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Mankind is about to turn upside down economic self-evident truths, by the breakthrough of precision technologies like solar energy and precision agriculture, and by precision social arrangements like sharing instead of owning. So far, mankind could only produce more wealth by using more feedstock, depleting the earth’s resources and polluting the environment. Precision will end this practice. Precision will enable us to produce products better tuned to the needs of consumers, from less resources.

In order to reap these benefits of precision, mankind will have to change its habits, for instance in taxation. Like charging fossil and mineral resources, and facilitating recycling. Cheap renewable energy will allow us to curb fossil fuel recovery and stimulate circular practices like product longevity and reuse. It will allow us to develop new social arrangements like contracting out property, reuse and replacement of goods and services. It will allow us to upcycle materials, for instance from graphite in batteries to graphene in smartphones and chips, just to mention a futuristic option. Mankind will develop precision for application in smart materials and in machinery, and in producing and processing food, including processing agricultural side streams to new materials. We will be able to buy precision grown vegetables from mini greenhouses adjacent to the supermarket, reusing and recycling energy, packaging and leftovers. Producing just what is required will enable mankind to feed ten billion people, strongly reducing damage done to the planet. This book shows that we already have the required knowledge and know-how at hand.

The authors of this book have a very diverse background: in science, industry (national and international), science journalism, philosophy and sustainability. They are convinced that the transition to a sustainable energy system is the first step in a transition towards a sustainable society that will produce and distribute wealth with much greater precision.

This book aims to define and link together the current notions of circular economy, industrial ecology and short supply chains and to explain how their implementation can contribute to the building of sustainable territories. Based on literature reviews and concrete examples drawn from empirical studies made by the authors, it offers to students, researchers and those in charge of local public policies clear ideas regarding the contribution of industrial ecology and short supply chains to the development of sustainable territories.The notions of circular economy, industrial ecology and short supply chain are relatively new notions (industrial ecology appeared in the 1980s, short supply chains and circular economy at the beginnings of the 21rst century). Their definitions are not always stabilized and they are often studied separately. This books aims at studying their origins and the evolution of their definitions, show their common points and differences and most importantly, explain their contribution to the development of sustainable territories. This exercise, to the authors’ knowledge, has not been done before.

This book aims to define and link together the current notions of circular economy, industrial ecology and short supply chains and to explain how their implementation can contribute to the building of sustainable territories. Based on literature reviews and concrete examples drawn from empirical studies made by the authors, it offers to students, researchers and those in charge of local public policies clear ideas regarding the contribution of industrial ecology and short supply chains to the development of sustainable territories.The notions of circular economy, industrial ecology and short supply chain are relatively new notions (industrial ecology appeared in the 1980s, short supply chains and circular economy at the beginnings of the 21rst century). Their definitions are not always stabilized and they are often studied separately. This books aims at studying their origins and the evolution of their definitions, show their common points and differences and most importantly, explain their contribution to the development of sustainable territories. This exercise, to the authors’ knowledge, has not been done before.

The circular economy may be about to drive the biggest transformation in business since the Industrial Revolution 250 years ago—$4.5 trillion in additional economic output by 2030—through a radical departure from the traditional ‘take, make, waste’ production and consumption models.

Adopting a circular approach—decoupling growth from the use of natural resources—achieves two things: first organizations protect themselves from rising and volatile commodity prices, become more resilient to supply disruptions, and reduce their environmental footprint. More importantly, by extending their core customer value chain beyond design, production and sales into product use—where most customer value is created—companies begin to rethink their customer relationships, enabling them to create unassailable competitive advantage.

Lacy and Rutqvist present disruptive strategies that help both planet and profit through the circular economy. They set out five business models that promote circular growth alongside the technologies and capabilities required to turn them into competitive advantage – from deploying sustainable resources to the sharing economy – each illustrated with case studies that examine the key challenges and suggestions to help organizations scale their efforts. They offer you the Circular Advantage.

Ultimately, the driver for adopting the circular economy isn’t scarcity. It’s opportunity. To derive more from resources and assets. And create products and services that are much more innovative, and responsive to the most important point in the circle: the customer.