So I’m Jos and I’m working on research in circular economy and automotive sector. And I would like to know your point of view. If you accept, I’m going to record our conversation, transcribe it and put the transcription with a pseudonym, not your real name, in a repository of text documents that will be used for the research. If we do that and you change your mind later and no longer want to participate, get in touch with us and we will immediately remove your interview from the repository. I’m leaving you an information sheet with contact informations. Please say if you agree and you name.
I agree. And my name is Jacqueline Zink.
Thank you. So the first question, can you define a circular economy in your own words?
Oh, that’s really interesting because in own words, always kind of difficult. But for me, circular economy would be like, we produce something or we do anything in business and there is a starting point and there’s kind of no end point. So everything we put into the world goes into this circle and kind of circle of life of products, of services so that everything we put in the world should also be, yeah, recycled again in any way.
Okay. The second question how did you become interested in the circular economy, ideas and practices?
Originally I’m from a consulting group, so I started my career in consulting and it’s a big business and IT strategy consulting company. And therefore we also saw that this is really important for all the big companies to get into the topic because we just have this one world. Now I’m co-founder of a networking app called Chance. We also use here in the GreenTech Festival. And with that, we try to bring the people together to safe the future together. So I think bringing people together that they can work together on environmental sustainability is something of the key points we have to consider.
In your opinion, can a circular economy be implemented in individual sectors and or industries?
Yes, I think it’s not just a process of circular economy. I think it’s the mindset where every individual has to has to learn about this mindset that everything should go into this circle and adapt it. In personal life and in industries, big or small, doesn’t matter.
Do you think the circular economy already exists, for example, in the car industry?
I think they try because I also worked, as I said, in a big consulting company and had a lot of clients like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen. They try, but I think it’s a long way to go. It’s a long investment and I think maybe 10 or 20% is covered, but there’s a lot more we have to do.
Um. What do you think? How they can extend it?
I said at the beginning, I think networking and collaboration is a big key changer because working together with experts, maybe also startups which have like innovative ideas. I’ve been to the Founders League last last founders, sorry, Founders League event last week, and there are a lot of startups pitched, like how you can reuse carbon. So do it for the big companies. And I think they should work together also with smaller companies, which are really, really creative and have like problem solving ideas, but they need money and they need companies who do it with them. So focusing big companies with small creative solutions would be a game changer, I think.
Sorry. No. Do you currently own a car?
Yes, I own a car. I’m originally coming from the countryside, so for me it’s crucial because in this time we are living. It’s like you have kind of to decide time, invest money, invest and climate invest. And for me, it would be really nice if time and climate would go hand in hand, but especially in countryside, you cannot you cannot save time when you’re not driving by car. I would love to drive an electric car, but here we know the problems. We know we need charging and then of course for charging, you need like the sustainable or. Yeah. Energy coming in. Yeah.
What kind of car do you have?
What do you mean with kind of car? It’s in Volkswagen. I’m a I’m a Volkswagen girl. I’m originally from Sindelfingen, so I should take a Mercedes-Benz because it’s like. But it’s a Volkswagen. But never owned a total new car. Just bought it again and again. At least that.
When is the one adjective that comes to mind when you think about car electronics.
Sorry again.
What is the one the adjective that comes in mind if you think about car electronics? Electronics. What is the first what you think when you hear a car electronics?
Quick. Easy to handle. Good idea. But process and charging network not improved enough.