New Zealand's first circular economy lab began in Auckland, the City of Sails. Circularity was invited to design and deliver XLabs by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. We were asked to specifically address the circular knowledge gap and bring forth new circular solutions using our Circular by Design methods - our toolkit to shift a business from linear to circular. We knew from experience that we needed to go beyond the usual conference, report or workshop if we wanted to create real change.
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This first chapter of XLabs brought together nearly 50 collaborators, 18 teams and built a community of over 250 people. These change-makers became our coalition of the willing - to propel Auckland towards a resilient and regenerative future. Our circular design lab ran over nine weeks with expert speakers, team exercises and circular experiences interwoven across full day workshops, and continuing virtually during lockdown.
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The experience we gained and the program we designed for the Auckland chapter provided the foundation and inspiration to create future XLabs. We are actively seeking opportunities for the next chapter both online and in person.

I invite you to learn more about the journey these teams went on at XLabs, their aha moments, how they explored the circular by design methods and the solutions they created that will transform our city.