Sustainable Manufacturing and the Circular Economy

Abstract

DOE's multi-lab Strategic Analysis Team published this report that presents five manufacturing case studies and examines relevant pathways and strategies for moving toward the sustainable manufacturing goal of conserving resources by minimizing material waste and nonrenewable resource extraction. The case studies apply circular economy strategies to understand not only the material impacts from extraction and disposal but also the associated impacts on energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and, where possible, the economic cost of those strategies.