Any scientific or economic sector uses specific vocabulary, and the circular economy is no different. Some concepts are easy to work out, others less so. Some are familiar but you'd find it difficult to define them. Acronyms can be a headache.

This series will look at concepts used in articles on this website and endeavour to provide straightforward definitions.

Let’s start with the basics! Concept: Circular economy

The circular economy is more than recycling. The fundamental goal is to keep raw materials looping round and round for as long as possible while generating the lowest possible amount of waste and pollution.

This involves designing products with a view to recycling, reuse, disassembly and remanufacturing; collecting, sorting and recycling materials with a view to recovery of useful components; the secondary raw materials market and how secondary raw materials compete with primary raw materials; and using end-of-life organic materials to support soil health, nature and biodiversity via compost.