The rise of global industrialisation has led to the growth of manufacturing industries and the rapid expansion of multinational corporations. However, while industrialisation has indeed catalysed economic growth, it has also resulted in serious environmental problems such as the generation of waste and the depletion of finite natural resources. It is against this background that the concept of Circular Economy (CE) is proposed. In contrast with the ‘linear’ economic model which exploits resources from nature, manufactures them into commodities, and disposes their waste, CE aims to decouple economic growth from the exploitation of finite natural resources. This is achieved by offering a regenerative economic design where resources are reused, remanufactured, and recycled.
