The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) hosted over 30 Circular Economy practitioners at the first ‘From Linear to Circular Africa’ workshop held in collaboration with the African Leadership University (ALU) from the 8th to the 11th of May 2022 at the Inscape Cape Town campus. The aim of the workshop was to accelerate the transition to a Circular Economy in Africa and to provide a networking opportunity for African Circular Economy practitioners. Participants came from a range of African countries including Ethiopia, Senegal, Zambia, Mauritius, South Africa and Mozambique to name a few.
The participants were guided by the EMF and ALU facilitators through a number of workshops focused on the Circular Economy and challenged to arrive at scenarios where the Circular Economy principles of eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials (at their highest value) and regenerating nature were applied to African contexts.
Participants engaged in presentations, brainstorming and planning sessions as well as visits to local sites to experience practical examples of recycling, regenerative farming, insect protein farming, sustainable built environment projects, tree regeneration and circular economy.
Representing Inscape’s interests were Esther Martins, Dean of the Built Environment Faculty, and Dr Sue Giloi, Chief Academic Officer. Their attendance further strengthened the strong relationship between Inscape, the EMF and the ALU, as it seeks to gain traction in its initiatives to promote circular design principles through academic integration and practice.
In 2021, Inscape became Africa’s second and South Africa’s first higher education institution to be profiled by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Due in part to the institution’s curriculum, which promotes the design, use and management of sustainable materials and practices.
“This was an amazing workshop that gave us an opportunity to interact with a range of people from different areas of expertise, all of us with a common purpose. We, as Inscape, aim to continue these crucial conversations about the Circular Economy and Sustainable Development Goals with our staff, students and stakeholders,” said Dr Giloi.
In addition to the amalgamation of circular economic principles within its teaching and learning, Inscape has embarked on a journey to convert its campuses to achieve Green Star Rated environments by 2025. The Inscape Stellenbosch campus has achieved a 5 Green Star Rating and the construction work has commenced at the Pretoria Campus, with the redesign aimed at achieving a 3 or 4 Green Star Rating.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook or visit our blog (https://www.inscape.ac/we-are-inscape/our-stories/blog/) for more updates on Inscape’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Circular Economy principles and stay tuned to the EMF’s website for details of future learning programmes. https://bit.ly/3LqaWBF