Over the last year, I've had the distinct pleasure of rounding up the week’s most influential and eye-catching circular headlines. From single-use plastics bans to an upcycled food certification, it’s been a momentous year for the circular economy, supply chain shenanigans and safety concerns notwithstanding.

Much like the snow outside, the slow but steady progress of circularity shows no signs of stopping. So with a healthy dose of cocoa in my cup and a proverbial rear view mirror in my gaze, I’m delighted to share my final hot takes for 2021. Here’s my vote for the year's three most impactful trends in circularity:

  1. Policy begets unexpected progress A constant drumbeat across the sustainability sector — and at any GreenBiz conference — is the agreement that policy is a critical driver for the future we hope to achieve. In the case of 2021, circularity has started to prove the rule.
  2. Resale continues to steal the show If you’re a frequent reader of the roundup, it’ll come as no surprise that my second trend of 2021 reflects the explosive growth of resale. Growing 25 times faster than the retail market and projected to be double the size of fast fashion by 2030, resale stole headlines and hearts throughout the year.
  3. Reports uncover plastics’ dark underbelly Last but not least, it was a year of uncomfortable truths for the plastics industry. With new statistics and evidence in tow, numerous reports raised red flags and troubling revelations for both population and planet.

Read the full article about circular economy by Suz Okie at GreenBiz.