Circular Economy Emergence

France transitions from linear to circular resource use:

Waste Prevention

New laws transform consumption: - Single-use plastic bans expanding - Repair index mandatory for electronics - Planned obsolescence penalties - Food waste reduction targets - Packaging reduction requirements

Extended Producer Responsibility

Producers bear end-of-life costs: - Textiles collection systems launching - Construction materials recycling mandated - Cigarette butt collection funded - Toy recycling programs - Sports equipment take-back

Industrial Symbiosis

Waste becomes resource: - Dunkirk industrial ecology model - Biogas from agricultural residues - Construction material recycling - Chemical industry circularity - Heat recovery networks

Sophie Müller runs a textile recycling startup:

"France generates 700,000 tons of textile waste annually. We're developing chemical recycling to create new fibers from old clothes. The technology exists; the challenge is building collection systems and changing consumption habits."