From Ownership to Access: How Buying as a Service Can Accelerate the Circular Economy

As organizations look for practical ways to reduce waste, lower emissions, and build more resilient supply chains, many are discovering that they don't need to completely reinvent their business model to embrace circular economy principles.

Buying as a Service (BaaS) offers a compelling alternative to traditional ownership by shifting the focus from purchasing products to accessing the services they provide. This approach can extend product life, improve resource efficiency, reduce costs, and create new opportunities for innovation—while helping organizations advance their sustainability goals.

Join us for a discussion on how BaaS is creating environmental and business value in the real world. Through firsthand case studies and expert insights, you'll learn how organizations are implementing service-based procurement models, overcoming internal challenges, and identifying opportunities to apply circular economy principles across their operations—even if they aren't pursuing a fully circular business model.

The session will also explore the key benefits and considerations of Buying as a Service, practical tips for gaining internal support, and what the future of service-based business models may look like over the next five years.

Presenters: 

Bob Willard, Founder and Chief Sustainability Champion, Sustainability Advantage

Bob is a leading expert on sustainability justifications, sustainability reporting frameworks, and sustainable procurement. Bob applies his business and leadership experience from his 34-year career at IBM Canada to engage the business community in proactively avoiding risks and capturing opportunities by using smart environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices. Over the last 24 years, he has given over 1,800 presentations, has authored six books and published two white papers. He provides six Master Slide Decks and over a dozen free, open-source tools and resources for sustainability champions and procurement professionals.

For the last few years, Bob has focused on Sustainable Procurement and Net-Zero Procurement as market forces to mobilize businesses in the race to net-zero GHGs. He serves on the Circular Innovation Council and the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) boards, and is an Ambassador for the Sustainable Procurement Pledge. He co-developed the SPLC Navigator with SPLC staff. Bob is on the core faculty of the Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) Sustainable Procurement Fellowship 10-session program.

Bob serves on the B Corp Standards Advisory Council and the Whitby Sustainability Advisory Committee, and is on the core faculty of the Director’s College.

He was one of five inaugural inductees into the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) Hall of Fame in 2011, has received three Clean50 awards including a Lifetime Achievement award in 2023, and has earned six “Best for the World - Overall” and five “Best for the World – Community” awards since becoming a Certified B Corp in 2012. Sustainability Advantage (SA) was the first company to reach the highest Diamond tier of Canada’s Net-Zero Challenge in 2023 – SA’s carbon footprint has been zero since 2019.

More information about Bob and his resources for sustainability champions can be found at www.sustainabilityadvantage.com.

Frances Edmonds, Head of Sustainable Impact, HP Canada

Frances Edmonds is the Head of Sustainable Impact at HP Canada, where she is responsible for business development and oversees Corporate Social Responsibility programs nationally. With a focus on sustainable procurement, Frances is driving meaningful change cross-sector that supports a more circular and sustainable economic future for Canada. With more than 35 years of experience, Frances is recognized as one of Canada’s top sustainability professionals having received two Clean 50 awards, is listed on the Canadian Women in the IT Channel Hall of Fame and has led HP to become the most sustainable technology company in Canada.

Passionate about driving change through education, Frances has developed and implemented volunteer programs globally for HP. She is Vice Chair of the board of Learning for a Sustainable Future and serves as a consultant for customers and academic institutions on sustainability strategies. Frances sat on the Sustainable Development Advisory Council for the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada  (ECCC) in 2022- 2026 as well as having completed work on the Expert Panel on the Circular Economy in Canada as assembled by the Council of Canadian Academies for ECCC.

As seen on stages including: podcast, Elevate and TEDx, Frances is both a guest lecturer and speaker on a wide range of topics including the circular economy. With a degree in Environmental Science from Bradford University (UK) and a post-graduate diploma in Occupational Health and Safety, Frances is also a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP).

Eli Browne, Head of Sustainability, CHEP Canada and Global Food Positive Lead

Eli Browne is Head of Sustainability for CHEP Canada, where she works at the intersection of sustainability ambition, business reality, and people‑led change. A member of the Canada leadership team, Eli focuses on embedding sustainability into core strategy, customer value, and everyday decision‑making—especially when outcomes are long‑term and trade‑offs are real.

With deep experience driving sustainability in complex organizations, including previously at Empire Company Limited (Sobeys and Safeway), Eli believes courageous climate leadership is driven by navigating uncertainty, managing resistance, and sustaining momentum over time. She has been recognized as a Canadian Grocer Star Woman and a Generation Next Award recipient, and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in science and environmental management.

Questions? Please send an e-mail to webinars@sustainablepurchasing.org.