The Global Movement of the Transition from Linear Production to the Circular Economy Applied to the Sustainable Development of Cities

Abstract

The process of the linear exploration production, production, usage and waste generation has been taking humanity to the planetary boundaries. The transition to circular economy models dissociates the economic growth from the natural resource depletion and from the environmental degradation. The opportunity to make changes and to find vital solutions to the planet's sustainability emerge in the cities, due to its relevance on population growth, production and consumption. The objective of this research is promoting the understanding of the transition from linear production to the circular economy applied to the sustainable development of cities. The methodology is based on the qualitative approach and the applied technique follows the stages of the bibliographic research. The objectives classify this research as an exploratory, descriptive study with explanatory slant. The bibliographic sources are mostly selected from 2015, when the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement were signed, until 2020. The search of the existing circular models provides, even in transition from the linear process, valuable contributions to the resource protection, promotion of the production and sustainable consumption, as well as the generation of new income opportunities, of market and of social integration. The results of the analyzes of the selected studies indicate that the sustainable urban development can be enabled by the implementation of circular systems on a holistic and inclusive approach..