Wales’ first Circular Economy Club Mapping Session took place at the University of Wales Trinity St David on November 20. The event was organised by EFT Consult, a Swansea-based company that specialises in cutting edge and innovative technologies in relation to the design and consultancy of the built environment, in collaboration with the worldwide Circular Economy Club.

The circular economy is an economic system that sets out to eliminate waste and the ongoing depletion of our planet’s finite resources. The November 20 event, led by EFT Consult and students from the University of Wales Trinity St David, gave attendees access to the world's largest open-source database for the £1-trillion circular economy sector, enabling them to promote their businesses globally and learn from others.

Circular Economy Club Mapping has two key objectives: to bring together circular economy enthusiasts to discuss and learn about the latest circular initiatives happening in their cities, counties; and to map out circular economy initiatives taking place globally and make this information available online and free for all.

The session on November 20 aimed to map out 50 circular economy initiatives in the South Wales area but ended up mapping 64. Attendees ranged from social media influencers to Simon Wright, an award-winning restauranteur who applies the principles of the circular economy to his business.

Adrian Matthews, consultant, EFT Consult, said:

“The event was very well attended and was a great success. We had representatives from academia, construction, food, engineering, farming, agriculture, social enterprise, automotive, art, manufacturing, and the SME sector.

“There was a great deal of energy in the room and it was wonderful to find we were able to map out more circular economy initiatives than we were aiming for. Attendees said they felt proud to be part of it, sharing stories, knowledge and expertise. It was very informative, very inspirational and everyone is looking forward to further meetings.”