engleski

Towards circular economy - A comparative analysis of the countries of the European Union

Applying the concept of a circular economy promotes environmental protection and social well- being and enables economic growth consistent with sustainable development. A circular economy can reduce environmental degradation, but also increase the creation of a new value. The economic disruption caused by the 2020 pandemic has reinforced the consideration of a more urgent transition to the concept of sustainable consumption and production, which is closely linked to the concept of the circular economy. For this transition, among other important elements, it is necessary to provide financial resources that allow a faster and easier transition to a new way of doing business. The current linear method of production at all stages of production consumes energy, is based on the laws of "take out -make - use - throw away" and is an unsustainable method of production. The circular economy allows for an economic system in which raw materials circulate and are transformed from one form to another, producing no or minimal amounts of waste. The idea of the circular economy concept developed from an understanding of the negative environmental impacts of the current linear method of production. The aim of this article is to analyse the success of the application of the circular economy model in the countries of the European Union. Using Eurostat data and statistical analysis, the paper examines which countries are more successful in implementing the circular economy model. The results of the study show that countries that are more economically developed (in terms of higher GDP) and have a stronger environmental awareness have better indicators for the implementation of the circular economy.

circular economy ; European Union ; analysis ; financing

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