Circulary economy and zero waste practices: An assement for Turkey

For centuries, decision-makers in countries have sought economic growth. The linear economic model used in the current economic system is an economic model that supports this desire for growth. In applying this economic model, producers and consumers have acted as if their resources were unlimited. This is why there is a huge difference between the rate at which the world renews itself and the rate at which people consume resources. With the realisation of the industrial revolution and the spread of the Fordist mode of production, the pressure on the environment became noticeable after the Second World War. In order to reduce the pressure on the environment, an alternative economic model was sought. The circular economy model was conceived as an alternative to the produce-use-dispose principle of the linear economy. As the circular economy is described in terms of "produce-use", "produce-use-recycle", it is assumed that this production cycle is nature itself. Since there is no waste in nature, it is assumed that humans can achieve the zero waste principle if everything is transformed into the ecological system. Economic studies conducted in this way are called circular economy, and the basic policy of the circular economy is zero waste. In this study, the circular economy and the zero waste principle are emphasised, in line with the above-mentioned environmental problems caused by the linear economy.