Circular Economy Hub hosted an online event: “Can reuse business lead to a circular economy? Exploring the way for transition”

Circular Economy Hub has been hosting the monthly online learning program series “Circular X” since 2021, offering opportunities to explore future visions of how the circular economy will expand across various industries and sectors.

The theme of the August 2025 edition was “Can reuse business lead to a circular economy? Exploring the way for transition.”

With the growing momentum for waste reduction driven by the spread of the SDGs, combined with recent inflationary pressures, support for “reuse,” one of the business models of the circular economy, has been increasing. More companies are launching reuse businesses or incorporating reuse into their existing operations. Some cases have emerged where brands aim to reduce the production and sale of new products by increasing the proportion of items they collect and resell.

At the same time, research has revealed that reuse initiatives, which may seem positive at first glance, can sometimes result in a “backfire effect,” where unintended factors actually increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

As reuse business continues to expand, how can these risks be appropriately managed so that reuse contributes to the carbon-neutral transition alongside other circular economy business models? As consumers, how can we make informed and responsible choices? This event offered participants an opportunity to reflect on these questions together and clarify potential directions for the future.

We thank all participants who joined the session.

[Reference] “Can reuse business lead to a circular economy? Exploring conditions for transition” | Peatix (in Japanese)
[Related Site] Circular Economy Hub (in Japanese)