Technology-Enabled Circular Economy

The circular economy represents a transformative paradigm shift from traditional linear “take-make-dispose” models to regenerative systems that maximize resource utilization and minimize waste generation. Digital technologies—including artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, and digital twins—serve as critical enablers for this sustainability transition. This chapter systematically examines how technology-enabled solutions facilitate sustainable production and consumption patterns across industrial sectors. Through comprehensive analysis of emerging digital innovations, implementation frameworks, and empirical evidence from recent literature, this work demonstrates that strategic technology integration significantly enhances circular economy maturity by improving resource traceability, optimizing material flows, enabling predictive maintenance, supporting reverse logistics, and facilitating innovative circular business models such as product-as-a-service.

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