The circular economy is still in its infancy. Companies that work with reused or other alternative materials are often young players that occupy only a fraction of the market. How do they manage to compete with large established companies, what is their business model and how do they stay afloat? A+ spoke to Eva De Smedt, director of Akoestiekfabriek, Ken De Cooman, director of BC materials, Jean Minne, founder of Composil ReUse, Lionel Billiet of Rotor DC and Nicolas Goffin of Triodos Bank about the challenges and pitfalls of innovative entrepreneurship.

Lisa De Visscher – You all represent small and/or young companies that want to take a radically different approach to other companies in your sector. What are the main challenges here? Are they more logistical, competitive or financial?