The ultimate pathway for a circular economy | Inaugural lecture from Professor Yan Wang

The UK government has mandated achieving Net Zero by 2050. This ambitious target cannot be met without embracing a circular economy. While the concept of circularity is increasingly recognised, efforts have predominantly focused on recycling to recover materials. However, recycling often destroys the embedded economic and environmental value of end-of-life products – value that originates from resource extraction, energy use, and manufacturing.

Remanufacturing offers a powerful alternative. It restores end-of-life products to the same or even better quality than new, preserving their embedded value and providing a cost-effective, environmentally friendly substitute for new production. Despite its clear advantages, remanufacturing remains nascent and faces significant challenges. This lecture will explore the opportunities and challenges of remanufacturing, and its critical role in achieving a truly circular and sustainable future.

Inaugural lectures
Interested in watching more of our fascinating inaugural lectures? Visit our website: https://www.brighton.ac.uk/inaugurals

We host inaugural lectures throughout the academic year. These events are free, open to staff, students and the public and are the first lecture delivered by a newly-appointed professor at the University of Brighton. We publish each lecture online after the event.