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What role does circularity play for democracy?
Understand how our work strengthens our societies and democracies.
Circularity creates sustainable prosperity.
"A ‘circular economy’ can be thought of as a system designed to deliver social and economic prosperity without requiring unsustainable levels of raw material extraction, consumption or pollution."
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— Chatham House, September 2024
Circularity is a collaborative process.
The circular economy only works when different actors within a supply chain work together. This collaborative aspect of circularity can also foster democracy, which also requires communication and collaboration to function properly.
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— The E-Waste Column
People see circularity as a chance to transform society.
"It is clear that people value a circular economy that is also socially inclusive, has a fair distribution of resource use between rich and poor, and is nature-positive".
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— Utrecht University, November 2022
Circularity brings people together.
The growth of sharing platforms and other collaborative solutions through the circular economy can connect people in new ways and bring them together.
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— The E-Waste Column
Circularity can be a tool to transform society for the better.
With high enough levels of participation from citizens and scientists, it is believed that circularity can "radically transform the current socio-economic system by fairly, sustainably and democratically redistributing the biophysical resources of the earth to ensure well-being for all, while respecting the limits and boundaries of the biosphere".
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— Utrecht University, November 2022
Circularity can mitigate social risks.
Raw materials, electronics, and e-waste can have adverse impacts on communities. Circular solutions can, however, be used as a tool to mitigate some of the social, human rights, labour, gender, and conflict dimensions of raw materials, electronics, and e-waste.
Well-governed supply chains that incorporate circular solutions can, for example, help to address health and safety risks, forced and child labour, Indigenous rights, gender inequality, conflict minerals, as well as other social and human rights issues that arise either locally or globally.
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— The E-Waste Column
Circularity enhances logistics.
"Establishing an effective reverse logistics system, either at a firm, sector or country level, is essential to ensure products at their end-of-life are safely repurposed, recycled or disposed. Companies that have effective logistics are better able to recover resources, measure impact and communicate results to investors and consumers."
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— Harvard Social Impact Review, September 2025
Circularity strengthens resource sovereignty.
E-waste contains the raw materials needed to produce new electronics. Through circular practices and the domestic use of secondary raw materials from e-waste, it is possible for countries to become less dependent on imported raw materials from abroad., which might at times come at a cost to the freedom and democracy of the importing countries.
Circular raw materials can be used to produce new electronics, defense equipment, and energy technologies domestically. In practice, this means that the dependency on other countries, and the impact of tariffs and export bans, can be reduced.
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— The E-Waste Column
Circular business models create new business opportunities.
"The adoption of circular business models is estimated to be a business opportunity worth $4.5 trillion (4-5% of projected global GDP) by 2030."
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— Harvard Social Impact Review, September 2025;
Accenture, 2015
Circularity benefits the economy.
"Resource-efficient and zero-waste models can create massive economic gains for companies and reduce dependence on finite natural resources."
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— Harvard Social Impact Review, September 2025
Circularity creates economic value.
A circular economy "could unlock up to $1.5 trillion in value in just three sectors of the US economy alone".
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— Chatham House, September 2024;
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2024
Circularity strengthens energy sovereignty.
E-waste contains the raw materials needed to produce new renewable energy technologies. Through circular practices and the domestic use of secondary raw materials from phased-out renewable energy technologies and other e-waste, it is possible for countries to become less dependent on imported raw materials from abroad, which might at times come with "unwanted strings attached".
Circular raw materials can be used to produce new renewable energy technologies domestically. Renewable energy technologies can also replace and reduce the need for fossil fuels. which are continuously used up and often imported from abroad. All in all, this can decrease dependencies and have a positivity effect on self-determination and sovereignty.
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— The E-Waste Column
Circularity mitigates climate change.
By "transforming the way products and materials are made and used", the circular economy could help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 45%.
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— Chatham House, September 2024;
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2024
Circularity protects biodiversity.
The circular economy could "restore global biodiversity to its 2000 levels within little more than a decade". This biodiversity offers important ecosystem services and plays a key role in supporting life on Earth.
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— Chatham House, September 2024
Circularity has created harmony across centuries.
"The idea of a society that works in harmony with the natural cycles of the earth can be traced [...] back to the ancestral worldviews and ways of life of indigenous peoples throughout the globe."
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— Calisto Friant et al., 2022;
Kothari et al., 2019
What types of societal issues come up in the context
of raw materials, electronics, and e-waste?
