Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Circular Economy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Natural Resource Management and the Circular Economy

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Natural Resource Management ((PSNRM))

Abstract

Our current linear economic model follows a ‘take-make-consume-dispose’ pattern where natural resources are harvested for the manufacturing of products, which are then disposed of after consumption. This model has led to constraints on the availability of natural resources as well as the generation of waste and environmental degradation. In contrast, the circular economy aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract value from them while in use, and recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 2013. Towards the circular economy: Economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition. 1. Available: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/Ellen-MacArthur-Foundation-Towards-the-Circular-Economy-vol.1.pdf.

  2. 2.

    Barbier, E. B. 2003. The role of natural resources in economic development. Australian Economic Papers, 42, 253–272.

  3. 3.

    Goodwin, N. H., Jonathan; Nelson, Julie A.; Roach, Brian; and Torras, Mariano 2013. Microeconomics in context, Armonk, New York, M.E. Sharpe.

  4. 4.

    World Economic Forum. 2014. Towards the Circular Economy: Accelerating the scale-up across global supply chains. Available: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_ENV_TowardsCircularEconomy_Report_2014.pdf.

  5. 5.

    OECD. 2015b. Material resources, productivity and the environment. Available: http://www.oecd.org/env/waste/material-resources-productivity-and-the-environment-9789264190504-en.htm.

  6. 6.

    PWC. 2015. The world in 2050. Will the shift in global economic power continue? Available: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/the-economy/assets/world-in-2050-february-2015.pdf.

  7. 7.

    UNEP. 2015. International trade in resources: A biophysical assessment. Available: http://www.resourcepanel.org/international-trade-resources-biophysical-assessment.

  8. 8.

    European Commission. 2011. Roadmap to a resource efficient Europe. Available: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52011DC0571&from=EN.

  9. 9.

    WHO. 2017. Global and regional food consumption patterns and trends [Online]. Available: http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/3_foodconsumption/en/index4.html.

  10. 10.

    HSBC. 2012. Consumer in 2050. The rise of the EM middle class. Available: https://www.hsbc.com.vn/1/PA_ES_Content_Mgmt/content/vietnam/abouthsbc/newsroom/attached_files/HSBC_report_Consumer_in_2050_EN.pdf.

  11. 11.

    Future Market Insights. 2016. Consumer electronics to be a US$ 3 trillion market by 2020: Report [Online]. Available: http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/consumer-electronics-market.

  12. 12.

    UNEP. 2016. Resource efficiency: Potential and economic implications. Available: http://www.resourcepanel.org/sites/default/files/documents/document/media/resource_efficiency_report_march_2017_web_res.pdf.

  13. 13.

    Henckens, M., Van Ierland, E., Driessen, P. & Worrell, E. 2016. Mineral resources: Geological scarcity, market price trends, and future generations. Resources Policy, 49, 102–111.

  14. 14.

    European Commission. 2010. Report forecasts shortages of 14 critical mineral raw materials [Online]. Available: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-10-752_en.htm.

  15. 15.

    Mckinsey and Company. 2011. Resource revolution: Meeting the world’s energy, materials, food, and water needs. Available: http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability-and-resource-productivity/our-insights/resource-revolution.

  16. 16.

    UNEP. 2016. Resource efficiency: Potential and economic implications. Available: http://www.resourcepanel.org/sites/default/files/documents/document/media/resource_efficiency_report_march_2017_web_res.pdf.

  17. 17.

    Bekkers, E., Brockmeier, M., Francois, J. & Yang, F. 2017. Local Food Prices and International Price Transmission. World Development, 96, 216–230.

  18. 18.

    UN. 2017. World population prospects. The 2017 revision. Available: https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2017_KeyFindings.pdf.

  19. 19.

    UN. 2014. World urbanization prospects: The 2014 revision, highlights. Available: https://esa.un.org/unpd/wup/publications/files/wup2014-highlights.Pdf.

  20. 20.

    Bounoua, L., Zhang, P., Nigro, J., Lachir, A. & Thome, K. 2017. Regional Impacts of Urbanization in the United States. Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing, 43, 256–268.

  21. 21.

    PRB. 2004. Urbanization: An environmental force to be reckoned with [Online]. Available: http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2004/UrbanizationAnEnvironmentalForcetoBeReckonedWith.aspx

  22. 22.

    Cui, L. & Shi, J. 2012. Urbanization and its environmental effects in Shanghai, China. Urban Climate, 2, 1–15.

  23. 23.

    Mckinsey and Company. 2011. Resource revolution: Meeting the world’s energy, materials, food, and water needs. Available: http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability-and-resource-productivity/our-insights/resource-revolution.

  24. 24.

    PWC. 2017. Capital project and infrastructure spending outlook [Online]. Available: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/capital-projects-infrastructure/publications/cpi-spending-outlook.html.

  25. 25.

    Hughes, G., Chinowsky, P. & Strzepek, K. 2010. The costs of adaptation to climate change for water infrastructure in OECD countries. Utilities Policy, 18, 142–153.

  26. 26.

    EIA. 2016b. International energy outlook 2016. Available: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/ieo/world.php.

  27. 27.

    EIA. 2016a. EIA projects 48% increase in world energy consumption by 2040 [Online]. Available: https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=26212.

  28. 28.

    Bao, C., Kishita, Y. & Umeda, Y. 2017. Demand estimation of consumer durables in Southeast Asia in 2030: A business-as-usual scenario. Procedia CIRP, 61, 635–640.

  29. 29.

    UNESCO. 2015. Water for a sustainable world. Facts and figures. Available: http://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/images/WWDR2015Facts_Figures_ENG_web.pdf.

  30. 30.

    OECD. 2012a. Environmental outlook to 2050: The consequences of inaction. Key findings of water. Available: https://www.oecd.org/env/indicators-modelling-outlooks/49844953.pdf.

  31. 31.

    UN-WATER. 2017. Wastewater: The untapped resource. Available: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/water/wwap/.

  32. 32.

    Braden, J. B. & Shortle, J. S. 2013. Agricultural sources of water pollution A2 – Shogren, Jason F. Encyclopedia of energy, natural resource, and environmental economics. Waltham: Elsevier.

  33. 33.

    World Bank. 2017. What a waste: A global review of solid waste management. Available: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/17388.

  34. 34.

    Hoornweg, D., Bhada-Tata, P. & Kennedy, C. 2013. Environment: Waste production must peak this century. Nature, 502, 615.

  35. 35.

    Vij, D. 2012. Urbanization and solid waste management in India: Present practices and future challenges. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 37, 437–447.

  36. 36.

    World Bank. 2016. The cost of air pollution: Strengthening the economic case for action. Available: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/25013.

  37. 37.

    NIH. 2016. Poor communities exposed to elevated air pollution levels [Online]. Available: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/geh_newsletter/2016/4/spotlight/poor_communities_exposed_to_elevated_air_pollution_levels.cfm.

  38. 38.

    Di, Q., Wang, Y., Zanobetti, A., Wang, Y., Koutrakis, P., Choirat, C., Dominici, F. & Schwartz, J. D. 2017. Air Pollution and Mortality in the Medicare Population. New England Journal of Medicine, 376, 2513–2522.

  39. 39.

    OECD. 2015a. The economic consequences of outdoor air pollution. Available: http://www.oecd.org/environment/indicators-modelling-outlooks/the-economic-consequences-of-outdoor-air-pollution-9789264257474-en.htm.

  40. 40.

    Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2005. Ecosystems and human well-being: Synthesis. Washington, DC, Island Press.

  41. 41.

    TEEB. 2010. The economics of ecosystems and biodiversity: Mainstreaming the economics of nature: A synthesis of the approach, conclusions and recommendations of TEEB [Online]. Available: http://www.teebweb.org/our-publications/teeb-study-reports/synthesis-report/.

  42. 42.

    Mueller, H., Hamilton, D. P. & Doole, G. J. 2016. Evaluating services and damage costs of degradation of a major lake ecosystem. Ecosystem Services, 22, Part B, 370–380.

  43. 43.

    Hsiang, S., Kopp, R., Jina, A., Rising, J., Delgado, M., Mohan, S., Rasmussen, D. J., Muir-Wood, R., Wilson, P., Oppenheimer, M., Larsen, K. & Houser, T. 2017. Estimating economic damage from climate change in the United States. Science, 356, 1362–1369.

  44. 44.

    Du, D., Zhao, X. & Huang, R. 2017. The impact of climate change on developed economies. Economics Letters, 153, 43–46.

  45. 45.

    Barbier, E. B. 2003. The Role of Natural Resources in Economic Development. Australian Economic Papers, 42, 253–272.

  46. 46.

    Ibid.

  47. 47.

    OECD. 2015c. Material resources, productivity and the environment. OECD Green Growth Studies [Online]. Available: http://www.oecd.org/env/waste/material-resources-productivity-and-the-environment-9789264190504-en.htm.

  48. 48.

    Pike, C., Doppelt, B. & Herr, M. 2010. Climate communications and behavior change: A guide for practitioners. Available: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/551504/6527501/1271194957847/Climate+Communications+and+Behavior+Change.pdf?token=Eo1SlESh0gUlVMqJBMuyPLvVnuo%3D.

  49. 49.

    WRAP. 2017. WRAP and the circular economy [Online]. Available: http://www.wrap.org.uk/about-us/about/wrap-and-circular-economy.

  50. 50.

    EEA. 2014. Resource-efficient green economy and EU policies. Available: http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/resourceefficient-green-economy-and-eu.

  51. 51.

    OECD. 2015c. Material resources, productivity and the environment. OECD Green Growth Studies [Online]. Available: http://www.oecd.org/env/waste/material-resources-productivity-and-the-environment-9789264190504-en.htm.

  52. 52.

    UNEP. 2016. Resource efficiency: Potential and economic implications. Available: http://www.resourcepanel.org/sites/default/files/documents/document/media/resource_efficiency_report_march_2017_web_res.pdf.

  53. 53.

    OECD. 2015c. Material resources, productivity and the environment. OECD Green Growth Studies [Online]. Available: http://www.oecd.org/env/waste/material-resources-productivity-and-the-environment-9789264190504-en.htm.

  54. 54.

    Gupt, Y. & Sahay, S. 2015. Review of extended producer responsibility: A case study approach. Waste Management & Research, 33, 595–611.

  55. 55.

    European Commission. 2014. Towards a circular economy: A zero waste programme for Europe. Available: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:aa88c66d-4553-11e4-a0cb-01aa75ed71a1.0022.03/DOC_1&format=PDF.

  56. 56.

    UNEP. 2005. Life cycle approaches. The road from analysis to practice. Available: http://www.unep.fr/shared/publications/pdf/DTIx0594xPA-Road.pdf.

  57. 57.

    EEA. 2017. Circular by design – Products in the circular economy. Available: https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/circular-by-design.

  58. 58.

    Way, T. K., Ong, M., Kai, J., Ho, S. & Michelle Kan 2016. Is your waste a waste? Rethinking the linear economy. Asian Management Insights, 3, 62–69.

  59. 59.

    European Commission. 2015. Closing the loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy. Available: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52015DC0614.

  60. 60.

    Ibid.

  61. 61.

    Ibid.

  62. 62.

    OECD. 2012b. Sustainable materials management. Making better use of resources. Available: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264174269-en.

References

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mitidaption, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

    Robert C. Brears

Authors
  1. Robert C. Brears
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Brears, R.C. (2018). The Circular Economy. In: Natural Resource Management and the Circular Economy. Palgrave Studies in Natural Resource Management . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71888-0_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71888-0_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-71887-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-71888-0

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation