The Circular Economy and its Risks

摘要

The global trade of chemicals and products containing chemical additives, such as paint, cosmetics, household cleaners, paper and cardboard, plastic toys, textiles, electronic appliances, petrol, lubricants, etc. Continues to release harmful substances into the environment, with risk to man and nature on a worldwide scale. Discussion of the assessment and management of chemicals and products at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro led to the creation of the OECD programme "Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals" (CHS). In spite of efforts to harmonize the safety assessment of chemicals and products, a new problem with recovered material appeared as a consequence of worldwide trade, with its risks for health and the environment. The circular economy is a concept which is transforming traditional patterns of economic growth and production. A conventional perception of economic systems is that they are linear. The linear system is converted to a circular system when the connection between resource use and waste residuals is made. In 1996 the German Parliament was the first at international level to pass a law on the circular economy (Kreislaufwirtschaft), and since then many have demanded a revision changing the law to one on "Material Flow". To date this approach has seemed too complex, requiring description of every substance and material, and their flow through the economy and consuming society.