The circular economy in the face of modern world challenges

Discussions on promoting economic growth in the face of environmental degradation and resource depletion more and more often refer to the concept of the circular economy (CE). Although it is still at the initial stage of its development and for the time being does not make a separate school in the structure of economic thought, it increasingly determines the way of perceiving the principles of sustainable development and the possibilities of their practical implementation. On a basis of the critical literature review, the article presents the general assumptions of the CE concept and discusses the activities undertaken in this respect in the European Union and Poland. The circular economy implementation in practice shows that it is not a perfect solution – it responds to contemporary development challenges, but its implementation limits barriers, both financial (ecodesigning and eco-innovation costs) and non-financial (legislative, public knowledge, short-term planning of activities).