Circular business model for PlanetCare’s washing machine filet

November 2017 - January 2018

Project overview:

Helping PlanetCare design a circular economy business model for their innovative filter that solves the issue of microfibers that end up in water bodies. Organised several workshops with an international circular economy expert and consultant Markus Laubscher (Phillips).

Partner: PlanetCare

Project description:

PlanetCare is a Slovenia start-up focusing on the issue of plastics pollution in the oceans. Washing our clothes contributes to this issue, because the filters in washing machines are not able to capture microfibers that fall out of textiles during washing. The innovative technology solved the problem of filtration, but the business strategy was still lacking, and the business model was not yet truly circular, since it was not clear what should happen with waste microfibers that accumulate in the PlanetCare filter.

Circular Change provided expertise, fresh ideas and organised a workshop with Markus Laubscher, renowned expert who helped design Philips Royal’s circular economy strategy. After several session, the business model was sketched out, and the team began seeing their project with a different focus.

Results:

PlanetCare was able to move to a new phase in their project and was one of 15 companies invited to participate in the Fashion for Good programme in the Netherlands, as well as to several other key industry events, such as the World Ocean Summit and Climatelaunchpad 2018.