Anna Köhl completed her Bachelor's degree at MCI-Tourism and her Master's degree in Strategic Management at the University of Innsbruck. She is writing her dissertation on circular business models, for which she has also received a fellowship from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. She worked as a management consultant at Systemiq Ltd. in Munich and Innovative Management Partner in Innsbruck. At the beginning of 2023, she finally founded together with Simon Tumler . and is now fully dedicated to the topic of circular transformation.
F.acT: What does circular economy mean and what are the principles behind it?
Anna Köhl: The circular economy is a relatively new economic model that aims to shape a positive and liveable future. It offers enormous opportunities for healthy economic activity within planetary boundaries and thus stands in contrast to our current linear "take-make-waste" system, which is largely based on the one-time use of resources and leads to large amounts of waste and other system-damaging effects. At its core, the model is based on three principles:
- Waste and pollution as we know it today are eliminated.
- Products and materials are kept in cycles - always with a focus on the highest possible value retention.
- Nature is regenerated.
The circular economy decouples economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and, in addition to the energy transition, is the central building block for achieving the climate neutrality targets by 2050.
F.acT: What exactly do you have planned with endlich.
Anna Köhl: The circular economy will not develop on its own. Active action by politicians, society and business is required. And this is where we come in with endlich: We support people, companies and organizations in shaping sustainable change - through consulting and educational services:
Our consulting services cover four fields. These range from initial impulses to understand the circular economy(Inspire), to analyzing the circular status quo and developing new business models(Explore and Ideate), to developing and implementing circular corporate strategies(Transform).
With our educational program, we want to serve another lever of the circular economy transformation. After all, only by imparting knowledge, new ways of thinking and implementation-oriented methods and tools can change actually succeed. We are currently working on creating an interactive e-learning format that can also be completed as part of educational leave.
It remains to be seen what else the future holds for endlich. One thing is clear: we want to make our contribution to a positive circular world and look forward to new collaborations and projects.
F.acT: Are there already best practice examples in tourism that successfully implement the circular economy approach?
Anna Köhl : For a long time, the circular economy was primarily seen as a future model for the manufacturing industry, but the concept is now also finding its way into the service sector - and therefore also into tourism. Circular approaches offer effective opportunities to regenerate natural ecosystems - on which tourism businesses are largely dependent. At the same time, the circular economy offers extensive opportunities to save resources along the tourism value chain - and therefore costs - and generate new revenue streams. At the interface between suppliers and consumers, tourism businesses can play an influential multiplier role in raising awareness and implementing circular concepts.
There are already a number of best practice examples along the tourism value chain, which include businesses, destinations and suppliers:
- The Green Solution House in Denmark, for example, is positioning itself as a living circular economy laboratory. The 4-star hotel with a conference center pursues a holistic, sustainable and circular economy approach with a focus on almost all aspects of hotel operations. Some of the approaches: the hotel's own pyrolysis plant converts organic waste into electricity and heat, the former swimming pool has been converted into a highly insulated energy storage unit for excess heat, guests can access data on their own energy consumption via an app, and the natural recycling of 500 liters of grey water per day can be experienced in the spa area.
- Another best practice example is the circular economy approach of the Iberostar Group (over 100 hotels in 16 countries): In addition to decarbonizing its operations and supply chain, with the aim of being CO2-neutral by 2030, the group relies on another core principle of the circular economy: the regeneration of natural ecosystems. For example, 25% of their resort areas in the Dominican Republic are earmarked for replanting. Their rule is that for every area of land taken up by buildings, an area three times as large is re-vegetated with mangroves.
- However, suppliers are already implementing circular principles: the Viennese start-up MATR offers the delivery, installation and return of premium mattresses. Circular design makes it possible to dismantle mattresses - at the end of their first life cycle - into their individual components and reuse or recycle the majority of them. This business model approach makes it possible to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 50% compared to conventional mattresses of the same quality.
F.acT: Where can interested parties find out more about this topic?
Anna Köhl: Anyone who would like to find out more about the circular economy and its opportunities is of course welcome to contact us directly. In future, we want to focus even more on the circular opportunities for tourism businesses and destinations. Our educational program, which will go online later this year, is a good opportunity to learn about the basics, best practice examples, tools and methods of the circular economy. In addition, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in particular - the thought leader of the circular economy - publishes a wealth of knowledge, best practice examples, videos and podcasts on its website.
In addition, the Circular Design Week Tirol will take place from May 5-17, 2023 in the bakery in Innsbruck - initiated by the Standortagentur Tirol. In addition to the exhibition of the Federal Ecodesign Award, there will be a number of exciting events, panel discussions and workshops.
