ABSTRACT
In the last decade, the concept of the circular economy (CE) has emerged as a major discourse on sustainability in policy, business, NGO, and academic domains. While the concept of the circular economy (CE) continues to evolve, encompassing a plurality of approaches, the main idea is to optimize the use of the Earth’s natural resources to meet human needs in a sustainable, resilient, and regenerative manner. CE thereby seeks to create a balanced and harmonious flow of socio-ecological resources between human and natural ecosystems so humanity may thrive within planetary boundaries. There are two broad conceptualizations of circularity: a CE, which only seeks to circulate material and energy resources sustainably, and a Circular Society (CS), which also seeks to circulate wealth, political power, care, and knowledge (including technologies) in a democratic and redistributive manner (see Figure 49.1).
