Circular Economy

Author: Zhou Hongchun, Liu Yanhua, et al
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: Circular economy refers to economic activities guided by the principles of sustainable development, adhering to ecological laws, with the efficient use of raw materials and waste and environmental friendliness as its core principles. It aims to minimize waste production, reuse, regenerate, recover energy, and dispose of waste safely in order to enhance resource utilization efficiency, protect the environment, and achieve sustainable development of the economy and society. Circular economics is the science that studies how people engage in economic activities in accordance with ecological principles. It arranges human economic activities based on ecological and economic laws, featuring social production and reproduction that prioritize efficient resource utilization and environmental friendliness. Unlike traditional growth models, which treat the Earth as an infinite repository of resources and a dumping ground for pollutants, one end of the traditional model extracts vast resources from the Earth to produce consumer goods, while the other end discharges large amounts of wastewater, gas, and solid waste into the environment, following a "resource-product-waste" linear growth pattern. Circular economy focuses on improving resource utilization efficiency, circulating all usable resources in every stage of production and reproduction, extending industrial chains through "material metabolism" or "symbiosis," and adopting a "resource-product-waste-regenerated resource" framework, representing an intensive growth model. This book systematically summarizes the connotation and origin, theoretical foundation, evaluation methods and indicator systems, and development models of circular economy, serving as a reference for university students, postgraduates, and planners and managers engaged in environmental and planning work.