Circularity challenges the current economic model towards a sustainable future

Circular processes contributing to circularity can be grouped into 4 categories, from the most impactful to the least:
1. Reduce by design: reducing the amount of material used, particularly raw material, should be applied as an overall guiding principle from the earliest stages of design of products and services
2. From a user-to-user perspective: Refuse, Reduce and Re-use
3. From a user-to-business intermediary perspective: Repair, Refurbish and Remanufacture
4. From business-to-business: Repurpose and Recycle.

Read more about circularity at UNEP's Building Circularity platform.

Circularity diagram

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Chemicals in products

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Feng Wang
I work as a Programme Officer in UNEP in its Paris office. I manage projects in the areas of Life Cycle Thinking, Sustainable Consumption and Production and Circular Economy, to promote resource efficiency and pollution reduction in many sectors such as plastics, electronics, food and chemicals. In my current work, we develop methodologies and tools to quantify the environmental impacts of chemicals, to enable comparison and identification of alternatives.Feng holds a Doctorate Degree from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, on topics of eco-design and waste management of electronics products. Before joining UNEP, I worked as a researcher in
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Dhrumil Soni

As we strive towards a better world, we work to ensure chemistry’s contributions are realized. Chemistry can help us to understand, monitor, protect and improve the environment around us.

Bettina Heller
I am coordinating UNEP’s work on eco-innovation and circularity in different sectors. Through this work I aim to help governments and businesses to identify key strategic actions and implement those – be it through integrated policy frameworks or through novel business strategies. A ground rule for the circular practices I promote through my work is that they should be implementing sound management of chemicals, and pay particular attention to chemicals of concerns, with the objective to reach a non-toxic, circular model. The end goal is that companies are able to offer more sustainable, non-toxic products and services to consumers –
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Ndeye Fatou NDIAYE
As Chemical Waste Manager I am working on Chemicals and Hazardous Waste Management problem solving skills. I determine the compliance obligations of the environmental business and health -safety at work; I also provide to companies the managerial,
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Valerie Daniela Murcia Rojas

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has great potential for use and generation, taking into account the technological progress of recent decades, but also the implementation of concepts such as obsolescence.

Ran Xie
I am working on sustainable consumption and production and circularity in sectors such as plastics, electronics and textiles.Through my work I aim to ensure chemicals of concern are taken into consideration along the value chains of these sectors, which is also one of the pillars of UNEP's approach to promote circularity.I provide technical support to the GEF-funded project "Circular Economy approaches for the electronics sector in Nigeria". Under this project, I work with Nigerian partners and international stakeholders to promote environmentally sound treatment of hazardous chemicals in e-waste, as well as advocate best practices on the eco-design of electronic products.
RJR
Robert J. Reinhardt
I am a sustainable business consultant, researcher & cross-disciplinary strategist focusing on establishing the business case for sustainability by driving sustainable innovations in businesses and international organisations through a science based approach. With a PhD in Environmental Engineering on sustainable business model innovation perspectives (going beyond the circular economy) for the emerging electric vehicle battery second use industries, I was able to highlight shared sustainable value creations for multiple-stakeholders and thus I was able to prove the economically viable business case for sustainability in the electric vehicle industry. I apply my academic and industry background in business, environmental science, and
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Report (5)
Emerging Policy Issues:
Hazardous chemicals in electronics (5)
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5 resources found

Circular_Economy_Electronics_LAC
Report

Toward a Circular Economy for the Electronics Sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): Overview, Actions and Recommendations

April 2023
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This report provides an overview of the current status and conditions of the Circular Economy in the electronics value chain in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, identifies key areas of concern, provides appropriate recommendations, and proposes priority actions to improve circularity of the sector. The recommendations and roadmap focus on the individual life cycle stages of the electronics value chain, as well as on aspects that cut across the value chain. The transition towards a more circular electronics sector in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) would require a holistic and coordinated approach to progress toward a more circular electronics value chain in the CEE region.

This publication was prepared under the framework of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) full-sized project 9771: Global best practices on emerging chemical policy issues of concern under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). This project is funded by the GEF, implemented by UNEP and executed by the SAICM Secretariat.

Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics Chemicals in products
Topics: Circularity E-waste Life Cycle Chemicals in electronics Sustainable Development Goals
Circular_Economy_Electronics_Central_Eastern_Europe
Report

Toward a Circular Economy for the Electronics Sector in Central and Eastern Europe: Overview, Actions and Recommendations

by
SAICM
|
December 2022
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This report provides an overview of the current status and conditions of the Circular Economy in the electronics value chain in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region, identifies key areas of concern, provides appropriate recommendations, and proposes priority actions to improve circularity of the sector. The recommendations and roadmap focus on the individual life cycle stages of the electronics value chain, as well as on aspects that cut across the value chain. The transition towards a more circular electronics sector in Central and Easter Europe (CEE) would require a holistic and coordinated approach to progress toward a more circular electronics value chain in the CEE region.

This publication was prepared under the framework of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) full-sized project 9771: Global best practices on emerging chemical policy issues of concern under the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). This project is funded by the GEF, implemented by UNEP and executed by the SAICM Secretariat.

Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics Chemicals in products
Topics: Circularity E-waste Chemicals in electronics Life Cycle Sustainable Development Goals
Country: Central and Eastern Europe
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Report

Towards a Circular Economy for the Electronics Sector in Africa: Overview, Actions and Recommendations

by
UNEP
|
December 2021
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This report provides an overview of the current state of circularity in the electronics value chain in Africa, identifies key areas of concern, provides appropriate recommendations, and proposes priority actions to improve circularity of the sector.The recommendations focus on the individual life cycle stages of the electronics value chain, as well as on aspects that cut across the value chain. The transition towards a more circular electronics sector in Africa would require a holistic, coordinated approach bridging five key areas

Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics Chemicals in products
Topics: Chemicals in electronics Circularity
Report

Regional Electronics Study and Circularity Roadmap in the LAC Region: Mapping of Existing Initiatives

by
SAICM Universidad El Bosque
|
September 2021
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Technological development has made electrical and electronic equipment (EEE1) essential parts of contemporary life and indispensable products in today’s societies. Information technology (IT) combined with the technological advances in recent decades, has resulted in EEE having a great influence on the daily life of consumers in aspects such as health, safety, knowledge, comfort information, among others. The global consumption of electronics is growing 2.5 million metric tons per year (Forti, Baldé, Kuehr, & Bel, 2020), because technology increases the living

Emerging Policy Issues: Hazardous chemicals in electronics
Topics: Chemicals in electronics Circularity E-waste
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