The circular economy concept has deep-rooted origins and cannot be traced back to one single date or author. Its practical applications, however, have gained momentum since the late 1970s, and there are a number of interconnected concepts.

 

CRADLE TO CRADLE

This is a sustainable business strategy that mimics the regenerative cycle of nature in which waste is reused. Building on the cradle to grave approach of decreasing waste, cradle to cradle goes a step further and attempts to eliminate waste altogether.

 

THE INERTIA PRINCIPLE

This is a guiding principle of the circular economy, as introduced by Walter Stahel. “Do not repair what is not broken, do not remanufacture something that can be repaired, do not recycle a product that can be remanufactured. Replace or treat only the smallest possible part in order to maintain the existing economic value”.

 

BIOMIMICRY

Bio means life; mimicry means imitate. So biomimicry is the practice of imitating life – emulating the models, systems, and elements of nature to solve complex human problems. Examples include Velcro, whose inventor was inspired by the tiny hooks on burdock burrs (seeds) that stuck to his dog's fur, and the aerodynamics of the famous Japanese Bullet train, which was inspired by the shape of a bird’s beak.

 

NATURAL CAPITALISM

This is a global economy in which business and environmental interests overlap, recognizing the interdependencies that exist between the production and use of human-made capital (industry) and flows of natural capital (the world's stocks of natural assets).

 

ACCESS VS OWNERSHIP

The circular economy concept also challenges the necessity of owning products in the way that we are traditionally used to. It is access to the service a product provides that is important, rather than the product itself. Understanding this shift in mindset lays the groundwork to many of the practicalities of shifting our economy from linear to circular, and can be seen in many examples now from car sharing clubs to fashion rental.