[New] Green and sustainable manufacturing as a standard: With global sustainability policies and circular economy initiatives, material efficiency, recycling systems, and energy optimization will become fundamental requirements.
3D Printing Industry
[New] Sustainability, climate change and the circular economy will dominate business trends in 2026, driven by regulatory mandates and growing consumer expectations.
Champions Speakers
England's circular economy strategy is now expected to be unveiled in 2026, a delay from autumn 2025.
DEV Community
AI will enhance resource recovery and waste management, which will transform the world into a circular economy faster.
Economic Times
European regulations mandating circular economy principles by 2032 are reshaping global manufacturing standards.
Barchart.com
By the end of 2026, the circular economy will no longer be aspirational; it will be a regulatory and technological reality.
TechRound
Applying circular economy principles across the built environment could reduce embodied carbon emissions by around 13% by 2030 and up to 75% by 2050, compared with a business-as-usual scenario that assumes current construction practices continue unchanged.
EnviroSustain
A circular economy across just a few key sectors, such as cement, aluminium, steel, plastics and food, could potentially reduce global CO2 emissions by around 9.3 billion tonnes per year by 2050.
EnviroSustain
Beyond power, the global shift toward circular-economy models and improved energy efficiency is unlocking further opportunities in recycling, smart metering, waste-to-energy, urban district-heating projects and energy as a service business models.
Freshfields
Encompassing both expansion and simplification trends, 2026 is expected to see progress on legislation supporting a circular economy in the EU, including the refinement of Extended Producer Responsibility schemes.
Passle
Circular Economy Act (Q3 2026): New rules will likely mandate digital product passports and ban the destruction of unsold apparel.
Chamber Low Carbon
By 2028, 75% of enterprises will set formal IT asset circularity goals, with 90% of assets returned to the circular economy and 20% sourced as renewed equipment.
IDC
When Europe mandates circular economy principles by 2032, and 80% of American consumers factor environmental impact into furniture decisions, retailers without sustainable furniture strategies face significant challenges.
Barchart.com
The circular economy is expected to reach $712 billion by 2026.
PrometAI
A mix of recycling, circular economy strategies, and improved technology could reduce the need for new mineral extraction by 58% between 2022 and 2050.
The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News |
Leaders who fail to anticipate the entry-level gap created by automation, or who overlook the mandatory compliance of the circular economy, risk finding their business models obsolete before the year is out.
Peter Fisk
Last updated: 22 February 2026
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