By 2025, circular economy professionals who master these five skills could earn 25% than their peers!
The transition to circular economy models involves integrating emerging technology with business practices. This presents unique challenges that demand both technical expertise and system thinking.
Don’t get left behind – develop your existing capabilities and build new skills to stay ahead of the curve. This way, you can be the person setting trends in the circular economy sector, not scrambling to keep up with your colleagues.
The 5 skills you need:
- Systems Thinking – See the big picture
- Circular Design – Design out waste
- Stakeholder Collaboration – Build partnerships
- Business Model Innovation – Make it profitable
- Data & Measurement – Prove impact
Systems Thinking – See the big picture
What it is: Systems thinking means understanding how all parts of the value chain – materials, supply, consumption, waste recovery, policy, infrastructure – work in harmony.
Why it matters: Systems thinking helps circular economy professionals see how materials, policies, supply chains, and consumer behaviour interact, so they can design solutions that fix the root cause of any problems rather than just their symptoms.
Real professionals doing it: Mark & Spencer has used systems thinking to manage complex sustainability challenges, calling it ‘practical and very relevant to sustainable business practice’.
Circular Design – Design out waste
What it is: Designing products and packaging so that waste is minimised or eliminated when the item reaches the end of its life. This is accomplished through reusability, repairability, modularity, and sustainable material choices.
Why it matters: How much waste a product produces at its end-of-life is decided during its design phase. The choices designers make can ensure every material that makes up a product has a second life, rather than ending up in landfill.
Real professionals doing it: According to a report by WRAP and OC&C Strategy Consultants, 60% of businesses assessed are designing products for durability or repairability – a sharp increase from previous years.
Stakeholder Collaboration – Build partnerships
What it is: Engaging across industries, government, communities, suppliers, and even competitors to align incentives, share resources, and co-develop solutions.
Why it matters: The circular economy transition is a once-in-a-generation shift in how we function as a society. It will require joined-up thinking and collaboration across all sectors. Being able to efficiently build partnerships will place you at the forefront of the circular economy industry.
Real professionals doing it: The Flexible Plastic Fund brings together Ecosurety, the charity Hubbub, major packaged food & drink brands (Mars UK, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Mondelez), local authorities, and regulators to improve the recyclability of flexible plastic packaging. They share knowledge, fund research and development, and pilot collection schemes.
Business Model Innovation – Make it profitable
What it is: Moving beyond linear ‘take-make-dispose’ models to new models like product-as-a-service, leasing, sharing, take-back, subscription, or buy-back, that align profitability with circularity.
Why it matters: As more countries adopt schemes that incentivise more sustainable business choices, like extended producer responsibility, there will be more opportunities to innovate existing business models to become more profitable, while adhering to circular principles.
Real professionals doing it: MUD Jeans is a Dutch denim brand that lets customers rent jeans for a monthly fee instead of buying them outright. The pioneering ‘Lease A Jeans’ programme helps keep jeans in circulation for longer, while giving its customers more convenience.
Data & Measurement – Prove impact
What it is: Using metrics, analytics, and lifecycle assessments to measure the environmental, social and economic impacts of circular initiatives.
Why it matters: Without credible data, claims of ‘circularity’ or ‘sustainability’ risk being dismissed, and even leave businesses open to greenwashing allegations. Being able to measure results also always helps you to optimise your activities to achieve better results.
Real professionals doing it: Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping recycling through route optimisation, smart bins and robotic sorting systems. One of the businesses driving innovation in this space is Greyparrot – an analytics platform that embraces waste intelligence to recover more resources.
Conclusion
In 2025, having just one of these skills in your tool belt could make you far more competitive. But professionals who can combine Systems Thinking, Circular Design, Stakeholder Collaboration, Business Model Innovation, and Data & Measurement are the ones who’ll lead the field.
These skills will place you in the best position to earn more, deliver a bigger impact, and shape a resilient, profitable circular economy.
Are you ready to learn these skills? Learn more about CEI’s training courses and take the next step in your professional development.