From Wales to Wuppertal – Prof. Gavin Bunting (PhD) on the similarities between Wales and Germany and how Circular Thinking connects regions

Herzlich willkommen im Circular Valley

das ist der Podcast für die Kreislaufwirtschaft.



Hinweis: Sonderfolge in englischer Sprache.



Interview with Prof. Gavin Bunting (PhD) from the Swansea
University of Wales.



What happens when circular innovation meets international
collaboration? In this episode of the Circular Valley Podcast, we
speak with Prof. Gavin Bunting, Associate Professor and
Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Swansea University and a key figure in
advancing circular economy initiatives in Wales.


Prof. Bunting shares his takeaways from the Circular Valley
Convention and explores opportunities for stronger partnerships
between Wales and Germany. His work focuses on empowering SMEs,
engaging consumers, and enabling systemic change through
practical, scalable solutions.


In this episode we talk about:




How Wales and the Circular Valley can join forces to drive
impactful regional collaboration




From battery recycling to better solar panels: how Gavin
helps companies design products that are not just recyclable,
but repairable and upgradable




How his team increased recycling rates by 46% at music
festivals – and what this reveals about consumer behavior




Why policy, incentives, and design thinking must align to
enable real circular change





Connect with Prof. Gavin Bunting!



Content:


(00:00) Jingle/Introduction


(00:59) Cooperation with Circular Valley: What brings you here?


(03:34) Building networks?


(04:05) Wales vs. Germany: How do you compare the two countries
in terms of circularity?


(05:23) What kind of impact can you have on consumer demand to
make it more circular?


(08:58) Designing great products that can be recycled – instead
of designing products just to be recycled?


(11:30) Boosting recycling: Regulation vs. incentives – what
works best?


(13:35) How do you support SMEs and businesses in implementing
circular practices?


(18:40) Conclusion/Jingle


Zum Circular Valley:


https://circular-valley.org/


https://www.linkedin.com/company/circularvalley/


https://www.instagram.com/circular.valley/


Fragen und Anregungen:
podcast@circular-valley.org