Rethinking Business and Circular Economy with John A. Lanier

Episode 017: Rethinking Business and Circular Economy with John A. Lanier

Today I am thrilled to welcome John A. Lanier, the Executive Director of the Ray C. Anderson foundation. John works to advance the legacy of Ray, his grandfather, whom you might recognize as the founder of carpet tile manufacturer Interface, Inc. Twenty years ago, Ray detailed his and Interface’s sustainability journey in his book Mid-Course Correction, and John has now released an update called Mid-Course Correction Revisited. In today’s podcast, John and I discuss Ray’s legacy, what has happened in the 20 years since Ray first documented his journey, and John’s vision for the future. Resources and links discussed in this episode can be found at gettinginthelooppodcast.com .

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Episode Highlights

• 4:30 Ray C. Anderson’s legacy and the work of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation
• 6:30 Interface’s sustainable business journey and transformation
• 11:15 Picking up where Ray’s story left-off
• 14:00 Moving from company examples to a macro-economic perspective
• 20:20 Making the change to a more circular economy happen
• 25:00 Ways to shift culture and change mindset within companies
• 30:00 Recognizing the limitations of an abundance mindset

About the Podcast

Getting In the Loop is a weekly podcast dedicated to exploring how to transform to a more circular society. Join host Katie Whalen as she examines the challenges facing our current resource use and discovers alternatives to the ‘take, make, dispose’ way of doing things. Each week she interviews circular economy experts about what they’re doing and learning. Together we’ll uncover what circular economy means in practice and find out what’s being done to keep our resources in a loop rather than sent to waste. It’s time for you to get in the loop!