The Upside of the Looming Resource Crisis

Ideas about the circular economy are spreading quickly, particularly in Europe. A widely shared 2015 report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation helped popularize the concept. In January 2016, it was a core focus of the World Economic Forum in Davos. Governments at every level have begun to grapple with what these ideas could mean for their constituents. In 2015, the European Commission adopted a multifaceted circular economy plan. Sweden recently halved its tax on repair services, encouraging residents to fix broken washing machines, bikes, clothes, and other products instead of buying new ones. London plans to publish its circular economy plan in early 2017.