Philips

Philips is a Dutch health technology company with €18 billion revenue (2024) that has pursued circular economy principles in electronics and healthcare equipment. The company addresses sectors with enormous material throughput, short product lifespans, and complex material composition creating recycling challenges.

Philips established design-for-circularity criteria emphasizing durability, repairability, recyclability, and recycled content. The company pioneered 'lighting-as-a-service' (through Signify, spun off in 2016) and applies circular principles to medical imaging equipment through refurbishment programs, upgrade cycles, and take-back recycling. The Schiphol Airport lighting-as-service contract demonstrates the model's value with 75% energy savings.