How to Build a Circular Economy

This guide by the World Resources Institute outlines the necessity of transitioning from a linear "take-make-waste" economic model to a circular economy to mitigate the climate crisis and resource depletion. It proposes three primary strategies for this transition: reducing overall consumption, improving the quality and nature of consumption, and implementing systemic changes through design and policy.

• The current global economic model is characterized by a "take-make-waste" approach where over 100 billion tons of resources enter the economy annually, with more than 60% resulting in waste or greenhouse gas emissions. This inefficiency contributes to the climate crisis and resource depletion.
• Transitioning to a circular economy—defined as a system where pollution is designed out, materials stay in use longer, and natural systems regenerate—presents a $4.5 trillion economic opportunity. Specifically, applying circularity to the food, plastics, steel, aluminum, and cement sectors could reduce CO2 emissions by 3.7 billion tons by 2050, which is equivalent to the current emissions from all transport.
• Reducing consumption is a critical pillar of circularity, particularly in wealthy nations where consumption levels are 10 times higher than in the poorest countries. Policy interventions have shown success in this area; for example, a 2017 ban in Kenya led to 80% of the population ceasing the use of single-use plastic bags.
• Consuming "better" involves shifting toward sustainable products, plant-based diets, and sharing platforms to reduce material use. The document notes the efficiency of sharing models by highlighting that the average car is parked 95% of the time and a power drill is typically used for less than 15 minutes in its lifetime.
• Systemic change requires designing products for longevity and implementing government policies that incentivize recycled materials. Examples include the UK's tax on plastic packaging with less than 30% recycled content and the Republic of Korea's compulsory food waste recycling program, which achieved a 95% recycling rate into fuel, biogas, animal feed, or compost.

APA

McGinty, D. (2020). How to Build a Circular Economy. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-build-circular-economy

Chicago

McGinty, David. How to Build a Circular Economy. World Resources Institute, 2020. https://www.wri.org/insights/how-build-circular-economy.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McGinty |first1=David |title=How to Build a Circular Economy |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=6 August 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/how-build-circular-economy |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mcginty2020how, author = {McGinty, David}, title = {{How to Build a Circular Economy}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = aug, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/how-build-circular-economy}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }