Our current systems are linear and based on extraction. For us to sustain life within our planetary boundaries, we need closed-loop systems that continuously reuse materials and promote regeneration.
The circular economy is a system where materials never become waste and are kept in constant circulation. It replaces the linear take-make-waste cycle and replaces it with sustainable, closed-loop cycles by employing repair, reuse, recycling, and composting.
Circular design works to close these loops through innovation and systems approaches to what materials we use, how we produce products, and what happens to them at the end of life. Successful circular interventions rely not only on careful design, but systemic and behavioral interventions to ensure the intended outcomes are achieved.