-efficient, and economically viable.

While the challenges of mainstreaming circular practices remain, David’s keynote highlighted the power of collaboration, innovation, and bold action to drive meaningful change. It’s a call to all of us—businesses, policymakers, and individuals—to rethink our systems and seize the opportunity for transformation.

What’s next?

As David reminded us, the transition to a circular economy requires collective effort. Who are the players in your system? What resources are underutilized? And how can you work with others to close the loop?

The answers to these questions could shape a sustainable future—one where prosperity and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

Let’s start the conversation and transform together.

Get Involved

This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to keep the conversation going. If you’d like to learn more about Madaster and how we’re helping create a circular economy in the built environment:

• Contact Us: Interested in collaborating or learning more? Get in touch with our team
• Explore Our Platform: Learn how we’re already impacting circularity in building and construction. Visit our Platform page
• Stay connected: Be part of a community committed to driving change and stay informed about our latest news and insights, products updates, and events. Subscribe