Replacing freshwater use with rainwater, fogwater, seawater, etc.

The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

Alternative water use

Enacting measures that optimise water use

Water efficiency

Replace freshwater with less impactful alternatives and enact water efficiency measures

Regenerative water

Utilise bio-based, reusable, non-toxic and non-critical materials

Regenerative materials

Replace energy sources with less impactful alternatives and enact energy efficiency measures

Regenerative energy

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way