What defines a linear economy?

 A linear economy is defined as the traditional model of production and consumption that follows a "take-make-dispose" or "take-make-waste" pattern. It is considered an outdated, inefficient model that has significant negative impacts on the world.

Key characteristics and defining elements of a linear economy include:

• Extraction of Resources In this model, natural resources are extracted from the Earth to manufacture products. These are often virgin materials, and the constant demand puts pressure on natural ecosystems, leading to the depletion of finite natural resources. Plastic, for example, is extracted from non-renewable resources.
• Production and Manufacturing The extracted resources are transformed into products through various manufacturing processes. The products are generally made for a linear system.
• Consumption Products are consumed by end-users. They are often designed for short-term use, sometimes used only once, or have a low lifetime with limited reuses. This low-lifetime design, often with lower quality materials, encourages continuous buying of new products.
• Disposal At the end of their life cycle, products are discarded as waste and typically thrown away. This waste often ends up in landfills or incinerators, and if not, directly in nature. The linear process ends when the consumer is done using the product, leading to the accumulation of discarded items.

Consequences and Inefficiency: The linear economic model has detrimental consequences for the planet. It contributes to choking landfills, polluting oceans, and exhausting finite resources. Historically, this model wasn't a significant problem, but as the global economy has grown and reached planetary limits, resource inputs have become more limited, and waste outputs have become increasingly detrimental to ecosystems. It drives climate change, pollutes the environment, and destroys biodiversity. Studies in the early 2000s estimated that 99% of the global flow of natural materials became waste within six months, highlighting its inefficiency. This system is not only unsustainable but also "unraveling the very foundation of development".

The linear economy is explicitly identified as the opposite of a circular economy.