Page 6 - Environmental_Circular Economy

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Chapter 1 - The 7 R’s of the circular

economy

1.1 The circular economy concept and the R-Imperatives

Circular economy aims to optimise the use of materials at their highest value and optimal use for an
increased efficiency of products and a reduced environmental impact. The use of R’s as operational
imperatives of the circular economy answers to a need of conceptualisation and modelisation of the
circular economy principles. They are commonly used nowdays in order to give orientation about possibles
actions that participate to the circular economy process. Historically, this modelisation has been developed
in different steps, as explained in the research paper The circular economy: New or Refurbished as CE 3.0?
(Reike 2017) (ScienceDirect, s.f.)

Back in the 70’s the first environmental movements arise both in Europe and in the United states, with the
first emergence of what we call the “3R” concept of reduce, reuse and recycling. During the first decades
of circular economy concerns, the majority of policies developed in this field focus on the outputs, the
pollution, with principles such as “polluter pays” but few is done to prevent such pollution and generation
of waste. This period is nowadays called CE1.0 (As circular economy 1.0)

From the 90´s to 2010 (CE2.0), a connection is made between the inputs and the outputs, and measures
start addressing the prevention of pullution. Also, environmental problems start to be framed as an
economic opportunity and new concepts as design for the environment appear.

Finally, since 2010 and still nowdays (CE3.0), appears the notion of “maximizing the value retention in the
age of resource depletion”. In addition to the sustainability design approaches, the reduction of input
materials and resources, as well as the concept of reuse, become central.

Foto de Andreas Fingerle