Moving to a circular economy in the Process sector

Closing the loop has never been more important to the UK.

Geopolitical shifts are reshaping the global economy. Rising demand, growing resource constraints and the escalating impacts of climate change mean the traditional ‘take, make, dispose’ model is no longer viable or responsible.

The transition to a circular economy in process industries is not primarily a technology challenge. It is a challenge of systems, infrastructure and incentives. Engineering solutions already exist or are emerging, but the right policy framework will determine whether they can be scaled.

Circularity must be approached as a whole-system transformation, bringing together materials, energy, water, carbon, biodiversity, infrastructure, economics, regulation, technology, behaviours and skills.

Despite significant progress, the incentives are still not aligned with a circular model. This report sets out the interventions needed to accelerate the transition: connecting system objectives, providing long-term policy certainty, improving data and investing in the skills and infrastructure needed to make circularity a reality.