Circular Canvas
Canvas for visualizing and designing circular economy value chains.
PURPOSE
The transformation to circular economy business models often fails because the necessary changes across the entire value chain are not considered holistically. The Circular Canvas makes the connections between material flows, product design, and business models visible. It helps companies identify concrete starting points for transitioning to circular value creation.
HOW TO USE
You map the current value chain on the canvas and identify material flows, waste streams, and sources of loss. Then circular strategies such as repair, reuse, remanufacturing, or recycling are applied to your own context. For each starting point, business model implications and implementation steps are defined.
WHAT IT IS
The Circular Canvas is a visual planning tool from the BMI Lab that supports the design of circular economy business models. It combines elements of the Business Model Canvas with circular economy principles such as material cycles and lifecycle thinking. The canvas maps the entire circular value chain from raw material extraction to recycling.
EXAMPLE
Example: Your furniture manufacturer wants to switch from a linear 'produce-sell-dispose' model to a circular economy approach. Using the Circular Canvas, you visualize the entire value chain and identify starting points: take-back of used furniture, refurbishment and resale, compostable packaging materials. This turns the transformation from a vision into a concrete plan.