The Circular Economy

4.3. Circular economy in the chemical industry

During the last half century or so, a growing environmental and social awareness rose among consumers, mostly in developed countries. As a consequence of this change in consumer behaviors (whether out of cautiousness, responsibly, or eco-friendliness), products' composition and their chemical origin became more scrutinized, and therefore, started influencing purchasing decisions [12,13]. Furthermore, the substantial increase in the quantity and quality of education programs related to sustainability in schools and universities increased the degree of awareness among the exposed students (future consumers) about natural resources, the current unsustainable way of managing them, emerging pollutants, ...