Circular Economy - Sustainable Materials Management : A compendium by the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University

Open Access

Abstract

The scope of the compendium covers many parts of theemerging circular economy. We choose to place considerablefocus on some of the substances that we extract from theground – in particular raw materials and critical materials.We focus on circularity in these areas, because presentlywe use too much, too fast, and we are not re-using nearlyenough. In turn, this approach demands that we look atthe technologies that rely on such materials, and howbusinesses are innovating to make circularity of materialsa reality.This document provides many concrete examples of whatwe mean by sustainable materials management. We presentcutting edge insights on a range of topics.• Why raw material supply chains are important to society?• How circularity can benefit us?• Where changes in our economies are required?• Who needs to be involved?• What businesses are doing to make the circular economya reality?• How governments and regulators can support the circulareconomy?