What is Circular Economy

An economic system in which the materials are inserted in a cyclic flow, enabling their maximum utilization, reducing the extraction of raw materials from nature (mainly non-renewable), and other environmental impacts.

It is a holistic approach to reduce, reuse and recycle the production and consumption procedures so as to minimize energy consumption and consequently waste production.

Unlike our current use-and-discard economic philosophy, a circular economy focuses on recycling, repurposing, and light asset ownership.

An emerging concept that seeks to transform our current linear model of production and consumption into a more sustainable and resource-efficient system. The circular economy aims to minimize waste, maximize resource use, and promote natural system regeneration.

A systemic approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment, where the finite resources are used in a constant loop of regeneration without creating waste.

This is the manifestation of a paradigm shift, and it will demand changes in the way that society legislates, produces and consumes innovations, while also using nature as inspiration for responding to societal and environmental needs.

Model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.

An economic model based on recycling, reusing, and remanufacturing, as a means of achieving sustainability objectives.

An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources, characterized by reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products to extend their lifecycle.

Model that strives for the use of resources and the reduction of materials seeking effective use of resources.

It is a holistic approach to reduce, reuse and recycle the production and consumption procedures so as to minimise energy consumption and consequently waste production.

Strategy that aims to optimize resources and reduce waste.

It is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Based on a close-loop eco-friendly system, the circular economy aims at eliminating all waste (zero waste) and the continual use of economic resources by reusing, sharing, and recycling used products.

Circular economy is an economic model that provides economic growth with a focus on green development to transform the present mass consumption to what is known as responsible consumption, in which supply chain management plays a major role.

Reduction of resource consumption, wastage, and energy consumption through more efficient end-to-end processes along the entire product lifecycle.

In the linear economy, raw natural resources are taken, transformed into products and get disposed of. On the opposite, a circular economy model aims to close the gap between the production and the natural ecosystems’ cycles – on which humans ultimately depend upon. This means, on one hand, eliminating waste – composting biodegradable waste or, if it’s a transformed and non-biodegradable waste, reusing, remanufacturing and finally recycling it. On the other hand, it also means cutting off the use of chemical substances (a way to help regenerate natural systems) and betting on renewable energy.

Economic model oriented to eliminate waste generation, reuse/recycle products and materials, reduce as much as possible resources consumption as well as other actions to close material loops and, in sum, minimize the environmental impact.

An emerging model of economy, which focuses on a sustainable means of production and consumption in which existing materials retain their reusability value for as long as possible.

A circular economy (also referred to as “circularity” and “CE”) is “a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible”. A CE aims to tackle global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution by emphasizing design-based implementation of the three base principles of the model. The three principles required for the transformation to a circular economy are: eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and the regeneration of nature. CE is defined in contradistinction to the traditional linear economy.

Circular economy promotes designing products for durability, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling to keep materials circulating for as long as possible

A circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.

An economic system aimed at eliminating wastage by continually using same resource.

A circular economy is an economic model designed to minimize waste, make the most of resources, and promote sustainability. In contrast to the traditional linear economy, which follows a “take, make, dispose” pattern, a circular economy focuses on closing the loop by emphasizing the reduction, reuse, recycling, and recovery of materials throughout the entire lifecycle of products.

A business process that prioritises sustainability at each stage of production in order to promote resource efficiency, reduce emissions, and generate employment.

It is a strategy whose objective is to reduce the entrance of raw material as well as eliminating waste, closing the economic and ecologic flows of resources.

The economy where the environment is as an integral part of the economic circuit.

An approach that aims to minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible.

A system that operates on the 4R principles – Reuse, Reduce, Repair, and Recycling and thus results in significant direct savings in energy and finances. Circular economy is also known for creating new range of employment prospects in semi-formal services, especially in recycling and repair sectors.

Refers to a system solution towards the reduction of waste through the continuous remanufacture and reuse of products aimed at mitigating the risk and impacts of pollution and its related effects on climate change and biodiversity loss in the environment.

An economic model that takes into account the use of resources and seeks to minimize the need for new resources and consequently helps to reduce pressure on the environment by reducing resource extraction, waste disposal and emissions.

Economics that refers to taking production as a basis for conversion and recycling instead of use and destruction.

The concept of a “circular economy” can be thought of as a framework for systemic solutions to problems on a global scale, such as climate change, the decline in biodiversity, waste, and pollution. A “circular economy” is a model of production and consumption that entails sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products for as long as possible. This model aims to reduce waste and preserve natural resources. The transition to a circular economy must adhere to three guiding principles in order to be successful: the elimination of waste and pollution, the circulation of products and materials, and the regeneration of natural resources.

A circular economy is a type of economy that seeks to reduce waste and maximise the use of resources.

A form of the economic system that emphasises the reuse and regeneration of materials or products, particularly as a means of maintaining production in a sustainable manner.

An economic system based on the concept of ‘redesign, reuse, recycle and rethink’, or in other word, regeneration of materials or products, in means of sustaining production in a sustainable or environmentally friendly manner. The real goal of this concept is to produce zero landfill. The circular economy influences directly towards sustainable development.

a new concept of re-use, re-cycling and re-defining where a new product is created which is needed by consumers. It is a non-linear concept of a relationship between consumers and producers. The circular economy defines new capacity for production, using raw materials and others in order to create a new value in products and a new value chain. There is a maximization of product utility by consumers. Nothing is lost, but transformed in order to create a necessity in consumers/organizations.

This is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and continuous use of resources and contributing to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment.

A type of economic model that minimizes waste and makes the most of resources by making its products and materials usable for as long as possible through recycling, reusing, and remanufacturing.

A sustainable economic model based on reuse, recycling, and extending the useful life of existing resources.

An economic system that aims to eliminate waste and promote the continual use of resources by encouraging reuse, refurbishment, and recycling.

The circular economy proposes an economic and productive model characterized by sustainability and saving of resources and energy sources in which goods are produced, consumed, recycled, produced and re-consumed, entering a life cycle.

economic model of closed loops where raw materials, components and products lose their value in a way that they still can be reused, repaired, or valorised to produce new products, saving primary raw material, reducing waste, and minimizing the greenhouse gases to contribute to a sustainable development.

Is an economic system of exchange and production which, at all stages of the life cycle of products (goods and services), aims to increase the efficiency of the use of resources and reduce the impact on the environment while developing the well-being of individuals.

This can be defined as innovative techniques and a set of policy tools for waste management system to adopt new methods, to reduce waste, reuse, and recycle resources and manage them at a global, regional, national, local, and firm level to reduce pollution.

Economic model oriented to eliminate waste generation, reuse/recycle products and materials, reduce as much as possible resources consumption as well as other actions to close material loops and, in sum, minimize the environmental impact.

A production and consumption model where the life cycle of products is extended decoupling the economic activity from the use and waste of finite resources.

A systemic approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society and the environment for a regenerative economy.

It is a regenerative system in which resource use, waste production, emissions, and energy waste are minimised by slowing down, reducing, and closing energy and material cycles, or the waste is provided in such quality or can be used as an effective resource that this makes it a desirable material.

Economy that is based on reduced or eliminated waste both from lean and sustainability point of views. Circular economy can be supported by green innovations, eco-industrial development zones, and effective political economy.

The economic system/markets that give incentives to reusing products, rather than scrapping them and then extracting new resources, thus, all forms of waste are returned to the economy or used more efficiently.

A type of economy focused on reduction and prevention of waste, but also on the reduction of resource overconsumption.

A circular economy is an industrial system of economy whose aim is to regenerate or restore nature.

A circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating or reducing waste from production to consumption through the continual usage of resources.

It is defined as a process of gaining monetary benefit by converting resources in manufacturing industry in linear direction and treating the waste produced therein in reverse direction forming a circulatory process.

In the linear economy, raw natural resources are taken, transformed into products and get disposed of. On the opposite, a circular economy model aims to close the gap between the production and the natural ecosystems’ cycles – on which humans ultimately depend upon. This means, on one hand, eliminating waste – composting biodegradable waste or, if it’s a transformed and non-biodegradable waste, reusing, remanufacturing and finally recycling it. On the other hand, it also means cutting off the use of chemical substances (a way to help regenerate natural systems) and betting on renewable energy.

A circular economy is a systemic approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment. It is regenerative by design and aims to gradually decouple growth from the consumption of finite resources. It follows the 3R approach: reduce, reuse and recycle. Resource use is minimized (reduce). Reuse of products and parts is maximized (reuse). And last but not least, raw materials are reused (recycled) to a high standard.

A business model that aims to keep materials and components within a closed loop. Emergy Analysis: An assessment tool that quantifies the accumulative available energy consumed directly or indirectly to produce a product or a service.

An economy in which wastage and excess production / consumption is minimized through strategies such as information sharing and application of digital technologies and mutual collaboration of all stakeholders.

An economic model oriented to eliminate waste generation, reuse/recycle products and materials, reduce as much as possible resources consumption as well as other actions to close material loops, and in sum, minimize the environmental impact.

An economic system that emphasizes circular flow of goods and materials and the full use of all resources within the supply chain in order to increase efficiency and protect the environment.

An economic system that is designed to minimize waste and promote the reuse and recycling of resources.

Circular economy in food products involves decreasing the amount of waste produced, reusing food, utilising by-products and food waste, recycling nutrients, and changing dietary habits to include more varied and effective meal patterns.

A system in which emphasis is supplied to the exhaustive use of the product which means that a product is not simply thrown away after its use rather the same should be repaired and put to reuse and one’s it becomes completely nonfunctional the parts of same should be sent for recycle thereby generating minimum waste, and making the product more cost effective.

A model of production and consumption that comprises reusing, sharing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing products and materials, aiming at solving global challenges like waste, pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change.

William McDonough is known as the co-creator of the “Cradle to Cradle” design and the “father of the circular economy”. Presents a vision for materials that benefit society with safe water, energy, and material by eliminating waste. It aims to use raw materials in a closed loop. Its concepts accelerate the process if applied effectively. The focus of the circular economy is to promote reverse Logistics for environmental sustenance, recycling for environmental feasibility, engaging the community by acknowledging waste utilization, and utilizing emerging technologies for mitigating waste.

A circular economy is an economic system of closed loops in which raw materials, components, and products lose their value as little as possible, renewable energy sources are used, and systems thinking is at the core.

A nonlinear economy where it is creating value added in goods. The importance of the circular economy is based on the concept of recycling, reduction and reuse material and creating new products assuming that consumers have new needs.

The circular economy is an economic system aimed at minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency. It promotes the continual use, recycling, and repurposing of materials, reducing reliance on finite resources and minimizing environmental impact.

A productive system in which resources, materials and products are maintained as possible within the business cycle and waste is minimized.

Is a new restorative or regenerative model which disruptly change the way the societies and business are organized. It is based on three principles, eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials and, regenerate nature.

Circular economy is a concept of Economy focused on sustainable development of business and society.

A concept that entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system.

An economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continuous use of resources. It uses “R” to define the different activities that can be done with a product at the end of its useful life: reuse, repair, refurbishment, recovery, remanufacturing and recycling to make a closed loop system, and minimise the use of resources and the creation of waste. Even adding more “R's” in the design phase: rethink and reduce.

A new economic paradigm that consists of extracting raw materials; transforming them; and producing, consuming, and returning the materials to integrate in the process so that they turn into new raw material or new elements of production.

An alternative concept that promotes regenerative economic practices that strive to restore, recycle, repair and reuse resources in accordance with the principles of sustainable development.

It is a production and consumption model where products and items are reused to the maximum extent without being discarded. It aims at reducing the waste and consumption of natural resources through reusing and recycling of the materials (Andy, 2023).

An economic model in which every waste generated in a production system is re-evaluated so that the cost of raw materials is kept at minimum and resource efficiency and environmental benefits at maximum.

A Circular economy is one that is restorative and regenerative by design and aims to keep products, components, and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles

The circular economy is an economic model based on closed-loop systems that minimize waste, maximize resource efficiency, and promote the reuse, recycling, and recovery of resources during all of the product/service supply chain stages.

A principle that refers to manage the practices that seek to minimize wastes, reuse, revitalize, regenerate, and recycle materials and products.

Economic system that is restorative and regenerative by design and which aims to keep products, components, and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.

An innovative production and consumption model that promotes the principles of sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, renovating, and recycling existing materials and products. Its main goal is to prolong the life cycle of products, optimizing resource utilization, reducing extraction, promoting reuse, and enhancing overall efficiency. By adopting this approach, we can foster sustainability and minimize waste generation, leading to a more environmentally conscious and economically viable system.

Establish a new business and product development paradigm through human-environment interactions to eliminate waste based on sustainable socio-economic growth.

An economic model that aims to design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. This approach contrasts with the traditional linear economy, which follows a “take, make, dispose” model.

Economic system based on a systemic approach to the elimination of waste and continuous utilization of scarce resources.

In a circular economy, nature is replenished and materials are never wasted. Products and resources are kept in use in a circular economy by procedures including upkeep, reuse, renovation, remanufacture, recycling, and composting. By separating economic activity from the use of finite resources, the circular economy addresses climate change and other global issues including biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution.

An economic system aimed at minimizing resource input and waste, emission, and energy by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops; this can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling.

according to this paradigm, our supply, distribution, and consumption systems give up processing materials and other resources in a traditional “one-way” or linear manner, typically ending with their disposal. Instead, “waste” or other system outputs (secondary raw materials, valuables) are reinjected in the economy, allowing numerous additional cycles at high utility. In management literature and practice, circular economy frequently overlaps with related notions such as sustainable development/sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The supply chain management discipline can support - if not initiate - circular economy through closed-loop logistics principles.

The circular economy proposes an economic and productive model characterized by sustainability and saving of resources and energy sources in which goods are produced, consumed, recycled, produced and re-consumed, entering a life cycle.

A business model for managing sustainable value creation.

The circular economy is the approach that aims to using natural resources and ecosystems more effectively and also distinguish economic growth from these sources.

A business strategy that consists of optimizing the use of productive resources to recycle waste generation and eliminate negative externalities on the environment.

A new economy model in which products are recycled, repaired, or reused rather than thrown away, and in which waste from one process becomes an input into other processes.

Provides an alternative model of consumption, based on the creation of closed production systems where resources are reused and kept in a “ loop of production ” and usage, allowing the creation of value for a longer period of time.