Correspondence on criticality and circularity

Tercero Espinoza, Luis et al. 2021. “Reply to Correspondence ‘Circular Economy Practices May Not Always Lead to Lower Criticality or More Sustainability; Analysis and Guidance Is Needed per Case.’” Resources, Conservation and Recycling 165: 105223 (July 13, 2022).

It is good to see that our perspective on the links between Critical Raw Materials and the Circular Economy (Tercero Espinoza et al., 2020) has ignited a discussion. Schaubroeck criticizes the title “Greater circularity leads to lower criticality” as an absolute message that may not necessarily be true (i.e. not under all conditions; Schaubroeck, 2020). We intended the title to be an invitation to the community to explore under which circumstances this statement would hold. Our Perspective article is a first step in that direction, offering some mechanisms and caveats, and we are looking forward to a continueddiscussion within the scientific community.