Circular Economy is a fundamental paradigm shift away from the linear "take-make-dispose" model.

Its core principle is to decouple economic growth from resource consumption by maximizing the long-term value of products. This is achieved through systematic strategies such as designing out waste, extending product lifecycles through repair and reuse, and ensuring materials are regenerated back into the system through high-quality recycling.

For engineering and policy, the circular economy is a critical framework for achieving true resource resilience and sustainability in a resource-constrained world. The realization of the circular economy requires the development of a range of enabling technologies.

In the circular economy, traceability serves as the indispensable data backbone for verifying an item's history, enabling effective reuse, repair, and high-quality material regeneration.