Spotlighting Circular Solutions at the Osaka World Expo 2025 and Beyond! The circular economy took the spotlight at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan attracting nearly 30 million visitors over the course of six months. Within the framework of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP), Rosa Strube, Head of Sustainable Lifestyles at the CSCP, took part, focusing on sharing insights and exchanging ideas on how to empower consumers for circular living. To highlight the global importance of the circular economy, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform (ECESP) curated an inspiring programme for the Circular Economy Days in Osaka, bringing together experts from Europe, Japan, and beyond. Strube’s contribution drew on insights gathered over more than a decade of work at the intersection of business innovation and sustainable lifestyles. She played an active role in two sessions, both showcasing the human side of circularity. In the session Scaling Circularity: Empowering SMEs for a Sustainable Future, she emphasised the key role of consumers in the success of circular business models, particularly those relying on daily choices, convenience, and trust. She highlighted the need to actively involve consumers in developing sustainable models such as, return, repair, and product-as-a-service, to ensure they align with real consumer needs. In the session It Starts with Us: How Everyday Choices Build Circular Economies, Strube guided the discussion toward citizens’ everyday decisions, shedding light on different good practices from Japan and Europe, based on their respective cultural backgrounds, on waste recycling, upcycling, and giving a voice to citizens for the circular transition. Across several sessions, one message was clear: Japan and Europe face remarkably similar challenges and opportunities on their circular journey — from empowering SMEs to designing consumer experiences that make sustainable choices easy and desirable. Both regions can learn from each other’s approaches, be it Japan’s strong community-based repair culture or Europe’s growing ecosystem of circular start-ups. The exchanges in Osaka demonstrated that the path toward circularity is shared — and that collaboration across cultures and continents will be vital for scaling change. More insights and highlights from the Circular Economy Days are available on the ECESP website. Building on these themes, two new episodes of the Let’s Talk – the ECESP Podcast explore how to know your audience and the power of reusable packaging: In the episode “Know Your Audience,” Rosa Strube (CSCP) and Claire Downey (Redescovery Centre) talk with guests from Ireland’s DCEE and Thomas More University about what drives overconsumption—especially in fast fashion—and how clearer messaging can support more circular choices. In the episode “Reusable Packaging,” they speak with Dr. Tim Breker of Vytal about what makes reuse systems work, from stadiums to city policies—and even his go-to bakery bag. Tune in for the two lively, thought-provoking conversations packed with real-world insights, circular solutions, and a touch of humour – download the podcasts here! For further questions and to explore new collaborations, please reach out to Rosa Strube.