Get involved in the Circular Economy

All Canadians—individuals, communities, and businesses—can play a part in building an environmentally friendly, sustainable circular economy. Learn how individuals and businesses can use circular economy strategies, and find funding opportunities and resources below.

Strategies for individuals, communities and businesses

For individuals

We’re all working towards a greener, more prosperous future. As Canadians, we’re finding creative ways to repurpose items, reduce food waste, and repair things instead of throwing them out. Being part of a circular economy doesn’t have to be difficult to make a difference.

Here are some ways you can help:

Check out other ways you can help, like try aiming for zero plastic waste.

For communities

Canadian communities are demonstrating leadership in the circular economy through the development of innovative programs and policies, becoming models that can be adapted to other locations.

Community program and policy innovations across Canada include:

For businesses

Many Canadian innovators and industries are already leading the way, using circular business models to save money, improve efficiency, and open up new market opportunities.

Across all sectors and industries we’re finding ways to re-imagine how to use our resources. Canadian businesses are seizing circular economy opportunities to:

From coast to coast, we are seeing new technologies and innovative ideas that:

Circular economy in a product’s life cycle

At various points of a product’s life cycle, there can be ways to include circular economy strategies. For example:

Design

In a circular economy, at the beginning of its life, a product is designed for durability and reparability. Its end-of-life is also planned for by its original manufacturers, and it can be taken apart or recycled easily once it is no longer usable in its original form.

The goal of circular design is to:

Manufacturing

There are circular opportunities at every stage of the production cycle—from the way raw materials are extracted, processed into goods, and used by consumers, to how they are eventually refurbished, remanufactured, or recycled.

When we find ways to keep the value of the parts that make up the things we use, we end up with greener, more sustainable possibilities to use products longer and create more value.

Recycling

Businesses can hold on to the value of their materials when they recycle costly resources like metals and alloys—the basic, yet expensive components that make up many of the products we use regularly. Using recycled materials can costs less than extracting, transporting, and processing new materials for products.

Waste

Waste materials can be an opportunity to create a profit—some businesses’ sole mission is to find ways to repurpose waste products. For example, many companies recover and process valuable materials from industrial wastewater, scrap building materials, organic-waste products, and electronic waste.

Funding opportunities

Do you have business ideas, projects, or research related to the circular economy?

Explore some of the latest Government of Canada funding opportunities:

Selected reports and studies about the circular economy

Explore a selection of studies about the circular economy in Canada from the Government of Canada and more:

Resources

Learn more about a selection of circular economy initiatives in Canada:

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