21647: The Circular Economy Exposed: Unmasking the Hidden Cracks Beneath the Green Promise

The Circular Economy (CE) has been widely promoted as a transformative approach to mitigating environmental degradation. However, it remains a poorly defined concept with significant gaps in its conceptualization and application. CE seeks to reduce resource extraction and waste by closing material loops. While the promise of CE is clear – reducing environmental impacts – it often oversimplifies the complexity of achieving these goals. This symposium critically examines the hidden challenges of CE. It explores how rebound effects, inadequate assessment tools, and the lack of empirical evidence linking circular strategies to substantial environmental gains undermine its effectiveness. Furthermore, it addresses economic inefficiencies, where the costs of implementing circular systems can surpass the benefits, and the growing phenomenon of “circular greenwashing,” which undermines genuine sustainability efforts. By bringing together researchers with different background as well as practitioners, this panel symposium will challenge the dominant narrative surrounding CE, offering a comprehensive exploration of its limitations and the urgent need for more rigorous, evidence-based frameworks to assess its true impact. The aim of this panel symposium is to shift the focus on CE from idealized promises to practical, actionable insights.