25/01/2026
Geopolitics of Circular Economy, by Massimo Franchi
The first Industrial Revolution gave rise to an economic system, born with the use of the steam engine and centered on the factory, based on the logic of market saturation and consumption linked to the satisfaction of basic needs. Over time, the West, thanks to electricity and the internal combustion engine, saw the rise of a process marked by the cycle of mass production and its disposal, which, in the modern era with the advent of information technology and the saturation of markets, shifted the focus to the economy of services linked to the product with the goal of gaining customer loyalty and the satisfaction of new dormant needs. The effects of this growth model have had significant environmental and social impacts, such as mass consumerism and widespread pollution of air, land, and water.
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The first Industrial Revolution gave rise to an economic system, born with the use of the steam engine and centered on the factory, based on the logic of market saturation and consumption linked to the satisfaction of basic needs. Over time, the West, thanks to...