The Yale University owned Journal of Industrial Ecology published a special issue – Exploring the Circular Economy: "Interest in the circular economy has grown remarkably in recent years. Viewed as a concept by some, a framework by others, the circular economy is an alternative to a traditional take-make-dispose linear economy. A circular economy aims to keep products, components, and materials at their highest utility and value at all times. The value is maintained or extracted though the extension of product lifetimes by reuse, refurbishment, and remanufacturing as well as the closing of resource cycles—through recycling and related strategies.

As the concept of the circular economy has gained traction in business, governments and NGOs, there is a need to grapple with the inevitable complexity and trade-offs involved in an emerging framework. This special issue examines environmental, resource, engineering, managerial, design, and policy dimensions of the circular economy."