From waste to wealth: how blockchain and digital passports are rewiring the global economy

The global economic model, historically defined by the unsustainable ‘take-make-dispose’ linear framework, is facing unprecedented pressure. This practice is escalating resource consumption and waste production, whereby intensifying ecological catastrophes and environmental stressors worldwide. To navigate these severe environmental, social and economic challenges, a systemic shift toward the circular economy (CE) is vital. The circular economy is fundamentally driven by design, seeking to accomplish three core principles: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials at their highest value, and regenerate nature. Whilst the CE notion has attracted worldwide attention from policymakers, researchers and industry administrators, the primary roadblock to its implementation at scale has long been the systemic inability to accurately monitor and manage complex material flows. Traditional traceability systems (which often rely on disparate data sources and paper documentat…