Awareness

1. Definition and challenges

The “Awareness” lever refers to the company’s capacity to understand the challenges of the circular economy, take ownership of them, and mobilise its teams around these issues.

It is often the starting point of any approach: before acting or measuring, it is essential to create meaning, share a vision, and build collective momentum.

For a micro or small-to-medium enterprise, this lever relies above all on the gradual awareness and commitment of management and teams. Without this foundation, actions risk being isolated, poorly understood, or difficult to sustain over time.

Key challenges:

• Understanding the opportunities and impacts of the circular economy
• Giving the company a clear direction
• Involving teams in the process
• Building a shared culture around these issues

2. What does a good score mean?

A high score on this lever indicates that the company has already integrated circular economy challenges into its vision and overall operations.

In practical terms:

• Management is convinced and committed
• Teams have a good understanding of the issues
• The circular economy is seen as an opportunity, not a constraint
• A collective dynamic is in place
• Decisions are beginning to be guided by this vision

The company is aligned: it knows why it acts.

3. What does a low score mean?

A low score indicates that the issues are still little known or little shared within the company.

This may manifest as:

• A lack of awareness of the circular economy
• A lack of interest or priority given to these topics
• Teams that are poorly involved or poorly informed
• An unclear or absent vision
• One-off actions without real coherence

The main barrier is not technical, but related to understanding and buy-in.

4. Priority action pathways

1) Raise awareness among management and teams

Share the fundamentals of the circular economy in a simple and concrete way.

Example: organise an internal workshop or present concrete case studies relevant to your sector.

2) Give meaning to the approach

Connect global challenges to the reality of the company.

Example: explain how reducing waste can generate savings or improve brand image.

3) Draw inspiration from concrete examples

Discover initiatives close to your own activity.

Example: consult feedback and experience reports from similar companies in the resource centre.

4) Gradually involve teams

Engage employees in reflection and early actions.

Example: organise a discussion session to gather improvement ideas.

5) Integrate these issues into internal communication

Keep the topic alive on a day-to-day basis.

Example: regularly share information or progress updates in meetings or by email.

6) Train or stay informed on a regular basis

Build expertise on these topics.

Example: attend a webinar, read a guide, or participate in a local event.

5. Expected benefits

Working on this lever helps create a solid foundation for all future actions.

In the short term:

• Better understanding of the issues
• Initial buy-in from teams
• First action ideas

In the medium term:

• Stronger involvement of employees
• Greater coherence in decision-making
• Capacity to launch more structured actions

In the long term:

• Company culture aligned with sustainability challenges
• A more fluid and natural approach
• Capacity to bring partners and customers on board