Industry Aspects of the Circular Economy

This article systematizes industry aspects of the circular economy based on an analysis of Russian and international research, as well as practical examples of circular projects in various industries. The relevance of the study stems from the need to develop industry-specific approaches to implementing a circular economy that take into account the specifics of material flows, technological processes, and market conditions, as well as the significant differences in the level of development of circular practices across industries. The results of the study revealed significant differences in the potential and effectiveness of implementing circular principles across industries. The highest potential is observed in the metallurgy, pulp and paper, and chemical industries, where waste volumes are large, recycling technologies are developed, and the market for secondary raw materials is well-established. In metallurgy, using slag recycling (2 million tons/year) as an example, an annual economic benefit of 690 million rubles was achieved with a payback period of 1.8 years. In the pulp and paper industry, the cascade wood utilization model provides an additional benefit of 1,325 million rubles per year with a payback period of less than one year. In the chemical industry, recycling platinum-containing catalysts provides an economic benefit of 70 million rubles per year. In mechanical engineering, recycling electronic waste in a specialized cluster in the Kaliningrad region (50,000 tons per year) provides an operating profit of 300 million rubles per year with a payback period of 5 years. In the construction industry, the payback period for recycling projects is 8 years, due to the low price of recycled aggregate, high transportation costs, and the lack of standardization. In the food industry, a biogas plant at a pig farm (50,000 head) demonstrates a payback period of 4.3 years. A comparative analysis showed that the greatest economic effect per unit of recycled waste is achieved in mechanical engineering (RUB 5,000–20,000/t due to the recovery of precious metals), while the smallest is achieved in the food industry (RUB 50–200/t). The share of recycled waste in Russia lags significantly behind European indicators: metallurgy accounts for 65% (70–80% in the EU), pulp and paper for 40% (60–70% in the EU), and construction for 8% (30–40% in the EU). The key factors for the success of circular transformation were identified as: the presence of large waste volumes (economies of scale), developed recycling technologies, the availability of a market for secondary raw materials, proximity to waste generation sources (reduced transportation costs), and institutional support (extended producer responsibility, tax incentives). The main barriers are: high capital intensity of projects, insufficient standardization of secondary materials, low environmental awareness, and the lack of developed waste collection and sorting infrastructure.