Collaboration for regional sustainable circular economy innovation

Recognizing the looming, long-term sustainability challenges to the metropolitan Phoenix region's economy, environment, and community, City of Phoenix leadership shifted attention to a new paradigm that focuses on integrated resource management, the concept of "zero waste," and the circular economy. Understanding that this effort could not be achieved through current municipal efforts alone, Phoenix turned to Arizona State University, to establish local, regional, and global collaborative networks focused on creating value and economic development opportunities from solid waste streams. Phoenix, Arizona State University, and our local collaborating partners in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors have developed a strategy to build a regional sustainable circular economy focusing on innovations and solutions that support a socially balanced, environmentally restorative, and resource regenerative economy. This strategy involves solutions development, community education and engagement, and the building of a Resource Innovation Campus and incubator focused on attracting resource innovators and entrepreneurs to Phoenix to build viable, market-driven closed-loop resource business models in the region.