Introduction and Overview

During the last decade, the circular economy has increasingly caught the attention of policy-makers, academia and industry. The logic of the circular economy is straightforward: that is, the linear material flows of global production and consumption systems cannot continue on their current trajectory. On one hand, the finite nature of nonrenewable resources, such as land, fossil fuels and other materials (for example, minerals), makes it clear that current extraction rates cannot be sustained indefinitely. On the other hand, the sheer levels of waste generation and emissions have highlighted the limited capacity of the environment to cope with the wastes of current unsustainable production and consumption systems, which aim at satisfying the satieties of increasingly wealthier and demanding societies. Changing this trajectory raises a number of difficult challenges that must be solved. In a more sustainable society, resources must be used much more efficiently and effectively, so as to provide societal value over a longer time period and with minimized environmental impact. The challenges lie with designing and implementing technologies, policies, business models and new modes of production and consumption that are based on a very different paradigm to that of the current regime. As world leaders grasp this concept and understand the need for a paradigm shift in production and consumption systems, action plans for a circular economy have been adopted in several countries, including political unions such as the European Union. Despite the general acceptance in policy circles, the direction of, and the ways in which, production and consumption systems should change remain unclear. Several academic fields can contribute to making the circular economy a reality, or, at least, to give it intellectual rigour. Ecological economics, industrial ecology and life cycle assessment (LCA) are three examples of fields that have increased the robustness of the concept. This Handbook endeavours to shed light on a topic that has gained much notoriety, and has become more mainstream: the (relatively) new and rapidly emerging concept of the circular economy. Its purpose is to provide an authoritative and consistent approach to the circular economy as a concept, as well as its application in policy and business contexts, and assessment tools. It is timely to synthesize and consolidate the myriads of interpretations and applications of the concept that have taken place, with the goal of providing a comprehensive Handbook that can guide consumers, producers, policymakers, teachers and students. It includes contributions from world-renowned experts on topics ranging from agriculture to waste management, from national action plans to product service systems. We hope that the Handbook can bring clarity, in an intellectually and scientifically rigorous manner that can guide robust decisions in the transition towards sustainable development that is so needed. Like the topic, the scope of this book is large: it targets