Exploring the Future of Digital Circularity: DICE Network+ on GDSA Podcast
How can research help accelerate the circular economy, and what does circularity mean for some of the biggest challenges facing our digital infrastructure?
DICE Network+ Lead Professor Fiona Charnley and Research and Impact Fellow Diego Bermudez recently joined the Government Digital Sustainability Alliance’s Ctrl+Alt Sustain podcast to explore these questions across two episodes.
From the role of research in advancing circular innovation to the growing resource demands of data centres and the potential of urban mining, the conversations explore how circular economy thinking can support a more sustainable digital future.
Circularity’s Research Engine with Professor Fiona Charnley
In this episode, Fiona shares insights from the DICE Network+ and reflects on lessons from the Network’s journey so far, exploring how research can help turn circular economy thinking into practical change.
The conversation highlights research and case studies from across DICE, alongside practical advice for IT and technology decision makers looking to make more circular choices, including how technology is procured and used.
Listen to Circularity’s Research Engine with Professor Fiona Charnley>>
Sustainable Data Centres and Urban Mining with Diego Bermudez
In this episode, Diego joins the podcast to explore two increasingly important areas of digital sustainability: data centres and urban mining.
With the impacts of data centres increasingly in focus, the conversation explores how embracing circularity could help reduce their resource demands while creating greater economic value in the UK.
The episode also looks at the potential of urban mining as demand for rare earth and other valuable materials continues to grow. By making better use of the metals and minerals already sitting unused in existing products, urban mining could help reduce reliance on damaging extraction and increasingly uncertain global supply chains.
Listen to Sustainable Data Centres and Urban Mining with Diego Bermudez>>
Looking Ahead:
Together, the two conversations highlight the importance of combining research, digital innovation and circular economy thinking to address some of the most complex sustainability challenges facing our increasingly digital world.
The DICE Network+ will continue working across academia, industry, government and policy to develop and share the evidence, approaches and collaborations needed to accelerate digital circularity.