Circular Economy

3 ways the ancient world embraced the circular economy

A projection shows life as it probably was 2,000 years ago in the Forum of Augustus in ancient Rome April 21, 2014. Rome, a city that thinks in millennia, is going through a bout of "Augustus fever" to mark the 2,000th anniversary of the death of its first emperor, who left his mark on Rome and Western civilisation like few others. The Eternal City is staging shows, exhibitions, debates and seminars on Augustus, who died on August 19, 14 AD at the age of 75 after a 41-year reign that was the longest in Roman history. Picture taken April 21, 2014. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi (ITALY - Tags: SOCIETY ANNIVERSARY) - GM1EA4U1BG501

Archaeology has been able to show that the ancients were keen recyclers. Image: REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi

Emma Charlton
Writer, Forum Agenda
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Modern recycling systems actually have their roots in ancient history. Image: Ellen MacArthur Foundation
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