History of the Circular economy

For many years, the idea of a circular economy has been developing. The fundamental concept is to design systems and products that are reusable, repairable, remanufacturable, and recyclable in order to reduce waste and maximise the use of resources.

The Luddites, a group of British textile producers who opposed the introduction of new machines they feared would put them out of business, laid the groundwork for the circular economy in the 19th century. Back then, things were simply consumed or burned; recycling did not exist. The Luddites contended that recycling existing materials with the new machinery would be a more efficient use of resources than producing new ones from scratch.

Although the concept of circularity was born with this notion, the circular economy would not materialise for nearly 200 years. Since the time of the Luddites, the circular economy has advanced significantly, and there are now numerous successful instances of circular firms all over the world.

The Early Roots of circular economy developed in the 1960s–1970s. As environmental issues began to garner attention. With this, the concept of a circular economy was born. Scholars such as Walter Stahel and Kenneth Boulding started debating the idea of a "closed-loop economy." Dr. Walter Stahel championed the world of circularity and is considered the “father of the circular economy”. He maintained that prolonging the life of products was a sensible place to begin the slow shift towards a sustainable economy. (Stahel,W.R, 2020)

In the 1980s–1990s, Dr. Walter Stahel coined the phrase "Cradle to Cradle" (C2C) to emphasise the significance of creating waste-free systems and products. In addition to this, the British sailor Ellen MacArthur founded the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2010, and it was instrumental in advancing and popularising the circular economy. To promote the adoption of circular principles, they carried out studies, wrote reports, and collaborated with governments and corporations.

In the 2010s, the circular economy became very popular as a response to resource scarcity, climate change, and environmental issues. Circular economy policies and initiatives have been adopted by numerous nations and organisations, including the EU, who have implemented the “circular economy package” in 2015. The Circular Economy Package of the European Union is a comprehensive policy framework aiming at encouraging a circular economy that prioritises sustainability, resource efficiency, and waste reduction. The package, which was adopted in December 2015, consists of legislative measures and initiatives addressing many parts of the product lifecycle. Recycling targets, steps to decrease landfilling, and promoting eco-design and expanded producer responsibility are all important components. (Oskamp, S, 1995)