Critique Questions Circular Economy's Effectiveness in Architecture and Design

Architect and writer Smith Mordak argues that circular economy concepts have become overly vague and ineffective in driving meaningful environmental change. In an opinion piece published on Dezeen, Mordak contends that while industries like architecture and design have widely embraced circular economy rhetoric, actual implementation remains limited. The author suggests that basic recycling approaches labeled as 'circular economy lite' allow business-as-usual practices to continue while creating a false sense of progress. Mordak references academic research from Manchester Metropolitan University and Aalto University that identifies circular economy as a 'hembig' concept—hegemonic, ambiguous, and broad—that crowds out more precise environmental strategies. The piece notes that despite initiatives like the EU's 2020 Circular Economy Action Plan and upcoming 2026 legislation, substantive change has been minimal. Mordak proposes that instead of circular economy frameworks, projects should be evaluated through tougher questions about material extraction reduction, pollution decrease, consumerism reliance, and equitable resource distribution. The author concludes that marginalized communities often practice genuine reuse more effectively than corporations with formal circular economy strategies, and calls for more transformative approaches that challenge existing economic structures.