# From theory to practice
*Activity type: page*

Putting everything we’ve learnt so far into practice can take as many different forms as there are individual organisations or businesses in Victoria. There is no single organisation that could, or should, be responsible for the systemic shift we’re talking about. All participants in the economic system have their own role to play. Each has their own stakeholders, their own resources to work with, and objectives that require consideration.**
It is not the intention of this short course to guide you to an operational, fully implemented circular solution, as that would be a whole course all on its own. However, we do want to address what the circular economy looks like in practice and provide some pointers on how to get there, so you will be able to evaluate the applicability of different approaches for your context.

The first step to getting started with circularity, then, is to understand your context.**

We all occupy one, or maybe several, positions in a supply or **value chain**. Whether that be as a designer, manufacturer, procurer, service provider, consumer, or perhaps a recycler of resources. Based on your position in the value chain, what are your objectives? What are your goals and boundaries, and what will a transition to circularity do to these goals and boundaries?**
Understanding *why *you should make this transition will help you with the* how* down the line.

##### Definition

href="https://www.iso.org/standard/80648.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" (https://www.iso.org/standard/80648.html)**: Set of organisations that provide a solution, resulting in value for them. This would typically include parties involved in the production, distribution, consumption, and recovery of a specific product or material.

**Note that your position in a value chain can change depending on what materials you work with, the level of control you have over solutions that get implemented, or even what is expected from you by your stakeholders.

For example, a local government** organisation can play a role in various value chains as a **procurer, consumer, and sometimes even a retailer**, depending on what projects they’re involved with. In contrast, a small bike shop might only be involved in a single value chain, selling bicycles and servicing them.

Consider the role your organisation or business plays in the value chain of a specific product or material, and think about what a circular way of working could do for you. How could it assist with the sustainable use of resources, or mitigation and adaptation to climate change? Or how could it help you meet the needs of your stakeholders, improve customer relationships, or simply improve business resilience? Being able to answer these questions is the first step in the circular transition.
