The circular economy is not for the faint hearted

he circular economy (CE), so effectively promoted by the Ellen McArthur Foundation , the Waste Resource and Action Program (WRAP) and high-profile academic organizations, is a concept which presents opportunities for reducing waste and pollution which damage the environment and reutilising previously wasted resources. Therefore, the CE presents numerous environmental, economic and social benefits. Indeed, the circular economy is an economic and business opportunity: Khan et al 2022 claim that the CE is expected to generate £1,800 Bn in the EU alone, with the global economy gaining $4.5 trillion the end of 2030. The business benefits are therefore compelling, including lower costs, additional income and security of supply. Examples of how companies can adopt CE practices to create business opportunities include companies that recover excess steel from the automotive and other industries and market the recovered steel to other companies manufacturing products such as rat traps and ironing boards and those who recover plastic casing, lithium and other rare elements from mobile phones.