Spearheading Advancements in the Circular Economy
This article appeared in the August 2026 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.
As Michigan manufacturers continually look for innovative ways to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, taking steps to invest in the emerging circular economy offers a powerful framework for growth and added revenue opportunities.
It’s estimated that Michigan will dispose of an estimated $6.2 billion to $8.3 billion in marketable material through its municipal waste stream by 2035, according to a report from the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum (MISBF). If these materials were collected as recycling, however, it would have an economic impact of $609 million to $825 million per year and create up to 4,500 jobs.
An initiative like this works best when business goals are supported by and aligned with public policy.
This is why Chelsea Jensen, Business Operations Manager for Brown City’s Llink Technologies, formed the Michigan Industry Circular Economy Council (MICEC) with the mission of advancing, solidifying and supporting sustainability initiatives. The effort is supported by the dedication and collaboration of industry leaders across Michigan’s circular economy, including Samantha Truesdell, Enterprise Sustainability Manager for Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool Corporation, among many others. A key academic partner in the initiative is Michigan State University’s Center for Community and Economic Development (CCED), led by its director, Dr. Rex LaMore.
The circular economy has evolved beyond waste reduction to include circular business models that extend the value of materials while creating new markets and revenue opportunities — essentially shifting away from the traditional “take-make-waste” linear economy and instead designing out waste and pollution. This practice transforms discarded materials into new resources, extending the value of materials and supporting industry development and secondary markets.
Ideally, materials are recirculated into their original products. When that isn’t possible, they can be repurposed into new products that create additional value.
“Broadening the horizons of these processes can unlock value, whether that’s reducing cost, reducing risk or actually adding to the bottom line,” says Jensen. Her company, Llink Technologies, has been involved with MICEC from the beginning.
Jensen illustrates such possibilities with the example of Llink’s headlamp solutions. Millions of headlamps are damaged every year. Typically, they end up in a landfill, and the vehicle owner must buy new headlamps — each of which costs $1,000 to $5,000.
“Llink intervened and disrupted that cycle to make a whole new business model,” Jensen says. “We step in, take that lamp and harvest as many of the components as we can. About 95 percent of those components can be reused, so the resources that went into them can be maximized.”
Seeing Ideas Through
Currently, 18 organizations — representing thousands of employees — are participating in the Council, and Jensen has been inviting any and every professional to join them.
Manufacturers have many ideas for keeping materials and products in circulation, but those ideas often lack the time, resources or partnerships needed to move forward. The Council helps evaluate promising concepts and support their adoption.
Because of its deep manufacturing heritage, Michigan is well-suited to take on this initiative for a greater circular economy, Jensen says.
“We have a lot of the infrastructure and experience in place, as well as many experienced manufacturers who are able to take on some of the risk and the leadership roles that are needed,” Jensen says.
“We wanted to bring industry leaders together to openly discuss challenges, share best practices and learn from one another,” she says. The concept emerged from conversations between LaMore and Truesdell before testimony to the Michigan House Natural Resources Committee in 2025. Building on that idea, Jensen developed MICEC as an industry-led forum connecting manufacturers, academia and government.
LaMore says universities play an important role in advancing circular economy research and developing innovative tools, models and policies. One of the Council’s goals is to help connect that research with real-world industry needs.
“Academia often recognizes the need for circular economy research but isn’t always sure where industry needs the most support,” Jensen explains. “Research can prove concepts technically, but without industry validation, many never become economically viable.”
“We’re working to bridge that gap by helping inform research priorities, serving as an industry test bed and using data-driven results to guide both future innovation and public policy,” she adds.
That collaborative approach extends beyond research. The Council is also working to connect manufacturers with state resources that can help move promising circular economy concepts from ideas to implementation. Recent discussions with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) have focused on building pathways to support industry-led pilot projects.
“Many manufacturers have identified opportunities to recover materials or develop new circular business models, but they don’t always know where to start or who to partner with,” Jensen says. “Our goal is to bring together the companies with the challenges, connect them with organizations that have complementary needs, and leverage resources that already exist within the state to help move those projects forward.”
As manufacturers from different sectors continue sharing their challenges, the Council has recognized that many opportunities extend well beyond a single company or industry. Similar material streams, supply chain constraints and infrastructure needs often exist across multiple sectors, creating opportunities for collaborative pilot projects that can generate broader economic and environmental value. Rather than developing independent solutions to the same problem, organizations can work together to validate shared approaches and accelerate adoption.
Through collaboration with partners such as MEDC and EGLE, the Council hopes to identify viable markets for emerging material streams, connect supply with demand, and support collaborative pilot projects through available technical assistance, networking opportunities and funding programs. Potential initiatives could include shared reverse logistics networks, material recovery infrastructure and other cross-industry solutions that create value across multiple organizations while reducing the cost and risk of innovation. By allowing industry to identify priorities while leveraging the state’s existing resources, the Council aims to accelerate practical, scalable circular economy solutions across Michigan.
Getting Started
“How can you prepare yourself in the beginning to maximize the success of recovery, reuse and value extension at the end of a product’s life cycle?” Jensen says.
Most companies focus on selling products and supporting customers while the product is usable, Truesdell says, but they can also start providing avenues to take that product back — and, ideally, use it in a circular business model — or help the customers dispose of it responsibly once it has reached the end of its useful life.
“That is an area where businesses have the opportunity to leave a positive touchpoint with the consumer,” Truesdell adds.
Manufacturers who hope to implement their own initiatives can start by discussing their ideas with the Council, they say.
“It’s a safe space to share ideas, have conversations, test concepts and say, ‘Has anyone else tried this? Has anyone else thought of this? How can we build this together?’” Truesdell says.
Although the organization is focused on manufacturing, any businesses and governmental entities are invited to participate. Currently, it includes representation from the automotive, advanced manufacturing, plastics, packaging, technology, public planning, education, economic development, and waste aggregation and processing sectors.
“Now is really the time to get involved in this effort because it’s still in the development phase,” Jensen says. “Anyone who brings their voice to the table shapes what this is going to be, helps define how this is going to work and what we focus on, and maximizes value for their own organization.”
Businesses, municipalities, and other organizations who would like more information may contact Chelsea Jensen at cjensen@llinktech.com.
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