Report 14 Jul 2026

Expert View: Circular Economy: From Recycling Initiative to Enterprise Operating Model

The circular economy is often reduced to recycling, waste reduction, or material recovery. These elements are important, but they represent only part of the strategic challenge. A circular economy cannot be implemented through isolated environmental initiatives alone. It requires companies to redesign how products are developed, sourced, produced, used, maintained, returned, reused, remanufactured, and recycled. This Expert View explores why the circular economy should be understood as an enterprise operating model rather than a single sustainability project. The key transition is from end-of-life thinking to lifecycle steering — and from fragmented circularity initiatives to data-driven product, process, and business capabilities.