ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a foundation for understanding the complex field of the circular economy and law. We demarcate between three categories of laws within the legal landscape: (1) laws explicitly labelled as circular economy laws, (2) laws embodying or implementing principles of the circular economy concept but not introduced as ‘circular economy laws’ per se, and (3) laws underpinning circular economy implementations. For each of these categories, we draw on predominantly national, as well as sub and supranational, examples. Environmental law, especially resource and waste law, tends to dominate current legal discourse, but there is increasing recognition that laws beyond environmental law, such as property, contract, investment, trade, and human rights, should be integrated under circular economy and the law to acknowledge the concept’s broad-ranging nature.
