How circular is the circular economy?

The circular economy – the newest magical word in the sustainable development vocabulary – promises economic growth without environmental destruction or waste. However, growth makes a circular economy impossible, even if we recycle all raw materials and all recycling is 100% efficient. No technology can change that because it's not a technological problem. In addition, many modern products are too complex to recycle. In this series of articles, LOW←TECH MAGAZINE explores how the circularity of various technologies like bicycles, solar panels, and wind turbines evolves. Placing the recycling of resources in a historical context makes clear that we are not moving toward a circular economy but rather increasingly away from it.

Contents table:

How circular is the circular economy?

Can we make bicycles sustainable again?

Plastic waste in the fuel tank?

Recycling animal and human manure is the key to sustainable farming

How to make wind power sustainable again?

Reinventing the small wind turbine How to build a low-tech solar panel?

How to escape from the Iron Age?

This book contains 51 images in black & white.