What is a Circular Economy?

A circular economy aims to significantly reduce waste and the depletion of natural resources, in contrast to the prevailing linear economy characterized by wasteful practices. At present, products are typically used once and then either go straight to landfills or become litter. Some of these items can take up to a thousand years to decay. Others are burned up in incinerators. Moreover, the machines, equipment and chemicals used to make these products tend to be discarded after just one use.

This unsustainable model is driving climate change, compromising air and water quality, and causing widespread pollution. For the long-term health of our planet, a significant departure from this make-use-dispose mindset is imperative.

In a circular economy, products would continue to circulate after their initial use. The materials in them would be recovered and recycled or used to create entirely new products. Similarly, materials that are currently wasted during manufacturing would be recovered and reused in ways not possible today.

A circular economy works something like a LEGO set. Instead of building something once with LEGO blocks and then putting the product away, you can simply take it apart and use those same bricks to build the same or a new and different structure many times over.

A circular economy would help fight climate change, too. When we recycle and reuse materials, we need to make fewer new products from scratch. We thus use less energy and produce fewer greenhouse gases.

To turn the linear into a circular economy, we need low-cost, highly effective methods to recover and recycle materials from waste. We also need to consider the entire life cycle when we design new products. Scientists worldwide are pursuing possible paths to meet these needs.

One critical focus of the research at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory is plastics pollution. This stands as one of the most significant environmental threats facing both humanity and wildlife globally. While plastics are indispensable in various fields, their sheer abundance and affordability have had severe environmental repercussions. Annually, the world generates over 380 million tons of plastic waste, and that number is growing. Only about 10% is recycled.

To combat this problem, Argonne researchers are pioneering processes that change single-use plastics into valuable products, like waxes and motor oil. At the same time, they’re developing new ways to break down plastics rapidly and efficiently.

Another urgent challenge lies in the mounting waste from cell phones, computers, portable electronics and electric vehicle batteries. Argonne researchers are exploring new approaches to computer chip manufacturing, using layers of different materials that can be ​“unzipped” for reuse instead of being discarded. They’re also delving into more efficient methods to recover and reuse critical materials in high demand for electric vehicle batteries and electronics.

Through these efforts and more, Argonne researchers are dedicated to establishing a circular economy that prioritizes recycling and reusing products, as well as substantially reducing waste and greenhouse gas.