The Society of Operations Management in Africa invited Charlaine Baartjes to speak about the Circular Economy.

It is happening on 21 August 2025, 10 – 11 am.

Is linear thinking holding us back? What opportunity does the circular economy offer Operations Management?

Interested? We can send you the link, no registration required. Just send an email to ecopartners@ecopartners.co.za

Dare to think differently. Because the future doesn’t need more efficiency, it needs new intelligence. As we grapple with the complexities of the 21st-century economy, resource scarcity, climate disruption, and socio-economic fragmentation, linear thinking continues to shape our dominant business and policy models. Our current paradigm, typified by take–make–waste production cycles, short-term profit seeking, and compartmentalised decision-making, is no longer fit for purpose.

This webinar challenges us not to ask how we might make linear systems more efficient, but to reimagine the very logic by which we create and capture value. The circular economy is presented not merely as a sustainability strategy, but as an opportunity for a profound cognitive shift, a new way of thinking about innovation, material stewardship, and shared prosperity.

Drawing on the principles of systems thinking, organisational learning, and behavioural science, we question the mental models that constrain transformative change. We explore what it takes to cultivate regenerative leadership and foster circular capabilities across sectors and disciplines.
Participants will be invited to reflect critically on their own contexts:
·      What assumptions drive our strategic choices?
·      Where does waste begin, not just in production, but in our mindsets?
·      How might we place material stewardship, long-term value, and socio-ecological wellbeing at the centre of enterprise?

This is not a talk about doing less harm. It’s an invitation to radically reimagine what good looks like.