The circular economy has been gaining momentum with a new European action plan starting to be implemented this year. Water is a unique asset and can play a central role on the circular economy. It is a resource, a product and service with no other equivalents in the economic system. Water is also fundamental to human wellbeing and health and play fundamental role in almost all industries.
“During my previous study of the circular economy, I always felt that water needed to be considered as something unique and different”, says Dr. Piero Morseletto, the lead author of the paper. He continues: “I had the impression that circular economy strategies needed to be defined/reshaped to reflect the characteristics of water. Furthermore, a robust definition of the circular economy of water was somehow missing. The article was a unique occasion to work on these issues and exchange views with the water sector.”
The paper defines the water circular economy as an economic framework for reducing, preserving, and optimising the use of water through waste avoidance, efficient utilisation and quality retention while ensuring environmental protection and conservation.
It illustrates nine strategies: Rethink, Avoid, Reduce, Replace, Reuse, Recycle, Cascade, Store and Recover, and reflects on normative, governance and implementation challenges that need to be addressed, to facilitate the transition to a comprehensive water circular economy.