Chris Oestereich
Systems thinker. Circular economy advocate. Writer, lecturer, and TEDx speaker working at the intersection of sustainability, social enterprise, and community change.
The Big Picture
I help communities and organizations shift toward the circular economy — designing programs, facilitating workshops, and building the networks and knowledge needed to move from a linear to a circular model.
Before launching Linear to Circular and Morph Bags, I served as Zero Waste Manager at SuperValu, where I oversaw zero waste programs across seven grocery chains — including Save-A-Lot — with over 1,400 stores and a full supply chain including multiple distribution centers. Achieving 90%+ landfill avoidance targets across that estate, with significant cultural and operational variance across the United States, required systems thinking and differentiated implementation at scale. That experience underpins everything I do now.
My work spans several interconnected efforts. Through Linear to Circular, I work with firms to analyze their waste streams and design programs that create financial and environmental benefits. Through Morph Bags, I’m building a social enterprise that turns post-industrial waste into high-quality products made by skilled hands in St. Louis and Bangkok. And through CircularSTL, which I co-chair, I’m helping build the coalition, policy groundwork, and community infrastructure needed to make St. Louis a genuinely circular city.
I’m also a writer and the publisher of the Wicked Problems Collaborative, a lecturer at Thammasat University’s School of Global Studies in Bangkok — where I’ve taught systems thinking, social innovation, and social enterprise for over a decade — and a former Global Ambassador of The RSA.
If you’d like to talk about speaking, consulting, workshops, or any of the above, please get in touch.
TEDx Chiang Mai — November 2021
What I Do
It’s all connected — and that’s the point. Each of these efforts addresses a different dimension of the same challenge: how do we build systems that work for people and planet?
TEDx
My TEDx Chiang Mai talk, Humanity’s Choice: Paradigm Shift or Bust, gives a systems thinking perspective on our current trajectory — covering climate change, resource use, and the case for a fundamental rethink in how we live and interact with our planet.
Morph Bags
Carried by Purpose
Morph rescues post-industrial materials from becoming waste and transforms them into high-quality bags and accessories for daily use — made by skilled hands in St. Louis and Bangkok. Morph is a social enterprise at heart, committed to circular economy principles and the dignified livelihoods of our collaborators.
Visit Morph Bags → morphbags.com
TED
Section 2 — What I D
It’s all connected — and that’s the point. Each of these efforts addresses a different dimension of the same challenge: how do we build systems that work for people and planet?
H3 — Morph Bags
Morph Bags
Carried by Purpose
Morph Bags rescues post-industrial materials from becoming waste and transforms them into high-quality bags and accessories for daily use — made by skilled hands in St. Louis and Bangkok. Morph is a social enterprise at heart, committed to circular economy principles and the dignified livelihoods of our collaborators.
• Visit Morph Bags → morphbags.com
H3 — Linear to Circular
Linear to Circular
Helping People, Planet & Business
Linear to Circular (L2C) helps firms analyze their waste streams, design programs tailored to create financial and environmental benefits, and implement circular economy strategies. L2C also designs and facilitates workshops and training, and has deep experience translating research into actionable insights through case studies and articles for relevant audiences.
• Visit Linear to Circular → lineartocircular.com
H3 — Wicked Problems Collaborative
Wicked Problems Collaborative
Books Are Good Food
The Wicked Problems Collaborative is an independent press focused on humanity’s biggest challenges. Our books bring together accessible analysis and practical thinking on issues that don’t have easy answers.
• Pandemic Capitalism: From Broken Systems to Basic Incomes
• What Do We Do About Inequality?
• What Do We Do After the Pandemic?
• Visit the WPC → [WPC URL]
H3 — CircularSTL
CircularSTL
Building a Circular Economy in St. Louis
CircularSTL is a coalition of organizations working to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems to protect public health, communities, and the environment. I co-chair CircularSTL and am actively involved in building the coalition, advancing policy, developing education and resources, and supporting local circular economy efforts directly.
CircularSTL works across businesses, government, community groups, nonprofits, academia, and individuals — and is currently developing a Circularity District and regional action plan for St. Louis.
• Visit CircularSTL → circularstl.org
H3 — Circular Design Lab (de-emphasized)
Circular Design Lab
Systemic Design for the Masses
The Circular Design Lab teaches communities to work on major social and environmental challenges using systemic design — an approach that brings together design thinking and systems thinking. The CDL is currently on pause as I focus on other efforts, but the framework and toolkit we developed remain available.
Keep this block brief and below CircularSTL. No CTA link needed while inactive.
Section 3 — Videos
Keep all four videos. Reorder slightly so L2C and Why I Teach follow directly from the What I Do section, and WPC videos follow the WPC entry in the writing/publishing section.
Video 1 — Linear to Circular
Linear to Circular
Helping People, Planet & Business
Fix the spelling of ‘Business’ in the current heading — currently reads ‘Buisiness’.
• Embed: https://youtu.be/j2lP4BhDWVE
Video 2 — Why I Teach
Why I Teach
Matters will not improve of their own accord
• Embed: https://youtu.be/X4cAIX2kokA
Video 3 — Wicked Problems Collaborative
The Wicked Problems Collaborative
• About video embed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qbeAkawFbY
Video 4 — Pandemic Capitalism
Pandemic Capitalism
From Broken Systems to Basic Incomes
• Promo embed: https://youtu.be/BMkPuzw24rs
Section 4 — Books
Rename section from ‘Wicked Problems Collaborative / Books are good food’ to something clearer for new visitors who don’t know the WPC yet.
H2
Books
Books are good food
The Wicked Problems Collaborative publishes accessible books on humanity’s biggest challenges. Each title is designed to be readable and actionable — not just analytical.
• What Do We Do After the Pandemic?
• Pandemic Capitalism: From Broken Systems to Basic Incomes
• What Do We Do About Inequality?
Section 5 — Writing
Rename ‘Wandering Thoughts / Essays and whatnot’ to something that signals expertise more clearly to new visitors. ‘Writing & Essays’ or ‘Selected Writing’ works well. The current title undersells the range and quality of publications. Keep the publication-first structure with dashes — it’s effective.
H2
Section 6 — Podcasts & Interviews
New section. These appearances support credibility and are good for SEO — your name, topics, and a range of shows and hosts linking back to you.
H2
Podcasts & Interviews
Good Garbage with Ved Krishna
Good Garbage with Ved Krishna
Storytelling, Circularity & Zero-Waste Systems — Episode 17
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/79sbH2tqHG9FwmOYfW8nbm
Mission Driven Podcast (Entrepreneurs for Good)
Mission Driven Podcast — Entrepreneurs for Good
Teaching Social Entrepreneurship in Thailand
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4WBqXKuzKc69w8miivcvIL
WPC Podcast
The WPC Podcast
Episodes on wicked problems, circular economy, and systemic change — hosted on Substack.
• https://wickedproblemscollaborative.substack.com/s/wpc-podcast
YouTube Appearances — Titles Needed
Fill in titles for the following YouTube appearances before publishing. Listed by URL as placeholders.
• [Title needed] — https://www.youtube.com/live/BHj0jXjVt-A
• [Title needed] — https://youtu.be/7J4hl6ihvC4
• [Title needed] — https://youtu.be/cTOm048NQoA
• [Title needed] — https://youtu.be/7w4GDVjXcZ8
• [Title needed] — https://youtu.be/_DjwjeWzXgk
• [Title needed] — https://youtu.be/V0NKnsalSS4
• [Title needed] — https://youtu.be/naFy8w5apCI
Section 7 — Tools
New section. The Idea Triage tool created for the Doughnut Economics Action Lab is a meaningful credential — it shows your work being adopted by a globally recognised organisation. Worth featuring explicitly rather than burying in a bio.
H2
Tools
Idea Triage — DEAL
Idea Triage
A tool I created and shared with the Doughnut Economics Action Lab (DEAL) to help practitioners evaluate and prioritise ideas for circular economy and systemic change initiatives.
• View the tool: https://doughnuteconomics.org/tools/idea-triage
If you develop additional tools through CircularSTL or L2C, add them here. This section can grow into a meaningful differentiator for consulting inquiries.
Free Inquiry
Free Inquiry
On the Threat of AI
• The Mechanical Elephant in the Room
THink Magazine
THink Magazine
THINK 12: Navigating the AI Terrain
• What’s to Gain from AI?
THINK 11: The Art, Science and Good News of Ageing
• Rethinking Retirement: Navigating Ageing Societies Amidst Accelerating Change
THINK 10: Reorganizing the Future of Work
• The Pandemic, Work, and Universal Basic Income
THINK 8: East Meets West in the Pandemic
• Observing Disintegration
THINK 6: The Necessity of Circularity
• The Circular Economy is Not Optional
THINK 2: The Evolving Nature of Labor
• Will Robots Do Our Work?
The RSA
The RSA
On the Problem of Growth
• All we are saying is give degrowth a chance (with Sam Bliss)
On the Plastic Problem
• Digging into plastic waste in Thailand
• Socioeconomic Factors of Plastic Waste Collection in Thailand and Beyond
• Gaps and Benefits in Thailand’s Informal Waste Collection System
Serving Others
• What Does it Mean to be Human-Centered?
Circular Design Lab
• Fostering Communities for Bottom-Up Change
• Planting a Seed of Community
The Future of Work
• Put Your Dreams Away for Now?
Our Treatment of Refugees
• The Humble Abode Games
Supporting Social Innovations
• Fostering a Social Innovation Community
The Week
The Week
• Boris Johnson has Britain Barreling toward a Disastrous No-Deal Brexit
• The U.K. has 2 Very Bad Choices for the Next Prime Minister
• Boris is Unfit
• Brexit is a Huge Mistake. It’s Not Too Late to Stop It
openDemocracy
openDemocracy
Our Broken Economic System
• Pandemic Capitalism
World Health Network
World Health Network
Towards Recentering Public Health
• Pretending It’s Over Amplifies the Pandemic
End Coronavirus
End Coronavirus
• Living through COVID-19 in Australia
• The UK Government is Enabling COVID-19
• Taking a Step Back
Sustainable Brands
Sustainable Brands
On the Role of Sustainability Leaders
• Why It’s Time to Reframe the Role of Sustainability Leaders
Advocacy, Purpose, and Engagement
• How to Find Lasting Motivation and Engagement at Work
• Can a Tuktuk Ride Change the World?
Impact Assessment
• How Do We Assess Impact (and Why Should We)?
Inclusive Business
• Is It About Cutting Out the Middleman?
Changing Business From Within
• Unleash the Radical Intrapreneurs!
• Are You a Radical Intrapreneur?
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
The Circular Economy is Good Business
• Don’t Let Regulation Turn Your Business into a Rube Goldberg Machine
Salt Magazine
Salt Magazine
Challenging Your Beliefs
• How to Create a Healthier Planet: Be Willing to Be Wrong
On Driverless Cars
• Why Every Decision We Now Make Will Shape the Future
Avoiding Corporate Calcification
• It’s Time to Reframe Corporate Sustainability
• Disrupt the Corporate Immune System
• Pump up the Jazz…Because Orchestral Business Won’t Survive
Social Space
Social Space
Questioning Tech
• Is It Time To Curb The Tech Bandwagon?
Re-envisioning Schools
• Can We Rethink Education for an Inclusive Future?
The Nation
The Nation
The Sufficiency Economy
• Let’s Honor the Late King by Committing to the Sufficiency Economy
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
Plastic Waste
• Tackling Our Plastic Waste Woes
SDG Helpdesk (UNDP)
SDG Helpdesk (UNDP)
Green Growth
• Edible Garden City (Singapore)
• The Picha Project (Malaysia)
• Zero Baht Shop (Thailand)
On the Threat of AI
• The Mechanical Elephant in the Room
Selected Writing
Free Inquiry
On the Threat of AI
• The Mechanical Elephant in the Room
Free Inquiry
On the Threat of AI
• The Mechanical Elephant in the Room
THink Magazine
THINK 12: Navigating the AI TerraiN
• What’s to Gain from AI?
THINK 11: The Art, Science and Good News of Ageing
• Rethinking Retirement: Navigating Ageing Societies Amidst Accelerating Change
THINK 10: Reorganizing the Future of Work
• The Pandemic, Work, and Universal Basic Income
THINK 8: East Meets West in the Pandemic
• Observing Disintegration
THINK 6: The Necessity of Circularity
• The Circular Economy is Not Optional
THINK 2: The Evolving Nature of Labor
• Will Robots Do Our Work?
The RSA
On the Problem of Growth
• All we are saying is give degrowth a chance (with Sam Bliss)
On the Plastic Problem
• Digging into plastic waste in Thailand
• Socioeconomic Factors of Plastic Waste Collection in Thailand and Beyond
• Gaps and Benefits in Thailand’s Informal Waste Collection System
Serving Others
• What Does it Mean to be Human-Centered?
Circular Design Lab
• Fostering Communities for Bottom-Up Change
• Planting a Seed of Community
The Future of Work
• Put Your Dreams Away for Now?
Our Treatment of Refugees
• The Humble Abode Games
Supporting Social Innovations
• Fostering a Social Innovation Community
The Week
• Boris Johnson has Britain Barreling toward a Disastrous No-Deal Brexit
• The U.K. has 2 Very Bad Choices for the Next Prime Minister
• Boris is Unfit
• Brexit is a Huge Mistake. It’s Not Too Late to Stop It
openDemocracy
Our Broken Economic System
• Pandemic Capitalism
World Health Network
World Health Network
Towards Recentering Public Health
• Pretending It’s Over Amplifies the Pandemic
End Coronavirus
End Coronavirus
• Living through COVID-19 in Australia
• The UK Government is Enabling COVID-19
• Taking a Step Back
Sustainable Brands
Sustainable Brands
On the Role of Sustainability Leaders
• Why It’s Time to Reframe the Role of Sustainability Leaders
Advocacy, Purpose, and Engagement
• How to Find Lasting Motivation and Engagement at Work
• Can a Tuktuk Ride Change the World?
Impact Assessment
• How Do We Assess Impact (and Why Should We)?
Inclusive Business
• Is It About Cutting Out the Middleman?
Changing Business From Within
• Unleash the Radical Intrapreneurs!
• Are You a Radical Intrapreneur?
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
The Circular Economy is Good Business
• Don’t Let Regulation Turn Your Business into a Rube Goldberg Machine
Salt Magazine
Salt Magazine
Challenging Your Beliefs
• How to Create a Healthier Planet: Be Willing to Be Wrong
On Driverless Cars
• Why Every Decision We Now Make Will Shape the Future
Avoiding Corporate Calcification
• It’s Time to Reframe Corporate Sustainability
• Disrupt the Corporate Immune System
• Pump up the Jazz…Because Orchestral Business Won’t Survive
Social Space
Social Space
Questioning Tech
• Is It Time To Curb The Tech Bandwagon?
Re-envisioning Schools
• Can We Rethink Education for an Inclusive Future?
The Nation
The Nation
The Sufficiency Economy
• Let’s Honor the Late King by Committing to the Sufficiency Economy
Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
Plastic Waste
• Tackling Our Plastic Waste Woes
SDG Helpdesk (UNDP)
SDG Helpdesk (UNDP)
Green Growth
• Edible Garden City (Singapore)
• The Picha Project (Malaysia)
• Zero Baht Shop (Thailand)