Introduction
In a world facing increasing resource constraints and environmental challenges, traditional linear economic models based on “take, make, dispose” are no longer sustainable. As environmental concerns, resource scarcity, and climate change continue to intensify, there is an urgent need to rethink how we design, produce, and consume. To address these concerns, Circular Economy (CE) became a sustainable alternative. Under the CE view, products, services, and systems can be designed to reduce waste, retain value, and support long-term sustainability.
During this lesson, learners will discover and understand the CE evolution and its connection with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) also from plastic packaging perspective to assess its environmental impacts at every stage of a products life, from raw material extraction, through manufacturing, use, and end-of-life disposal. This will be possible thanks to all the LCT pillars: LCA (environmental impact), LCC (economic impact) and S-LCA (social impact). Along the way, the lesson encourages learners to think critically about the need for distinct pathways for reshaping production, consumption, and governance, considering that CE provides the vision and strategic framework while LCT offers the diagnostic and planning tools to optimise interventions. Together, they help answer not only “what to do” but also “where and how to do it most effectively.”
Lesson Learning Outcomes
After completion of this lesson, learners will be able to:
Understand differences Circular Economy (CE), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Life Cycle thinking (LCT)
- Distinguish between the focus of each of them: CE (designing systems to minimize waste and make the most of resources), SDGs (addressing global sustainability challenges across social, economic, and environmental dimensions) and LCT (evaluating the environmental impacts of a product or system across its entire life cycle)
- Identify their origins, purposes, and applications of CE, SDGs and LCT.
Understand plastic packaging and LCT
- Evaluate the management of plastic packaging materials from CE, SDGs and LCT point of view including the LCA (environmental impact), LCC (cost impact) and S-LCA (social impact).
- Know to identify where the most significant impacts occur in the plastic packaging life cycle steps: raw material extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, end-of-life.
- Explain the principles of a sustainable design of packaging: modular, recyclable, compostable, refillable.
Know the relation and perspective between CE, SDGs and LCT
- Know that CE is not a goal itself but a means to help achieve several SDGs mainly the one concerning environmental sustainability and responsible resource use.
- Understand that CE provides the vision and strategic framework while LCT offers the diagnostic and planning tools to optimize interventions. Together, they help answer not only “what to do” but also “where and how to do it most effectively.”
- Know that the lack of data integration, and economic disincentives often hinder systemic change and delay the evolution and the implementation of CE.
