Course overview
6 Weeks of Learning
- What the circular economy is and why it’s important
- What the linear economy is and why it’s a problem
- How to transition to the circular economy
- The core concepts such as the biological and technical flows
- Circular economy business and design strategies
- Overview of circular design
- How to take action to introduce circular systems change
Curriculum
What’s inside this course
The program is broken up into four main parts, one for each week of the sprint. In each section, you will find practical activities with prompts to download the PDF worksheets to help you progress with your learning. These will help guide you through the process and are yours to keep for later reference.
Activities:
- Benchmark Circular Economy and Sustainability Examples
- Triple Aspects of Sustainability
Activities:
- Linear Economy Refection
- Product Life Cycle Map
- Waste and Materials Identification
Activities:
- Circular Economy Systems Map
- Greenwashing Self-Checker
Activities:
- Product ReDesign from Linear to Circular
- Transitioning to the Circular Economy
Activities:
- Product Service System Map
- Sustainable Supply Chain Map
Activities:
- Theory of Change
- Circular Economy Transformation Plan
Support downloads and materials to help you on your sprint journey.
Materials
- The Circular Systems Design Handbook written by Leyla Acaroglu
- Circular Economy Redesign Workshop Pack
- Educational Learning pack from Linear to Circular Economy
- Activity Worksheets (as you progress)
Advance your learning
Ready for the next level?
Consider taking the Systems Thinking course. Overcome linear thinking and unravel the interconnectedness of our world. This 5-part course will get your head around systems thinking and give you the tools you need to understand the complex social, industrial, and environmental systems at play.
Alumni Feedback
Profound effect
“Being part of the UnSchool is not just about finding a connection with a global group of individuals eager to do good. It’s about finding a way to activate your own agency, knowing that that’s the only real way to change your world.”
— Zoe Palmer
Everyone should learn this
“The content has given me a practical way to delve into complex problems, exploring thinking far beyond my normal lines of inquiry, and to surface new areas for intervention and innovative ways of designing those interventions. Everyone who is tackling systems should learn this.”
Catriona McLagan![]()
Refreshing
“As someone operating in the nonprofit sphere, it was refreshing to branch out and learn a new way of thinking. I’m going to take this new learning to become an agent of cultural change in my circles.”
Michael Paone![]()
World renowned expert training
Your instructor
Sustainability provocateur, award-winning designer, UNEP Champion of the Earth, and creative changemaker pioneer, Dr. Leyla Acaroglu challenges people to think differently about how the world works. Leyla’s main-stage TED talk on sustainability has been viewed over a million times, she is the founder of the UnSchool and creator of the Disruptive Design Method. As as a renowned international expert on systems thinking and sustainability, she runs workshops around the world and designs unique educational experiences that help equip people with the tools to intervene and change systems to make the status quo obsolete. Leyla is sought after for her unique approach to activating positive social change by design.
Course FAQs
You will have access for 180 days from the date of purchase.
You can do a deep dive or space it out, but all together it will take about 30-40 hours to complete
If you need more time, please send us an email. There may be a small fee depending on how much more time you need. These are granted on a case by case basis.
Find out if you are eligible for our Equity Access Scholarships
As part of our goal to make our programs equitable, we offer both partial scholarships and payment plans. Our limited number of scholarships are awarded based on demonstrated need to certain select courses and programs. We fund these to promote equitable access to our programs. We are committed to offering our scholarships to community members who would otherwise be unable to access a program at all.
Looking for team training?
Sign up any number of members for your team at the checkout, or get in touch if you would like to commission a custom workshop or learning package.
FAQs
Need more info?
All your general questions, comments, compliments and complaints.
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