AI-enabled waste prevention for a circular economy: challenges and opportunities

Unlike the traditional "Take, Make, Waste" model of the linear economy, the circular economy is a closed loop or regenerative model that eliminates waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use, and regenerates natural systems. In the circular economy, systems are considered organisms that process nutrients that can be fed back into the cycle. Minimising waste and resource use, maintaining the value of products and materials through good design, durability and repair, reusing a product that has reached its end of life by creating other valuable products are primary efforts in a circular economy. Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and blockchain can accelerate circularity and the dematerialisation of our economy and make us less dependent on primary materials. These technologies can be used to track the journeys of products, components and materials and provide insights to decision-makers and policymakers at different levels.