Our limited understanding of resources flow led us to linear and fragmented production-consumption systems (take-make-use-dispose) that increase the discrepancy between the inflows and outflows created by these systems. While significant loop closing efforts are being done, specially by the circular economy community, the approaches determining which resources should be (re)directed and how have now proven to be insufficient in supporting the well-being of people, organizations, and the ecosystems they both live.
Even though there will always be a discrepancy between what is perceived and the actual systems at play, there are greater opportunities to expand such perception. This involves redefining not only the notion of economic success but also acknowledging the different types of resources that are flowing through our production-consumption models.
We created the Innovation Lenses framework to help overcome this gap.