An increasing number of books and articles about the circular economy are appearing, some of which have attracted our attention. The circular economy is all about sharing, and we take this opportunity to share some of these with you, and to invite you to reach out to us via e-mail to: info@circularityfoundation.org.uk to let us know of resources which you find to be useful.
| Title | Description | Year | Author | Link | hf:doc_categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Improving climate emissions accounting to accelerate the circular economy transition | "...the way GHG emissions are currently reported can disincentivise the shift to circular business models and the adoption of circular practices. Businesses and capital markets are not getting the accurate data needed for decision-making on the impact of their circular activities on climate-related risks and opportunities. " | 2025 | João Murilo Silva Merico, Cindy Venho, and Alasdair Hedger | circular-economy | |
| Kickstarting the circular economy A six step plan to make better use of resources | In June 2025, with the government engaged in the process of developing England’s first Circular Economy Strategy, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Environment launched a six-step plan to make better use of resources. The 6th step: "Set a long term goal to bring resource use within planetary boundaries" is justified as follows: "Ministers have recognised that the UK’s material footprint is over twice the sustainable limit identified by the UN. The circular economy will minimise extraction by keeping resources in use at their highest value for as long as possible, so economic growth does not rely on increased raw material consumption. To bring it all together, the government should set a target...to bring resource use within sustainable levels by 2050, with interim direction setting targets along the way..." | 2025 | APPG Environment | circular-economy | |
| Circular economy policy in the UK: A post Brexit review | Published in advance of, and offers recommendations (five tests) for, the anticipated Circular Economy Strategy for England, including: "Set a long term goal to bring England’s resource use within planetary boundaries" and "Ensure the whole government is behind the strategy for the long term". | 2025 | Green Alliance | circular-economy | |
| Zero Waste Training Handbook | A resource to empower changemakers and enhance their impact on zero waste at the local level. It supports the Zero Waste Ambassador and Trainer curricula by deepening topic understanding and providing exercises and materials for training. It can be used as a complete guide or accessed by individual chapters for focused work on specific topics. | 2022 | Kadri Kalle, Grete Arro, Mait Kriipsalu, Jack McQuibban, Jaka Kranjc, Žaklina Žnajder, and Kadi Kenk | circular-economy social-change | |
| Circular citizenship in Wales | A Circularity Foundation publication considering the success factors contributing to Wales's circular success story | 2024 | Shlomo Dowen | circular-economy social-change | |
| Resource Recovery Parks - A Model for Local Government Recycling and Waste Reduction | "A resource recovery park is a new development in recycling. In its broadest sense, it is the co-location of reuse, recycling, compost processing, manufacturing, and retail businesses in a central facility. The public can bring all their wastes and recoverable materials to this facility at one time." | 2001 | Gary Liss & Associates | circular-economy | |
| The National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Environment) Order 2010 | Conferred the National Assembly for Wales with legislative competence to make primary legislation (known as Assembly ‘Measures’) in respect of waste. Makes provision to reduce the amount of waste and litter in Wales whilst also providing a more effective system of waste management. | 2010 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy | |
| Beyond Recycling (Circular Economy Strategy for Wales) | "...brought forward an immediate moratorium on any future large scale energy from waste developments. As well as keeping to our long term commitments, this moratorium also recognises the views we received from citizens and stakeholders during the consultation on Beyond Recycling and the advice from the UK Committee on Climate Change on the pathway needed for Wales to decarbonise..." | 2021 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy | |
| Waste (Wales) Measure 2010 | Statutory recycling targets established in law "to support the development of more sustainable waste management practices, thereby improving environmental outcomes across Wales" | 2010 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy | |
| One Wales: One Planet | One Wales: One Planet, the 2009 Sustainable Development Scheme of the Welsh Government - Comprises the Welsh Assembly Government’s Sustainable Development Scheme, and sets out how the Welsh Assembly Government intends to promote sustainable development in the exercise of the Welsh Ministers’ functions. | 2009 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy | |
| Wellbeing at the heart of building the circular economy in Wales | Circular Economy Wales (CEW) is a Community Interest Company which supports enterprises that are actively involved in Re-use and Recycling. Organisations whose main purpose is creating Wealth from Waste – maximising its recirculation to ensure long-term community benefit. Trading collected material, creating new products and raising revenues to solve local problems. This brochure - subtitled "The People’s Circular Economy Services in Wales" - outlines the activities and ambitions of CEW. | 2022 | Circular Economy Wales (CEW) | circular-economy social-change | |
| Creating wealth from waste | Published by Demos in July 1999. “Intensive recycling and waste reduction depends on changing whole systems. It relies on distributed intelligence rather than centralised knowledge and on innovation that is widely dispersed across collection, processing, materials technology and product design. As a result, the change can seem far harder to achieve than the straightforward modernisation of existing systems.” | 1999 | Robin Murray | circular-economy critical-thinking social-change systems-thinking | |
| Directive 1999/31/EC | EU Landfill Directive which regulates waste management of landfills in the European Union. The Directive's overall aim is "to prevent or reduce as far as possible negative effects on the environment, in particular the pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and on the global environment, including the greenhouse effect, as well as any resulting risk to human health, from the landfilling of waste, during the whole life-cycle of the landfill". This legislation also has important implications for waste handling and waste disposal. | 1999 | European Parliament / European Council | circular-economy | |
| The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 | Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 provides a legally-binding requirement for public bodies to: “take account of the long-term, help to prevent problems occurring or getting worse, take an integrated and collaborative approach”, and consider and involve people of all ages. The Act also established the role of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales “to promote the sustainable development principle (the five ways of working), in particular to act as a guardian of the ability of future generations to meet their needs, and encourage public bodies to take greater account of the long-term impact of the things that they do”. | 2015 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy social-change | |
| Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council | The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) is a European Union Directive concerned with "measures to protect the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the adverse impacts of the generation and management of waste and by reducing overall impacts of resource use and improving the efficiency of such use". The aim of the WFD was to lay the basis for turning the EU into "a 'recycling society' seeking to avoid waste generation and to use waste as a resource" (Preamble, section 28). One of the features of the WFD is the European Waste Hierarchy. | 2008 | European Parliament / European Council | circular-economy | |
| The Well-being of Future Generations (website) | Welsh Government webpage about the Well-being of Future Generations Act. The significance for waste/resource management is the Act’s promotion of long-term thinking that disrupted the tendency to put the demands of electoral cycles ahead of what is required for sustainability. | 2024 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy social-change | |
| Cleanstream collection system (Revised) | In October 2006 Cylch published this revised version of Cleanstream, which includes ten underlying principles. | 2006 | Mal Williams | circular-economy | |
| Wise about Waste: The National Waste Strategy for Wales | Where the Welsh Assembly Government set out minimum recycling and composting targets for each local authority to deliver, includes advice that: “Local authorities are strongly encouraged to follow the principles of the Cleanstream approach advocated by the Wales Community Recycling Network/Cylch”. | 2002 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy | |
| Wise about Waste (Summary) | Summary of the June 2002 National Waste Strategy for Wales | 2002 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy | |
| History of the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) | Webpage describing the history of the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) starting in 2002. Includes accounts of a series of Zero Waste Dialogs, and referencces to the October 2003 gathering at the Bulkeley Hotel in Beaumaris, Wales which resulted in ZWIA's formation. | 2002 | Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA) | circular-economy | |
| Cleanstream - Total Resource Recovery Systems | Cylch's introduction of Cleanstream - Total Resource Recovery Systems "as the vehicle that creates and develops this opportunity [to recover resources from mixed waste]. It sets a standard and describes a process to achieve radical change in the way we manage resources after first use". Cleanstream "shows how Wales can utilise its new found political independence and Objective 1 status in order to reap the tremendous benefits of changing to this very Sustainable Resource Management System". | 2000 | Mal Williams | circular-economy | |
| How Wales became a world leader in recycling | Welsh Government press release describing how "Since Wales has had its own government in 1999, we have become a global leader in recycling. We’re now first in the UK, second in Europe and third in the world for household waste recycling". | 2020 | Welsh Assembly Government | circular-economy | |
| Wiser.Directory entry for Cylch | Cylch - Wales Community Recycling Network - is an umbrella organisation, formed in 1997 to promote sustainable resource management through education and practical action in Wales. The entry provides some background information, including Cylch's aims and objectives | 1997 | Wiser.Directory | circular-economy | |
| Wastesavers website | "Wastesavers began life in 1985 as an environmental, interest group promoting the importance of reuse and recycling. In the mid 90’s it became more proactive and began picking up old newspapers from peoples doorsteps for recycling, and hand sorting these at the local paper mill. In 1995 Wastesavers collected and recycled 22 tonnes of paper..." | 2024 | Wastesavers Charitable Trust | circular-economy | |
| Waste Paper Recycling: A Community Technology Approach | 200-page doctoral thesis exploring the hypothesis that a Community Technology approach can be considered appropriate for reclamation and recycling activities, and investigating opportunities for reclaiming and recycling domestic wastes viably at a 'community' scale. Records how “...the Community Support Anti-Waste Co-operative in Cardiff…employed eight people in 1981” and describes other pioneering efforts to reclaim and recycle. | 1986 | Christine Thomas | circular-economy | |
| Mike Croxford obituary | References made in Mike Croxford’s obituary (in the Guardian newspaper) to him having established CSAWS, where he is described as “a pioneer of recycling in his native Wales…[whose] interest in recycling began in 1980, while running the Augusta Street youth project in Cardiff. The young people started collecting newspapers to improve their standing among local people and to fundraise to run events for the community. The project turned into the Community Support Anti-Waste Scheme (CSAWS) that in 1986 initiated the first citywide collection scheme in the UK”. | 2016 | Mal Williams | circular-economy | |
| Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-century Economist | Kate is an advocate for an ‘open source’, regenerative and redistributive circular – or ‘cyclical’ – economy. She recognises the shortcomings and limitations associated with attempts to establish a more circular economy that challenges the ‘business as usual’ economic model that devalues the environment whilst ignoring the urgent need for greater fairness for all human beings. | 2017 | Kate Raworth | circular-economy social-change systems-thinking | |
| The Story of Newport | The city of Newport, Wales, shows that when separate collection systems prioritise quality over just quantity, world-leading results can be achieved whilst simultaneously reducing costs for the citizens. | 2021 | Jack McQuibban and Mal Williams | circular-economy | |
| Profit without loss: How conserving resources benefits the economy, businesses and consumers | "The only environmentally sustainable route to growth in the long term is to grow using fewer natural resources, through an economy designed around reducing, reusing, repairing and recycling.2 These are the central activities in what is known as the circular economy". This report is part of Green Alliance’s work on embedding fairness in the net zero transition. | 2023 | Heather Plumpton, Jasmine Dhaliwal, Arpana Giritharan and Libby Peake | circular-economy | |
| What is holding circular business back? | Reducing raw material consumption in the UK is essential to meeting climate targets. Circular businesses can offer a host of environmental benefits as well as saving money for consumers and bringing in just as much, if not more, profit than linear companies. Our report ‘Ready steady grow: how the Treasury can mainstream circular business‘ looks at case studies from ten circular businesses to show how the economics of circularity stack up and find out what is holding circular businesses back from mainstream adoption. In this episode, Jasmine Dhaliwal speaks to three of the innovative circular businesses we interviewed in our report. Listen in to hear from The Little Loop’s Charlotte Morley, Techbuyer’s Rich Kenny and SUEZ’s Adam Read as they shed light on how they work, the business case for circularity and what further support is needed from government. | 2023 | The Green Alliance Trust | circular-economy | |
| Podcast - Kate Raworth: Doughnut economics and thriving in balance | In the 21st century, the impact of financial and environmental crises can be felt by all. But how do we marry the nature of the economy with the ever depleting means of the planet? Rory and Alastair discuss the radical doughnut economic model with economist Kate Raworth to unpick how it could work politically, and how it is already helping cities to thrive in balance. | 2023 | Kate Raworth interviewed by Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell (The Rest Is Politics) | circular-economy critical-thinking systems-thinking | |
| A Sustainable Resource Management System for Wales | Cleanstream® – Total resource recovery systems template developed by Cylch working in strategic partnership with the Welsh Government to define a standard in resource recovery and shows how Wales can utilise its political independence to reap the tremendous benefits of changing to this very Sustainable Resource Management System. | 2000 | Cylch - Wales Community Recycling Network | circular-economy | |
| Circular Economy in Action around the World – Lessons for Scotland | Friends of the Earth Scotland's report brings together case studies of the circular economy in action from around the world, divided into economically important themes from food systems to the built environment and electronics. These are compared to Scotland’s position, indicating where progress can be made. | 2022 | Sarah Hunter and Kim Pratt | circular-economy | |
| The conditions for thriving conversations | "Conversation, in contrast with debate and other forms of antagonistic discourse, is collaborative. It demands from the conversants openness to changing views and perspectives - that is, it involves learning - and can foster coordinated action...A thriving conversation tends to make waves into the future. Relationships become stronger, projects get planned, and new conversations emerge. The future thinking of those involved in a conversation, that is, their intention to continue the learning and design inquiry beyond the conversation encounter, can also affect the quality of the conversation itself." | 2005 | Kathia Castro Laszlo and Alexander Laszlo | change-conversation | |
| Teaching circular economics | "Education must nurture young people who are aware of the problems that our world faces and who are armed with ideas on how to tackle them...taking on the issue of plastic pollution in schools should not merely be limited to extolling the virtues of recycling. We need to be more dynamic, and this is where circular economics comes in..." | 2019 | Matthew Murray | circular-economy | |
| Social justice: the circular economy’s missing link | "Although some have acknowledged the importance of social justice in relation to the circular economy, it has not become part of the broader debate. Rather, discussions have almost exclusively focused on the economic and environmental gains...Social impacts have barely been considered beyond the issue of job creation. This is a significant shortcoming that needs to be addressed..Social justice – defined as 'justice in terms of distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society' – needs to be an integral part of the circular economy if the concept is to retain its relevance over the long-term and ultimately contribute to more sustainable outcomes..." | 2019 | Thomas Vergunst | circular-economy social-change | |
| Building a circular economy: How a new approach to infrastructure can put an end to waste | Green Alliance report, based on research by Professor Phil Purnell and Dr Anne Velenturf, that outlines three scenarios for England with varying degrees of circularity (Business as usual, High recycling, and Transformation). Provides analysis of the infrastructure required under each of these scenarios for three common, high impact material streams from household waste: plastic, textiles and electrical equipment. | 2019 | Libby Peake and Caterina Brandmayr | circular-economy | |
| Principles for a sustainable circular economy | "Circular economy must be fully integrated with sustainable development. This necessitates a profound reconsideration of circular economy, broadening its scope from closed-loop recycling and short-term economic gains, towards a transformed economy that organises access to resources to maintain or enhance social well-being and environmental quality...This article proposed a set of three core values and ten principles for the design, implementation and evaluation of a sustainable circular economy..." | 2021 | Anne P.M. Velenturf and Phil Purnell | circular-economy | |
| The Twelve Habits of Successful Change-Makers (Summary) | Covers topics such as: 'Mission first, not model or money'; 'Looking at the bigger picture'; 'Being adaptive and responsive'; 'Persistence, perseverance and resilience' and other 'habits' exhibited by charity campaigners, local activists, service providers, and parents fighting for their children’s rights. | 2018 | Sheila McKechnie Foundation | social-change | |
| Social Power: How civil society can ‘Play Big’ and truly create change | Report about what civil society could achieve if it were working to its full potential, based on an exploration of existing evidence and a year-long conversation with practitioners. | 2018 | Sheila McKechnie Foundation | social-change | |
| From systems thinking to systems being | Kathia Castro Laszlo explores how "Systems thinking is a gateway to seeing interconnections. Once we see a new reality, we cannot go back and ignore it. More importantly, that 'seen' has an emotional connection...Systems being involves embodying a new consciousness, an expanded sense of self, a recognition that we cannot survive alone, that a future that works for humanity needs also to work for other species and the planet". | 2014 | Kathia Castro Laszlo | systems-thinking | |
| Sufficiency: Moving beyond the gospel of eco-efficiency | Explores the notion that: “Sufficiency is essentially the antithesis to the orientation to permanent ‘higher, further, faster, more’. It instead prioritises quality of life…One of its central battle cries is ‘better, not more!’” | 2018 | Friends of the Earth Europe | circular-economy | |
| Circular economy in Europe: Developing the knowledge base | Foundational document defining the circular economy from a European perspective. The report “describes the concept of the circular economy and outlines its key characteristics. It draws attention to both the benefits and challenges in transitioning to such an economy and highlights possible ways to measure progress”. | 2016 | European Environment Agency | circular-economy | |
| Towards the circular economy Vol. 1: an economic and business rationale for an accelerated transition | Foreword by European Commissioner for the Environment invites readers “to imagine an economy in which today’s goods are tomorrow’s resources, forming a virtuous cycle that fosters prosperity in a world of finite resources” offering “a fresh perspective on what a transition path to a circular economy at global scale could look like”. | 2013 | Ellen MacArthur Foundation | circular-economy | |
| Achieving a sustainable economy | European Commissioner for Environment explaining how “unlimited growth on a limited planet” following a linear economy model would “inevitably lead to scarcity, price-volatility, supply disruptions and pricing levels that are unaffordable for our economy’s industrial base” and that “The answer is, instead of burying or burning those materials at the end of their life, to pump them back into the economy. To move to a circular economy”. | 2012 | Janez Potočnik | circular-economy | |
| Planning for Change: Public engagement on landscape and ecosystem futures in the Cambrian Mountains region of Wales | A useful account of using change conversations to explore issues relating to local ecosystem services, which are the ways in which nature supports our social, economic and environmental wellbeing. | 2011 | Resources for Change | change-conversation | |
| Circular Economy Package policy statement | The UK-wide Circular Economy Package features the notion that "the transition to a more circular economy requires changes throughout value chains, including product design, new business and market models, novel ways of turning waste into a resource and changes to consumer behaviour". | 2020 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) |