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14 Best Circular Economy & Sustainability Books to Read in 2022

August 18, 2022main
14 Best Circular Economy & Sustainability Books to Read in 2022

There’s no time like the present to build on your knowledge, and with so many incredible resources out there, it’s easier than ever. But it can be tricky knowing where to even start, especially when it comes to books on sustainability and the circular economy, so we’ve put together a round up of our favorites.

Keep reading for 14 top sustainable living and circular economy books to read in 2022.

Our Top 14 Sustainability & Circular Economy Books For 2022

1. Waste to Wealth: The Circular Economy Advantage by Jakob Rutqvist & Peter Lacy

Price: $49.99

Waste to Wealth: The Circular Economy Advantage outlines the circular economy as an important driver of innovation, and the solution to pressing environmental concerns like ever-decreasing resource availability and the consequent threats to business.

Written by two Accenture executives, Waste to Wealth examines 5 circular economy business models that turn the resource question into the key for thriving green business and a sustainable world.

2. Buy The Change You Want To See by Jane Mosbacher Morris & Wendy Paris

Price: $12.08

Buy The Change You Want To See is a book every sustainability enthusiast should read at least once. It unpacks a core pillar of sustainable living, and that is voting with your money.

The book explores the superpower of the consumer and unpacks thoughtful, intentional purchasing as a means to change the world.

3. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired By Nature by Janine M. Benyus

Price: $48.62

If you’re looking to expand your knowledge on the circular economy through books, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired By Nature is a must-read.

Packed with stories of the wonders of nature and what we can learn from it, Biomimicry is an absolutely inspiring exploration of Nature as the ultimate teacher.

4. The Circular Economy and the Global South: Sustainable Lifestyles and Green Industrial Development by Patrick Schröder, Kartika Anggraeni, Timothy J. Foxon, and Manisha Anantharaman

Price: $39.94

The Circular Economy and the Global South uses case studies of various countries to unpack the circular economy and it’s potential for developing countries.

This circular economy book looks at how a new, resource-focused way of thinking can increase employment, decrease pollution, bolster green industrialization, improve health systems, and effectively and sustainably urbanize developing countries through real-world examples.

5. The Circular Economy: A Wealth of Flows by Ken Webster

Price: $29.57

A Wealth of Flows looks at the circular economy through an advantage lens. The circular economy is an all-encompassing solution, offering positive impacts for everything from more economically sound production and manufacturing to education, employment, and even finance.

6. Leadership for Sustainability: Strategies for Tackling Wicked Problems by R. Bruce Hull, David P. Robertson & Michael Mortimer

Price: $32

Sustainability as a society requires us to delve into better leadership. Continued sustainability demands cohesive connection and problem solving, that can’t be reached without in-depth engagement with others.

Leadership for Sustainability equips readers with perspective and skills for a collaborative, eco-friendly future in all areas of life.

7. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by Michael Braungart & William McDonough

Price Range: $15.49

Cradle to Cradle is a circular economy book focusing on production, looking at recycling as a means to extend the life of a product, so that it can provide value even after its use.

Cradle to Cradle unpacks recycling methods for a range of industries from paper to carpeting. It’s a worthwhile read if you’re looking to recycle sustainably in your field or just flex your general knowledge.

8. Products That Last: Product Design for Circular Business Models by Conny Bakker, Marcel den Hollander & Ed van Hinte

Price: $39.42

Products That Last is all about understanding product lifespans and creating ways to extend them.

Whether you want to learn from a consumer perspective or you’re looking to make your business practices more earth-friendly, Products That Last will teach you how.

9. Designing for the Circular Economy by Walter R. Stahel

Price: $50.36

Designing for the Circular Economy is another book to add to your reading list for 2022. It goes through design and development problems for a range of industries including clothing and retail, tech, and manufacturing.

It’s all about helping businesses adopt better practices to join a sustainable, circular economy with theory and case studies.

10. The Future of Packaging: From Linear to Circular by Tom Szaky

Price: $19.69

It’s no secret that packaging has a massive negative impact on the planet, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The Future of Packaging outlines the problems with packaging and waste management as it stands and looks at innovative ways to solve these issues and work towards sustainability.

The Future of Packaging examines responsible production and consumption as key for a thriving circular economy.

explores sustainable packaging

11. Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows & Diana Wright

Price: $11.40

Thinking In Systems examines the world for what it is: a collection of systems. Societal failures are symptoms of systemic problems, and Thinking In Systems, defines modern problems, from the personal, to the global, and looks at ways of proactively overcoming them.

12. The Circular Economy Handbook: Realizing the Circular Advantage by Peter Lacy, Wesley Spindler & Jessica Long

Price: $39.99

The Circular Economy Handbook is another must-read if you want to know more about how a new economy can change the world.

In this book you’ll learn all about how a healthy, thriving environment is achievable with the community, improved resource use, and waste reduction that come with a circular economy.

13. A Finer Future: Creating an Economy in Service to Life by Stewart Wallis, L. Hunter Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins & Anders Wijkman

Price: $18.24

A Finer Future outlines how transforming the way we work and implementing sustainable development and policies will make for a better, greener future.

It’s a fantastic book geared towards helping policy makers, business leaders, and environmentalists strive for a circular way of living.

14. Sustainable Futures: An Agenda for Action by Raphael Kaplinsky

Price: $26.95

Sustainable Future: An Agenda For Action acknowledges that the environment, the economy, and social inequality are all connected, but beyond that it helps solving these connected problems by fully understanding them.

It goes a step further and sets up an actionable agenda to make for a more prosperous and equitable world.

About Author

Jessica Robin

I strategize and write blog content for sustainability and health brands that want some action. Find me on LinkedIn and let’s chat about writing your vision to life.