The Circular Economy Handbook

Reviews / Votes

"The climate emergency makes the switch to a circular economy ever more urgent. The circular economy is happening, but not quickly enough. This practical handbook can accelerate the transition by helping business leaders to rethink their propositions and scale-up their circular solutions. It's also a call to action - the systems change we need is only achievable if we all contribute. This book will hopefully inspire many to move forward on the path to true impact." (Ralph Hamers, CEO ING Group)

"Our generation has the unique opportunity to reconcile the paradox between progress for all and a sustainable future for our planet, thanks to a step change in efficiency. Digital technologies are there to help, to shift the way we manage energy, provided we rethink the way we design buildings, industries, cities. The Circular Economy Handbook demonstrates how digitization and circular models go hand in hand to enable this efficiency." (Jean-Pascal Tricoire, Chairman and CEO, SchneiderElectric)

"We believe that waste will come to be seen as a precious commodity, shaping new business models and defining commercial opportunities hitherto unimagined. Act now and be part of this systemic transformation in our economy, our lives, our relationship to the environment. This handbook, with its deep practical insights supported by extensive knowledge and research, is a timely contribution to the field and essential reading for the conscious, contemporary leader." (Antoine Frérot, Chairman and CEO, Veolia. Author of Water: Towards a culture of responsibility (2011))

"There cannot be an effective circular economy without private sector's engagement and innovation. Raising awareness on circular economy opportunities and empowering companies from different industries to become circular leaders is a crucial way to accelerate the transition." (Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission)

"The business case for the circular economy is crystal clear. Whilst many are already realizing value from the concept, our world is still only 9% circular. This new handbook will play an important role in scaling up the circular economy as it provides practical guidance for companies and puts a much-needed spotlight on the disruptive technologies needed to drive the transition. Nature is already circular, now it's up to us to do the same." (Feike Sijbesma, CEO, Royal DSM)

" The Circular Economy Handbook provides private sector leaders with an overall framework as well as specific implementation guidance for revamping their business processes to make them more circular and consequently sustainable." (Bea Perez, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications, Public Affairs, Sustainability & Marketing Assets Officer, The Coca-Cola Company)

"Climate change is on everyone's lips. But given material and land use account for close to half of global emissions, we cannot solve the climate crisis without a clear focus on the circular economy. Circularity is the tool needed to deliver real decoupling of economic growth and resource usage. In The Circular Economy Handbook , the authors demonstrate there is a path forward for sustainable business by providing actionable insights and practical strategies for making a successful circular transition." (Ida Auken, MP, Chairman of the Parliament's Energy and Climate Committee, Former Minister for The Environment, Denmark)

"Organizations great and small are pivoting towards the circular economy. To craft our path forward, the private sector must step forward and join hands with governments, civil society and consumers in leading the change. The Circular Economy Handbook arrives at a critical juncture in the history of humankind, as we devise entirely new modes of making, consuming and living. Channelling our energies together, with the grace of new technologies, we can catalyse such a transformation." (Gonzalo Muñoz, Founder, TriCiclos)

" The Circular Economy Handbook's predecessor, Waste to Wealth , has been an important resource for our circular economy strategy, showing that closed loop systems and upcycled materials can be drivers for growth. Now, this handbook goes one step further and provides practical insights on the role that innovation, technology and collaboration will play in securing a competitive advantage from circularity. It is a critical contribution to a rapidly growing school of thought, now more important than ever." (Tony Milikin, Chief Sustainability and Procurement Officer, Anheuser-Busch InBev)

"In China, whilst policy-makers have made circular economy a priority as a top-down initiative, citizens are looking forward to seeing a much bigger bottom-up movement from business. The Circular Economy Handbook is timely piece to support this critical movement. Since its publication in 2015, I have introducedits predecessor, Waste to Wealth, to officials, business leaders and researchers in China. I look forward to doing the same with the handbook." (Zhu Dajian, Professor and Director, Institute of Governance for Sustainability, Tongji University, Shanghai)

"We cannot solve tomorrow's problems with today's solutions, and the stakes are getting higher and higher as we fail to make real progress on the issues of our generation; climate change, unemployment and poverty in our developing economies. This handbook makes a valuable contribution by illustrating the powerful role digitisation and circular economies can play and by encouraging business leaders to not only push out on disruptive technologies, but also to re-invent their core businesses." (Rob Shuter, Group CEO and President, MTN Group)

"The 'take, make, waste' mindset is difficult to break away from, but we are fast approaching a point of no return. The Circular Economy Handbook offers concrete direction for how to make the transition circular. It calls out that retrofitting small-scale circular initiatives into business-as-usual environments simply won't deliver the change we need to see. I hope the Handbook becomes a practical companion for senior executives on their change journey. The time to act is now." (Lise Kingo, CEO and Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact)

"The Fourth Industrial Revolution will impact every aspect of our lives. In order to thrive within this new global dynamic, we need to adopt new business models and norms. The circular economy is one approach that can enable us to keep pace with technological innovation, support integrated and sustainable ecosystems, and move us towards a brighter future. The Circular Economy Handbook is an essential guide for organizations of all types looking to capitalize on the circular opportunity." (Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum)

"The needto develop new business models to adapt to climate urgency, resource constraints and social imperatives is at the top of my personal agenda. The circular economy reinvents the way we create and share value for society at large, by extracting the highest possible value from materials. The Circular Economy Handbook represents a major contribution, helping us to move from concept to action, by scaling up and mainstreaming new business models in a pragmatic way." (Ilham Kadri, CEO, Solvay)