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consequences: these aspects and related areas deserve a separate analysis of their own and

thus are not examined in this publication. Rather than describing existing, established practices,
our aim is to provide an overview of what kinds of new, innovative, forward-looking – and also
circular or sustainable – solutions are gaining ground.

The circular economy is not a new idea; it has been widespread in academia for decades now.
The idea of decrease on the quantity of waste and resource usage has been in the public
consciousness for a long time too, so why is the circular economy starting to really emerge only
now?
There are three major trends behind the phenomenon, which together are the drivers of the

circular economy:
1. Changing consumer needs;

2. Resource shortage;

3. Technological breakthroughs.

Tools of the circular economy – more than just recycling

It’s easy to associate the circular economy with recycling, and recycling with the selective disposal
of plastic, paper and metal waste. Although the spread of selective waste disposal is an important
milestone on the path to a (more) waste-free world, in what follows we will demonstrate that the
circular economy is about so much more than just recycling! What makes it more is that its tools

are present throughout the value chain, from product design through the manufacturing process,
to the way they are used by consumers. Moreover, these tools vary in terms of who is responsible
for them within the value chain: the supplier, the manufacturer, the consumer – or possibly all of
them together. Most of the tools are not new – their strength lies in the fact that they are used in
concert by the participants in the value chain.

The different tools:
1. Sustainable design;

2. Sharing;

3. Maintenance, repair;

4. Renovation;

5. Remanufacturing;

6. Recycling;

7. Recycling during the manufacturing process;

8. Reuse.

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