By Justine Laurent

This article draws on research conducted by Auxilia and Circulab on behalf of ADEME and AFD (the French Development Agency), combining a literature review with interviews with businesses, experts, and local and international institutions. Five major geographic regions were studied: the Mediterranean (Maghreb and Mashreq), Sub-Saharan Africa, India, Vietnam, and Latin America.

Circular economy is gaining ground in public discourse, public policy, and corporate strategy worldwide. This success comes with a diversity of definitions and approaches — rich, but sometimes confusing for those trying to get to grips with it. Training in circular economy starts precisely by understanding this plurality, in order to better choose the frameworks suited to one's context and objectives.

What you should remember:

  • There are more than 200 definitions of circular economy, reflecting the richness and diversity of approaches worldwide.
  • Five references particularly structure international regulatory frameworks: ADEME, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the 11 Rs, SDG 12, and Circle Economy.
  • This diversity calls for choosing a framework suited to your context, to build a complete view of circular economy.

A concept rich in multiple approaches

Researcher Julian Kirchherr and his co-authors identified 221 distinct definitions of circular economy1. This diversity illustrates the richness of the concept: depending on the organization, the emphasis is placed on the supply of economic actors, on consumer demand and behavior, or on downstream waste management. Local contexts, consumption habits, and economic models specific to each country further enrich this range of interpretations.

Several references nonetheless come up regularly in the discourse of international actors and structure much of the existing regulatory frameworks and initiatives. Here are five, particularly foundational for anyone looking to build expertise on the subject.

ADEME's definition: 3 domains and 7 pillars

In France, the reference definition is ADEME's. It describes circular economy as a system of exchange and production that, at every stage of a product's life cycle, aims to maximize the efficiency of resource use and minimize environmental impact, while improving individual well-being2.

This model is organized around three major areas of action:

This approach, widely taught in France in circular economy training programs, is worth putting into perspective alongside other international definitions to build a complete picture of the subject.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's "butterfly diagram"

Internationally, the most widely cited reference remains the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's "butterfly diagram." According to the Foundation, circular economy is an economic system that addresses climate change and other global challenges, such as biodiversity loss and pollution, by decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources3.

The Foundation distinguishes two types of flows, technical and biological, and emphasizes three driving principles:

The 11 Rs: a framework for prioritizing action

The "3 Rs" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) are widely known and used in many regulatory frameworks, notably in Japan since 2005 and in France's Anti-Waste Law for a Circular Economy. A synthesis of work by J. Potting, J. Kirchherr, N. Bocken, and M. Valencia4 proposes going further with an 11-R framework, particularly useful in training to prioritize levers for action:

The UN's SDG 12

The United Nations' twelfth Sustainable Development Goal5, dedicated to responsible consumption and production, is another widely used reference among international cooperation actors. It aims to ensure sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, and to reduce the generation of chemicals, waste, and food loss throughout the value chain. This approach emphasizes sourcing and waste management, with particular attention to reducing environmental footprint at both levels.

Circle Economy: planetary boundaries and social floors

The Dutch organization Circle Economy, behind the annual Circularity Gap Report, proposes a definition that links environmental and social issues. For Circle Economy, circular economy is an economic system in which waste is eliminated, everything is used at its highest value for as long as possible, and natural systems are regenerated. This approach has the distinctive feature of integrating social considerations — "social floors" — alongside planetary boundaries, with a strong conviction: effectively deploying these strategies would ultimately make it possible to meet comparable societal needs with fewer materials6.

In short

Understanding these definitions is an essential first step for any organization looking to structure its circular economy strategy. Circulab Academy offers training to support this skill-building journey, from the fundamentals of circular economy through to their operational application.

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