Circularity as a policy for the future: why we need to go beyond recycling?

By Giancarlo Montagnani, Dow*

The circular economy has been gaining ground in public debate, but it is still often reduced to recycling. While waste management is an important part of the equation, it represents only the surface of an economic model that proposes a profound transformation in the way we produce, consume, and relate to natural resources.

The linear logic — extract, produce, discard — is exhausted. Its impacts are visible in climate change, biodiversity loss, and social inequalities. Circularity, on the other hand, invites us to redesign entire systems: from product design to business models, including public policies that promote impact reduction, regeneration, and not just the mitigation of potential externalities.

To make the circular economy the rule rather than the exception, it is essential for governments to take a more active role. Tax incentives for companies that adopt circular practices and new technologies, regulatory frameworks that stimulate reverse logistics, and investments in infrastructure for reuse and revaluation of materials are just a few examples of how public authorities can accelerate this transition.

Circularity is also about culture and education. We need to educate critical citizens, capable of questioning the current consumption model and making more conscious choices. This involves including the topic in schools, but also launching communication campaigns that translate technical concepts into practical actions in everyday life.

Innovation with purpose

Technological innovation is a powerful ally, but it only makes sense if it serves a greater purpose. Sharing platforms, materials designed for circularity from the ground up, and AI applied to energy efficiency can all contribute to a more circular future.
At Dow, innovation is not just a goal — it's a commitment to the future. The company has shown that it is possible to align technical performance, economic viability, and positive environmental impact through solutions that integrate materials science, collaboration, and circularity.

One emblematic example is the development of REVOLOOP™ technology, which allows the incorporation of post-consumer recycled content into plastic packaging used in various applications, such as protective films and packaging for personal care, home care, cosmetics, wires, and cables, among others.

In addition, Dow has set ambitious targets: by 2030, it aims to transform plastic waste and other alternative feedstocks into 3 million metric tons of circular and renewable solutions per year. And by 2035, it plans to ensure that 100% of its packaging is reusable or recyclable.

Dow also embraces collaborative design, as seen in the O1NE coffee packaging project, developed in partnership with Valgroup and Catarina Café e Amor. This is the first monomaterial coffee packaging designed for recycling in Brazil — a milestone made possible by cross-sector collaboration and the leadership of the Circular Movement in building narratives and engagement strategies.

This integrated approach — combining science, collaboration, and communication — shows that innovation is only truly transformative when it’s driven by a clear purpose: to rethink, to circulate, and to inspire. And it’s exactly this kind of innovation that can accelerate the shift to a truly circular economy.

A call to action

Being recognized as a Circularity Leader is, to me, a call to responsibility. It’s time to broaden the debate, bring more voices into the conversation, and turn good ideas into public policies, business practices, and everyday habits. Circularity is not just an alternative — it’s an urgent necessity and an extraordinary opportunity to redesign the future.

Broadening the debate means including more voices — from local communities to major corporations, from educators to policymakers. It also means turning good ideas into concrete action: public policies that incentivize circularity, business practices that prioritize circular design with monomaterial packaging solutions, and daily habits that reflect more conscious choices.

Circularity is not a fixed destination — it’s a path under constant construction. And every step matters. By sharing experiences, inspiring change, and building bridges between innovation and impact, we reinforce the idea that everyone — individuals, companies, and governments — has a key role in this transition.

This is an invitation to act. To lead with purpose. To communicate with intention. To build, together, a future where circularity means shared value.

[ARTÍCULO ESPECIAL CON UN LÍDER DE LA CIRCULARIDAD]

Giancarlo Fanucchi Montagnani* is a biologist with a specialization in sustainability and government affairs. Since 2011, he has worked in industry associations in the consumer goods sector, leading regulatory areas and reverse logistics packaging projects. He joined Dow seven years ago, working in product regulatory affairs with a focus on Anvisa regulations and Brazil's Genetic Heritage and Benefit Sharing Law. In 2022, he joined the Sustainability team for the Packaging and Specialty Plastics business, leading the circularity strategy for plastics in Brazil. He currently leads the Materials Ecosystem strategy in the country and serves as a liaison between the business and Dow’s Government Affairs team on advocacy topics across Latin America.

*This text was automatically translated with the help of artificial intelligence and reviewed. Still, there may be slight differences compared to the original version in Portuguese.