Material Matters: Developing Business for a Circular Economy

273 Pages·2022·45.557 MB·English

by  Thomas Rau, Sabine Oberhuber

“Tis is a book that gives an accessible and practical vision of the circular
economy, viewed through the eyes of two people who have played and
continue to play a key role in its realisation.”
Dame Ellen MacArthur, Founder,
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
“Tis book is a bold vision and a manual for a 21st century economy. A
wake-up call.”
Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey, University of Innsbruck;
Founder, Managing Partner, SYSTEMIQ
“A very inspiring and relevant book. We live in times of scepticism, doubt,
negativism and populism. But only an agenda of hope takes us further. Tis
is an important contribution to this agenda.”
Prof. Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende, Former Dutch Prime Minister
“Te products of today are the resources of tomorrow if we use them
intelligently. Tis book shows us how.”
Prof. Dr. Walter R. Stahel, Leading expert on circular economy;
Member of the Club of Rome; Founder -Director,
Te Product-Life Institute, Geneva

MATERIAL MATTERS
Our planet is a closed system with limited material resources, yet our current
economic model is designed in a one-w ay direction from resource extraction to
disposal, leading to resource depletion. Tis book proposes a new economic model,
ofering an alternative to this linear ‘ take- make- waste’ economy.
Material Matters shows a way of creating a circular economy by using the
unlimited resources we have: renewable energy, data and intelligence. It describes
a system based on circular business models centered on selling performance rather
than ownership, designing products and buildings as resource banks and equipping
products with a ‘ material passport’ to ensure their usability for future generations.
Businesses thereby become custodians of materials, rather than consumers of materials
and sellers of products. Te book evokes the vision of a radically new economic model
based on a compelling narrative, supported with cases that have been developed in
conjunction with major companies, for example, convincing Philips to sell light instead
of lamps, saving energy and materials by creating an entirely new business model, a case
which has become iconic for the circular economy.
Material Matters is not a somber analysis of the state of the planet but an entirely
and comprehensive agenda for change, ofering perspectives for taking action for
business and individual consumers alike.
THOMAS RAU  is an architect, entrepreneur, innovator and recognized thought
leader on sustainability and circular economy. His ofce RAU has been recognized
for being at the forefront of producing innovative CO neutral, energy positive and
2
circular buildings as a norm. Tomas was elected as Dutch Architect of the Year
2013 and awarded with the ARC13 Oeuvre Award for his widespread contribution
in both promoting and realizing sustainable architecture and bringing awareness of
the circular economy through international delivered lectures, TV documentaries,
TED talks and publications. In 2016, he was nominated for the Circular Economy
leadership Award of the World Economic Forum. In 2021, he received the Circular
Hero Award by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure.
SABINE OBERHUBER  is an economist; together with Tomas Rau, she cofounded
Turntoo, one of the frst companies in the world focusing on the transition to a
circular economy. Sabine is a renowned expert on circular economy; together with
her team at Turntoo, she assists corporate clients and public institutions in the
development and implementation of circular business models and management
strategies and facilitates the transition to a circular economy. She studied economics
at the Freie Wilhelms University in Münster (G ermany) and received her Master
of Management from the ESCP (E AP) European School of Management in Paris,
Oxford and Berlin.
MATERIAL
MATTERS
DEVELOPING BUSINESS FOR
A CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Thomas Rau and Sabine Oberhuber
Cover design: Scholz & Friends, edits by OneDesign
The translation was made by Roos van Hennekeler and edited by Dave Schmalz.
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Thomas Rau and Sabine Oberhuber
The right of Thomas Rau and Sabine Oberhuber to be identified as authors
of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent
to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing- in- Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
Names: Rau, Thomas (Architect), author. | Oberhuber, Sabine, author.
Title: Material matters: developing business for a circular economy /
Thomas Rau and Sabine Oberhuber.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, NY: Routledge, 2023. |
Includes bibliographical references. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2022031134 (print) | LCCN 2022031135 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032193267 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032193274 (paperback) |
ISBN 9781003258674 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Sustainable development. | Circular economy. |
Environmentalism—Economic aspects.
Classification: LCC HC79.E5 .R379 2023 (print) | LCC HC79.E5 (ebook) |
DDC 338.9/27—dc23/eng/20220818
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031134
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022031135
ISBN: 978- 1- 032- 19326- 7 ( hbk)
ISBN: 978- 1- 032- 19327- 4 ( pbk)
ISBN: 978- 1- 003- 25867- 4 ( ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/ 9781003258674
Typeset in Minion Pro
by codeMantra
With gratitude to our children: Damian, Nathan and Laetitia
and our parents: Magdalene & Ulrich† and Stefanie & Wilhelm.

CONTENTS
Foreword by Dame Ellen MacArthur xi
INTRODUCTION 3
CHAPTER 1 THE PRODUCT- AS- PROBLEM 11
CHAPTER 2 THE LINEAR ECONOMY OR THE END OF
THE LINE 37
CHAPTER 3 SPACESHIP EARTH – A CLOSED SYSTEM 55
CHAPTER 4 PERMANENT TEMPORALITY 71
CHAPTER 5 CHANGING THE RULES OF THE GAME 95
CHAPTER 6 THE MATERIAL PASSPORT 119
CHAPTER 7 MADASTER – A REGISTRY FOR MATERIALS 147
CHAPTER 8 UDMR – THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION
OF MATERIAL RIGHTS 161
ix