Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A Circular Economy seeks to rebuild capital, whether this is financial, manufactured, human, social or natural, and offers opportunities and solutions for all organisations. This book, written by Walter Stahel, who is widely recognised as one of the key people who formulated the concept of the Circular Economy, is the perfect introduction for anyone wanting to quickly get up to speed with this vitally important topic for ensuring sustainable development. It sets out a new framework that refines the concept of a Circular Economy and how it can be applied at industrial levels.

This concise book presents the key themes for busy managers and policymakers and some of the newest thinking on the topic of the Circular Economy from one of the leading thinkers in the field. Practical examples and case studies with real-life data are used to elucidate the ideas presented within the book.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• List of illustrations (p. viii)
• Acknowledgements (p. x)
• Note from the author (p. xi)
• Foreword (p. xii)
• Introduction (p. xiv)
• 1 The circular economy, roots and context (p. 1)
• 1.1 History (p. 1)
• 1.2 The realm of the circular economy (p. 4)
• 1.3 What distinguishes the circular economy from the linear industrial economy? (p. 6)
• 2 Circularity, sustainability and labour in the circular industrial economy (p. 9)
• 2.1 The shift to a modern circular industrial economy (p. 9)
• 2.2 Sustainability and the circular industrial economy (p. 11)
• 2.3 Labour in the circular industrial economy (p. 14)
• 3 The circular industrial economy, a wealth of new opportunities (p. 16)
• 3.1 Shifting from a circular society to a circular industrial economy (p. 16)
• 3.2 Analysing the circular industrial economy (p. 17)
• 3.3 Some principles underlying the circular industrial economy (p. 21)
• 3.4 Which external factors drive the circular industrial economy? (p. 21)
• 3.5 The value fork (p. 22)
• 3.6 Innovation challenges in the circular industrial economy (p. 24)
• 4 The era of 'R': The owner decides locally (p. 26)
• 4.1 Managing stocks of physical objects (p. 26)
• 4.2 The decision makers (p. 28)
• 4.3 The characteristics of the era of 'R' (p. 29)
• 4.4 Trust, skills and people, economic value and savings in the era of 'R' (p. 31)
• 4.5 Putting flesh to the bones of the era of 'R' (p. 33)
• 4.6 Research, innovation and policy challenges in the era of 'R' (p. 35)
• 5 The era of 'D': Economic actors recovering resource assets decide (p. 38)
• 5.1 Managing stocks of atoms and molecules (p. 38)
• 5.2 The need to identify decision takers to maintain highest value in the era of 'D' (p. 40)
• 5.3 The characteristics of the era of 'D' (p. 41)
• 5.4 The foundation of the era of 'D': R&D, technology, knowledge and people (p. 42)
• 5.5 The ownership fork (p. 44)
• 5.6 Innovation and opportunities for policymakers in the era of 'D' (p. 45)
• 6 The point of sale, or factory gate, and liability (p. 47)
• 6.1 The point of sale as frontier between two economic philosophies (p. 47)
• 6.2 Of toys and tools, fashion and function (p. 49)
• 6.3 The point of sale: pivot for ownership and liability (p. 50)
• 6.4 Producer liability is shifting (p. 51)
• 6.5 What is in it for manufacturers, after the point of sale? (p. 51)
• 7 The invisible liability loop, labour and the role of policy (p. 53)
• 7.1 Extended Producer Liability (EPL): closing the invisible liability loop (p. 53)
• 7.2 Objects: EPL and Ultimate Liable Owners in the era of 'R' (p. 55)
• 7.3 Materials: EPL and Ultimate Liable Owners in the era of 'D' (p. 56)
• 7.4 Labour in the circular economy: a suitable case for research (p. 57)
• 7.5 The role of policy and labour taxation (p. 58)
• 7.6 The role of appropriate economic indicators (p. 60)
• 7.7 The role of governments and policymakers (p. 62)
• 8 The Performance Economy, industry adopting the circular industrial economy as default option (p. 66)
• 8.1 The business models (p. 66)
• 8.2 The decision makers (p. 67)
• 8.3 The characteristics of the Performance Economy (p. 71)
• 8.4 No sharing without caring: culture enters the economic game (p. 72)
• 8.5 The foundation of the Performance Economy: the factor 'Time' (p. 75)
• 8.6 Uncertainty, diseconomy of risk and economy of scale, resilience (p. 77)
• 9 Radical innovation to enhance stock management (p. 80)
• 9.1 The drivers of innovation in the circular industrial economy (p. 80)
• 9.2 Innovation in the era of 'R' (p. 82)
• 9.3 Innovation in the era of 'D' (p. 84)
• 9.4 The role of policymakers in innovation (p. 85)
• 10 Outlook (p. 87)
• 10.1 The circular industrial economy needs holistic approaches (p. 87)
• 10.2 Governments: the elephant in the circular menagerie (p. 89)
• 10.3 A technology-driven New Economy supports the circular industrial economy (p. 90)
• 10.4 The quest for holistic solutions (p. 90)
• 10.5 Culture, information and motivation: regional change levers (p. 91)
• Index (p. 94)