In his Encylical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis bemoans the lack of ‘a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximizing their efficient use, reusing and recycling them. A serious consideration of this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway culture which affects the entire planet, but it must be said that only limited progress has been made in this regard.’
The concept of a circular model of production or what is more commonly referred to as the ‘circular economy’, has been with us since at least the late eighties.