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Environment & Climate vocabulary · Sustainability and Circular Economy

Circular economy

Meaning in environment & climate, with examples

/ˈsɜːrkjələr ɪˈkɑːnəmi/nounCore term

In environment & climate, circular economy means: An economic model that keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible through reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling, instead of making, using and throwing away.

In Turkish: döngüsel ekonomi

How it is used

Contrasted with the linear economy ('take, make, dispose'). Common in EU policy, product design and waste management: circular economy action plan, circular business models, circular design. People also say 'circularity' and describe products as circular.

Example sentences

  1. Under our circular economy strategy, returned phones are repaired and sold again.

  2. Moving to a circular economy would reduce the demand for raw materials.

Common collocations

  • transition to a circular economy
  • circular economy action plan
  • circular business model
  • circular design
  • circularity
  • recyclingThe process of collecting used materials such as paper, glass, metal and plastic and turning them into raw materials or new products.
  • waste hierarchyAn order of priority for dealing with waste: first prevent it, then reuse, recycle and recover energy, and only as a last option dispose of it.
  • resource efficiencyUsing less raw material, water and energy to make the same product or deliver the same service, while creating less waste and pollution.
  • life cycle assessment (LCA)A method for measuring the environmental impacts of a product or service at every stage of its life, from raw materials and production to use and disposal.
  • extended producer responsibility (EPR)A policy approach that makes producers responsible, financially and sometimes physically, for collecting and recycling their products and packaging after use.

More terms: Sustainability and Circular Economy

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