Field 10 of 10 · Boundary: Cross-cutting, touches all boundaries
Waste, Materials & Circularity
The problem
The economy takes in far more materials than it returns. Products are designed for short use, and the materials inside are lost after disposal.
Who may be affected
Communities near landfills and informal recycling sites, and consumers who cannot repair what they buy.
6.9%
of materials entering the global economy came from recycled or secondary sources
Circle Economy and Deloitte, Circularity Gap Report 2025
62 Mt
of electronic waste in 2022, of which only 22% was formally recycled
ITU and UNITAR, Global E-waste Monitor 2024
Idea directions
- Repair and refurbishment services for electronics
- Leasing and take-back models instead of one-time sales
Sources are named under each number. Idea directions are prompts, not recommendations.