Place-Based Circular Economies: How Regions Can Drive National Growth – Circular Economy UK Write Up

The Circular Economy UK Conference 2026 in Birmingham brought together leaders across regional authorities, industry, and academia to explore, particularly within this session, how place-based approaches can help drive and accelerate the UK’s transition to a circular economy.

This early afternoon panel featured discussions centred on how local investment, collaboration, and tailored regional strategies can generate jobs, reduce emissions, and enhance resilience.

The panel was chaired by Declan Williams, Head of Partnerships at TSC, who highlighted the importance of regions acting as catalysts of delivery, guided by a national policy framework.

Panellists included:

• Hattie Parke, Strategy Director at Climate Local Partnerships LLP.
• Paul Francis, Senior Manager in Circular Supply Chain at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).
• Bettina Gilbert, Director of Resource Management at WRAP.
• Danielle Heward, Founder of Optimo.

Laying The Foundations

Hattie Parke emphasised the importance of logistics, storage, and industrial symbiosis in regional circular economies. By connecting neighbouring businesses and reducing unnecessary transportation, materials can circulate efficiently, supporting both resilience and economic growth.

Robust data collection was also highlighted as a key enabler, allowing regions to track material flows, measure progress, and replicate successful initiatives.

Measuring Circularity and Community Engagement

Danielle Heward spoke on the importance of measuring circularity across the waste hierarchy, from reuse and repair to recycling.

Drawing on examples, such as the circular market town of Malton and Norton, she highlighted how collaboration among local businesses and engagement with communities can foster meaningful change.

These place-based approaches help ensure circular principles are embedded in everyday business and local life.

Investment, Innovation, and Industrial Insights

Paul Francis discussed the challenges of embedding circular practices in the automotive sector. He mentioned that Jaguar Land Rover has adopted strategies such as leveraging recycled materials, treating waste as a resource, and creating “campuses of capability” to reduce logistical inefficiencies.

Initiatives like these balance environmental impact with competitiveness, demonstrating how strategic investment and process innovation can deliver measurable circular outcomes.

Bettina Gilbert highlighted lessons from Wales, where the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 has guided investment in repair, reuse, and manufacturing.

Initiatives like Crown Interiors – which has grown from a small manufacturing business to a commercially viable service that remanufactures old furniture – suggest how targeted investment can drive large-scale circular impact.

Collaboration as a Key Factor

Collaboration was discussed as a central theme throughout the panel discussion. Panellists noted that frontrunner advantage can carry risk, making coordinated timing and formalised commitments essential.

Danielle spoke about the need for stakeholders to be engaged with this, while Hattie and Bettina discussed the role of infrastructure, capacity-building and, shared data in driving lasting change.

Final Reflections

The panel concluded that place-based approaches are essential in scaling the UK’s circular economy. By taking advantage of regional strengths, embedding circular practices across sectors, and encouraging collaboration between public, private, and community involvers, the different regions within the UK can drive national growth.

This afternoon session reinforced the strong message of how circular economy action in the UK is not a distant ambition, but more of a present opportunity, and that regional leadership is key to unlocking it.

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