Three Archetypes of Circular Manufacturing Practices

Paper in proceeding, 2026

Circular economy (CE) evolved over the past quarter century to become a globally recognized concept and sustainability imperative. Circular manufacturing (CM) has recently emerged as a subtopic, specifically focusing on the role of manufacturing systems in a CE. While this subtopic is gaining momentum quickly, its definition has yet to be established. This paper aims to contribute towards a conceptualization of CM by proposing three archetypes of CM practices with industrial examples to illustrate them: (1) manufacturing of circular products, (2) circular manufacturing processes, and (3) circular industrial systems. Some iconic and inspiring examples are particularly noteworthy to showcase how CM can be implemented. The approaches adopted in the examples are further mapped against eco-efficiency principles and circular design strategies to discuss the synergies and potential trade-offs in CM practices. Finally, we conclude with a call for a more unified view of CM to research this topic more systematically and accelerate its development.