The circular economy is often categorized as an industrial or economic system or a manifestation of economic models. The common objective of these is to abolish the traditional linear model of the economy based on “take-use-waste”. Through the circular economy, the aim is to create cycles through which raw materials, components and products lose as little of their value as possible.
At the same time, it seeks the use of renewable energy and system thinking. The products are designed to be durable, able to disassemble, repairable, reusable and recyclable through technical or biological cycles. Priority is given to what has already been built e.g. remanufacturing, and the manufacture of new products is focused exclusively on renewable resources and raw materials, eliminating as many toxic substances as possible within them.
This is how secondary materials enter the market, which result from the treatment of waste or products and are replacing the raw materials resulting from mining. Additionally, dematerialisation is a key element to the circular economy. It is often accompanied by the provision of products as services and is driven by innovative business models that influence traditional consumer habits.