This article was originally published on Forbes.com on April 20, 2026.

Here's a cold, hard truth: The impacts of climate change aren't "at our doorstep." They've already knocked down the front door and are making themselves at home.

Communities across the globe are feeling the impacts, from raging wildfires and record-setting storms to rapidly rising sea levels in coastal areas. Many noted environmental scientists around the world agree that a critical piece of the solution lies in circularity.

Working toward a circular economy is imperative to reduce the use of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions and reach critical environmental targets in the coming years. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that 55% of greenhouse gas emissions can be addressed through the transition to renewable energy, but circularity is needed to address the remaining 45%.

The movement toward circularity has gained significant traction in recent years, with the World Economic Forum reporting that 75% of businesses surveyed in 2025 considered it "important" or "extremely important," up from just 40% three years prior. Investment in the circular economy is growing as well, from $10 billion in 2018 to $28 billion in 2023, according to the Circularity Gap Report Finance.

Despite this focus, major disconnections are preventing circularity from advancing to its full potential. In fact, the Circularity Gap Report found that the current global economy is just 6.9% circular. The reality is that achieving a truly circular economy will demand more than innovation and regulation; it'll require collaboration across borders as well as from suppliers, recyclers and policymakers.

The Fragmentation Problem: When Good Intentions Don't Connect​

The problem isn't a lack of ambition. The European Union has set bold environmental targets, including reaching a climate-neutral economy by 2050. Numerous U.S. states have set similar goals for the next 20 to 25 years.

However, without clear alignment and collaboration, we're left with a fragmented approach that can slow progress. State-led regulations in the U.S., for example, have created a patchwork that can make scaling circular solutions difficult.

In the EU, climate ministers agreed to interim climate targets for 2040, which some critics have said could impact 2050 ambitions. This uncertainty and a lack of clear policy directives have been devastating for the broader plastics system and industry in Europe.

Manufacturers of virgin and recycled plastics are facing volatile markets and high energy and material costs, contributing to a steep drop in the region's share of global plastics production, from 22% in 2006 to just 12% in 2024, according to Plastics Europe. Plastics production in Asia, meanwhile, is booming. The region now holds the majority of the world's plastics production and recycling capacity.

This fragmented policy landscape has pushed some recyclers into bankruptcy, as inconsistent waste-management processes and regulations hinder stability and growth.

The Collaboration Imperative: Closing The Loop

Circularity requires more than individual players doing their part. One of the first critical steps is intentional planning for the life cycle of products, starting with materials production. Manufacturers and their customers must work together and design with end of life in mind. This means thinking about the full life cycle of a material during innovation, including how it could be reused and recycled after use.

By thinking about the raw materials selected for an application and their recyclability, we can work together to advance circularity. For many, this will require incentivization, along with a shift in perspective to embrace a future-focused approach.

At Trinseo, our ongoing work in support of circularity drives our development of innovative material offerings that use recycled content for use in applications such as automotive and consumer goods and electronics. We've seen firsthand that by collaborating with our customers, technology providers, academic institutions and industry peers, we can work to innovate solutions that not only support customers seeking to incorporate sustainable feedstock but also offer the performance and quality that end users demand.

When it comes to a product's end-of-life, we and other recyclers have mechanical and advanced recycling technologies such as depolymerization and dissolution at the ready. What's often lacking is the ability to connect the dots outside of the standard linear value chain to create a circular manufacturing process.

There must be collaboration with waste management players and waste infrastructure to enable circularity. We must bring together suppliers, manufacturers, recyclers, waste management organizations, policymakers and economists to align on long-term goals.

What It Will Take: Aligning Vision With Action

Despite the high stakes of circularity, weak collaboration and policy misalignment continue to slow progress globally. Stronger alignment between U.S. state and federal policies could better scale circular solutions, while Europe needs improved coordination between member states and overarching policy to support competitiveness and advance circularity.

Across the board, there must be alignment between long-term sustainability goals and day-to-day decisions. Policymakers must work with economists to understand what drives circular economies and create regulations that support competitiveness and innovation. Without alignment toward these goals, compromises end up being made that could ultimately keep us from reaching circularity. Despite myriad pressures, it's critical to stay focused on the big picture, with every decision moving us closer to circularity.

The world is at a critical moment to mitigate the impacts of climate change. Circularity shouldn't be considered additive but an imperative for the future of our planet. Despite the challenges, it's achievable if we work together across the entire value chain to support each other's progress and turn today's challenges into tomorrow's breakthroughs. After all, partnership is the catalyst that will turn circular ambition into lasting, scalable impact.

Hans Hendriks is a member of Forbes Technology Council.