The circular shift: Reinventing five high-impact sectors for a sustainable future

It is no secret that many of the industries that govern our everyday life have an enormous impact on the environment. From the food we eat and the clothes we wear, to the way we live, travel and connect with others, current production and consumption patterns have led to pollution, climate change, and ecosystem degradation. As the world faces the effects of the triple planetary crisis, alongside geopolitical tensions and resource scarcity, transitioning from a linear to a circular economy – one that aims to eliminate waste, keep materials in use, and restore natural systems – is vital. Thankfully, circular models are starting to appear around the world. In this blog post, we explore some cases setting the example and reinventing five high-impact sectors for a sustainable future.  

Giving waste new life 

Plastics are everywhere. From food packaging to household goods, global plastic production has doubled in the last 20 years. Yet, only 9 per cent of it is recycled, while the rest is landfilled, incinerated or leaking into the environment. Plastics are not only harmful to the environment, but microplastics are now a rising human health concern due to bioaccumulation and biomagnification. In Trinidad and Tobago, a circular model is emerging. Through industrial symbiosis, several local companies collaborate in an industrial cluster to recycle and upcycle plastics, treating waste as a resource to reduce plastic pollution. These clustered businesses show how circular practices can reduce pollution while optimising value. 

Redesigning style with purpose 

Fashion is not just about style – it is a powerful economic and cultural force. Two decades ago, we bought half as much and kept clothes twice as long. Today, we buy over 60 per cent more and keep them for half the time. The textile sector is a major threat to the environment due to land use change, pollution and the immature disposal of unwanted clothes. The dark side of fast fashion has also been associated with forced labour for profits, unsafe working conditions and severe health implications from water contamination. Initiatives like Africa Collect Textiles and Animaná are shifting to sustainable textile chains. By promoting upcycling, ethical labour and local materials, they offer communities affordable and eco-friendly clothing options. 

Closing the loop on critical resources 

As the world pushes for decarbonization, the demand for minerals and critical metals is expected to rise nearly three-fold by 2030 and 3.5 times the current levels by 2050. This demand is causing severe ecological impacts, as mining activities expand to new areas and biodiversity hotspots. The health and social impacts from unsustainable mining activities, for example in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uzbekistan, are undeniable. CATL – a battery manufacturer – and Brunp – a battery recycling company – are building a circular battery value chain, recovering critical minerals from used electric vehicles’ (EV) batteries, optimising performance and service life. This process integrates circular approaches across production, recovery and usage. 

Circularity from the ground up 

The building and construction sector plays a vital role in development and yet, it contributes to 34 per cent of global emissions. A major blind spot is represented by the embodied emissions generated throughout the lifecycle of building materials, accounting for 18 per cent of the global building-related carbon emissions. In war-torn Ukraine, ReThink is leading a project aimed at upcycling rubble into valuable construction materials, thus minimizing costs, environmental impacts and creating a foundation of circularity in the country. Circularity in the building sector is a closed loop – from sourcing and producing sustainable materials, planning and financing sustainable building approaches, designing green buildings, sustainable management and use of buildings, to reusing and recycling deconstruction materials and waste. 

Mining value from e-waste 

Electronics have changed the way we travel, communicate, work and spend leisure time. According to Global E-waste Monitor 2024, in 2022, 62 billion kilograms of e-waste were generated worldwide, but only 22.3 per cent of it was properly collected and recycled. Although second-hand electronics improve access for those who can't afford new devices, transboundary movement and illegal shipment – often disguised as donations – of unusable electronics particularly to developing countries is a growing environmental risk, as they quickly become toxic e-waste. In Porto, ReBOOT repairs and redistributes used computers, improving access to technology while minimizing waste. E-waste embeds precious metals – for an estimated value of $91 billion in 2022  – which, together with other materials, through circular approaches like urban mining conducted by companies such as Mint Innovation, can be recovered and reused in value chains. 

The big question is, what is holding us back? 

The barriers to a widespread implementation of circularity in high-impact sectors include inadequate legislations, high upfront cost for technologies, infrastructure and supply chain adjustments, and unsustainable consumer behaviour. To accelerate the shift to a circular economy, we must act collectively. Governments should implement enabling policies and incentives, businesses must innovate and adopt circular models, and individuals can drive demand through sustainable choices.  

The time to act is now. Embracing circularity in high impact sectors is not an option, but a necessity for a resilient, inclusive and sustainable future. 

If you would like to learn about the circular economy, sign up to the UNSSC online course Circular Economy and the 2030 Agenda running from 20 October to 28 November 2025.