New Zealand has what it takes to be a genuinely resilient nation - we have the resources, the people, the innovation, and the care for place that most countries can only aspire to.
But right now, we are leaving an extraordinary amount of value on the table.
Most of what New Zealand makes, buys, and uses still follows a linear pattern: extract, make, use, discard. That model is becoming a liability economically, environmentally, and socially. It makes us dependent on imported materials, exposed to supply chain shocks, and complicit in the steady degradation of the natural systems our economy depends on. Our communities, businesses, and environments are carrying the cost through waste, productivity loss, inequity, and environmental harm.
We see an opportunity to lift ambition and coordinate action towards a circular economy — but only if the case is made clearly, in the right language, to the right people, at the right moment.
Join us for a free 90‑minute conversation introducing *Circular by Nature* - a strategic, practical platform and living white paper designed as a decision-making instrument for the boardroom, the minister’s office, and the council chamber. But accessible enough to land with everyday decision-makers across Aotearoa.
Through the lens of daily life: how we live, how we eat, and how we move, we’ll share the emerging thinking, invite challenge and contribution, and outline what it will take to build momentum again.
Why attend now?
Because circularity is a global resilience strategy for over 100 countries, including our main trade partners, reducing material risk and exposure to supply shocks, strengthens regional jobs and capability, and protects market access as global product rules, standards, and procurement expectations tighten. If we don’t move together, the burden falls on pioneers and exporters to go it alone, and the costs of delay compound across households, businesses, and infrastructure.
We’ll also share a short presentation of Kantar research findings on circular behaviours to ground the conversation in what New Zealanders are already doing - and what could shift at scale.
WHEN - Friday 26 June, 8:00–9:30am NZT (online)
FORMAT - Introducing Circular by Nature & panel conversation (60min), stay on for Q&A with time for community questions and feedback (30min).
Who: Louise Nash, Kelly McClean, and Samantha Walmsley‑Bartlett, alongside invited partners, including Kantar and the University of Auckland. More to be added.
By joining, you’ll:
- Hear why this moment is critical - the election window is short, but the opportunity is generational
- Get a clear, plain‑language framing of the circular economy opportunity in Aotearoa (beyond waste)
- See a snapshot of Kantar’s latest research on circular behaviours and what it suggests about readiness for change
- Understand why circularity is a resilience and competitiveness issue now: material costs and access, supply chain shocks, and export market requirements
- Learn what the *Circular by Nature* platform and white paper will deliver and how to participate in its co-design
- Add your perspective - where your organisation/community is on the journey, and what would make progress possible
Who is this for?
- Decision makers across industries
- Supporters of the circular economy
- Future thinkers and designers
- Policy makers