Nature’s Playbook is a research-based learning ecosystem for ecological design thinking for a circular economy. It helps people use insights from living systems to question assumptions, strengthen systems thinking, and generate new possibilities for circular economy practice.It includes a physical toolkit, workshops, field observation activities, an AI-supported Field Guide, and research resources.

Nature’s Playbook is designed for people working in circular economy, sustainability, business, design, education, innovation, policy, consultancy, community development, and systems change.It is especially useful for people who want to move beyond narrow product, waste, recycling, or efficiency framings and explore circular economy as a question of relationships, conditions, circulation, responsibility, resilience, and regeneration.

Not exactly. Nature’s Playbook does not treat nature as a simple blueprint for business. Instead, it uses ecological metaphors and patterns as prompts for thinking differently.The aim is not to copy nature, but to use insights from living systems to ask better questions about economic life, organisational practice, and circular economy challenges.

Nature’s Playbook is related to biomimicry in the sense that it looks to living systems for insight, but it has a different focus.Biomimicry often looks at how biological forms, functions, or processes can inspire design solutions. Nature’s Playbook focuses more on ecological thinking, systems relationships, value circulation, interdependence, adaptation, repair, and the conditions that allow life-supporting activity to emerge.

Circular economy is often discussed through ideas of loops, flows, machines, efficiency, and resource management. These ways of thinking are useful, but they can also narrow what people notice.Ecological metaphors bring attention to interdependence, feedback, diversity, adaptation, decay, repair, regeneration, place, and relationships. They can help people imagine circular economy in more systemic, relational, and situated ways.

Yes. Nature’s Playbook is grounded in Dr Emma Fromberg’s doctoral research into ecological metaphors and circular economy thinking. The research explores how metaphors shape what people notice, value, and imagine as possible, and how ecology-inspired metaphors can support new ways of thinking about circular economy practice.

Nature’s Playbook was created by Dr Emma Fromberg, a circular economy researcher, educator, and designer. Her work explores how ecological thinking can help organisations imagine more systemic, relational, and regenerative approaches to circular economy practice.

Nature’s Playbook emerged from academic research and has been supported through work connected to King’s College London’s Centre for Sustainable Business. However, Nature’s Playbook is now being developed as its own independent learning ecosystem.

For questions about the toolkit, workshops, the field guide, payments, research, or collaboration, contact:hello@naturesplaybook.org