Circular economy strategies for combating climate change and other environmental issues

TLDR

Industrialization and reliance on non‑renewable energy have increased solid waste and climate change, prompting a need for circular economy strategies to cut emissions by 45 % by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050, yet only a few companies have set climate goals. This review examines circular economy strategies across waste management, climate, energy, air and water quality, land use, industry, food production, life‑cycle assessment, and cost‑effective routes. The authors analyze how circular economy can be applied in industry, waste, energy, buildings, and transportation, emphasizing life‑cycle assessment to optimize new systems. They find that expanding bio‑based materials faces land‑use constraints, carbon‑removal technologies are prohibitively expensive (US $100–1200 per ton CO₂), and they propose cost‑effective routes that lay a theoretical foundation for a sustainable industrial, agricultural, and commercial future.

Abstract

Abstract Global industrialization and excessive dependence on nonrenewable energy sources have led to an increase in solid waste and climate change, calling for strategies to implement a circular economy in all sectors to reduce carbon emissions by 45% by 2030, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Here we review circular economy strategies with focus on waste management, climate change, energy, air and water quality, land use, industry, food production, life cycle assessment, and cost-effective routes. We observed that increasing the use of bio-based materials is a challenge in terms of land use and land cover. Carbon removal technologies are actually prohibitively expensive, ranging from 100 to 1200 dollars per ton of carbon dioxide. Politically, only few companies worldwide have set climate change goals. While circular economy strategies can be implemented in various sectors such as industry, waste, energy, buildings, and transportation, life cycle assessment is required to optimize new systems. Overall, we provide a theoretical foundation for a sustainable industrial, agricultural, and commercial future by constructing cost-effective routes to a circular economy.