Circularity Gap Report 2025 finds the world economy just 6.9% circular
Circle Economy's Circularity Gap Report 2025 reported that the global economy is just 6.9% circular, meaning more than 93% of the roughly 106 billion tonnes of materials consumed each year come from virgin sources.
The figure has fallen from 7.2% as overall material extraction has outpaced gains in recycling and reuse. The report stresses that recycling alone cannot close the gap without reducing absolute material use, and estimates that recycling all recyclable materials would still only lift circularity part of the way.
The findings reinforce the case for reversible and circular manufacturing strategies — durability, reuse and remanufacturing — that keep products and components in use for longer rather than relying on recycling at end of life.