Twice a year, Circular Philadelphia brings its community together to share ideas, celebrate accomplishments, and chart the course for our collective future. Our Spring 2025 Members Meeting embodied this spirit, with an evening full of energy, connection, and actionable plans to advance Philadelphia’s circular economy.
Exploring Circular Spaces
Our Members Meeting kicked off with networking and perusing The Resource Exchange (our gracious host), followed by tours of both The Resource Exchange and City Ore: two member organizations that exemplify circularity in action. Attendees learned how materials destined for landfills are being diverted and given new life through reuse in our local economy.
After the tours, members enjoyed delicious food from Tiffin and refreshing beverages from Copper Bonnet Distillery – both member organizations committed to sustainable practices in their respective industries. Tiffin has become a staple of our members meetings, and these culinary offerings not only satisfied our appetites but also demonstrated how circularity can be incorporated into every aspect of our lives, including what we eat and drink.
Big thanks to both Tiffin and Copper Bonnet Distillery for generously sponsoring food and drink for us to enjoy!
Celebrating Our Collective Impact
Interim Executive Director Sam Wittchen presented a comprehensive overview of our accomplishments over the past seven months, including:
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- A new food recovery infographic released by the Food Systems Working group that visualizes the journey of food waste and recovery opportunities in Philadelphia. This visual storytelling approach makes complex systems accessible to everyone—exactly the kind of communication tool we need to spread the circular economy message.
- Completion of the jeans implosion by the Textiles Working Group, which is on exhibit at the Academy of Natural Sciences through the end of August. By leveraging Old Navy jeans as a lens to explore the fast fashion system and its environmental impacts, the collaborative research visual shows not just the impact of the fast fashion system on the waste we generate but how to interrupt this system to make change.
- Receipt of a grant from the William Penn Foundation to put our vacant land activation policy paper into action.
- Progress on the ResourcePhilly online platform, which will launch on June 26th as a one-stop shop for how and where to donate reusable materials, rehome and repair belongings, recycle hard-to-recycle items, and shop sustainable, circular products.
- Growth of the Circular Cities Network, led by Circular Philadelphia, to 24 cities and counting!
- Numerous educational and networking events that engaged members and non-members in growing the circular community.
Members Forum: Ideas in Action
The heart of our meeting was the open forum, where members shared insights, challenges, and innovative ideas across several key areas. What was most notable about this members meeting was how many people were attending the members meeting for the first time. This is a testament to how Circular Philadelphia is growing the circularity tent and helping more people find their way to participate in the circular economy. Along with new people come fresh ideas and energy, and that energy was palpable during the members forum.
When it came to ResourcePhilly promotion, members discussed strategies to expand the reach and impact of this vital platform. We talked about engaging city councilmembers to increase visibility and support, creating eye-catching promotional materials like stickers for participating businesses, and developing potential fee structures to ensure sustainability. The conversation also touched on implementing regular audits to maintain data quality and using the platform to identify business opportunities in the circular economy. It was clear that everyone sees ResourcePhilly as not just a tool, but a transformative force for our city’s material flows.
Educational resources emerged as another priority area. Members emphasized the need for materials that highlight the human cost of our linear economy without inducing guilt. We want to inform and empower, not shame. Ideas included creating infographics about individual and business-level impacts and developing volunteer opportunities to help create these resources. As one member observed, “People need to see themselves in the solution, not just the problem.”
The policy advocacy discussion was particularly energizing as the group explored successful efforts in working with city administration. Circular Philadelphia has been working on illegal dumping issues in advance of – and have been responding to – the Parker administration’s clean and green initiatives. Developing policy proposals focused on construction and demolition waste with partners like Trash Academy and creating advocacy tools for residential waste management are things we have been working on and promoting over the past few years. Check out Trash Academy’s Instagram campaign on illegal dumping for more info!
How can we take it to the next level? One member suggested exploring partnerships for “Amnesty Day” events with trained volunteers to collect sort materials that are often dumped instead of properly disposed of.
The Future of Volunteer and Member Engagement
A thoughtful discussion emerged about evolving our working group structure. There was enthusiasm for moving from a hierarchical chair model to a “source and circle” approach that empowers passionate members to lead specific projects with recruited teams. Members suggested developing finite, specific work plans, setting goals using the SMART framework, and advertising opportunities to people beyond the organization to build broader coalitions. This new approach could make it easier for time-strapped volunteers to contribute meaningfully without overwhelming commitment.
Business engagement strategies generated lots of creative ideas. Members shared thoughts on recruiting new business members through targeted outreach to companies that may not yet identify as circular, showcasing the value proposition of circular practices, developing clear roles with skill development opportunities, and viewing gaps in the circular economy as business opportunities for incubation. The potential for economic growth through circularity is enormous, and Philadelphia is perfectly positioned to lead the way.
Looking Forward
Based on the rich discussions during our open forum, key focus areas will include enhancing the member journey through improved onboarding and experience, optimizing working groups to focus on high-impact projects, and creating clearer pathways for volunteer engagement. As always, we’ll review and incorporate all responses from the polls and member surveys into strategic priorities for the next six months.
The energy and collaborative spirit in the room reinforced what makes Circular Philadelphia special – a community of dedicated individuals and organizations committed to transforming our city’s economy from linear to circular. As one member aptly put it, “We joined because we want to do something – take action.” And that’s exactly what we’ll continue to do together. Philadelphia’s circular future isn’t just a dream—it’s being built by this incredible community, one connection, one project, one meeting at a time.
Missed the Meeting? Don’t worry—there are plenty of ways to get involved and many exciting events coming up this summer. Become a member, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram (@circularphl) and LinkedIn to be the first to know about events.
The circular economy needs everyone, and there’s a place for you in this movement!
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