Circular economy as a determinant of sustainable development and competitiveness of Ukraine

Abstract

Introduction. Environmental protection is one of the urgent tasks facing the whole world. Limited resources, environmental pollution, and climate change are becoming increasingly critical every year, so the issue of changing the approach to building the economy is urgent. Most European countries have long been familiar with the circular economy concept, but in Ukraine, this concept is only gaining popularity. A circular economy is an economy that functions based on the secondary use of resources, which makes it possible to improve the environment and minimize the use of limited resources, which are essential for the full functioning of all processes in the future. The purpose of scientific paper is to study the circular economy as a determinant of sustainable development and competitiveness of Ukraine. Results. The basic principles and principles of the circular economy are analyzed in the paper. An analysis of the structure and methods of household waste management was also carried out in the context of a five-year retrospective. In addition, an analysis and comparison of the structure of waste management in Ukraine and the EU countries was carried out. Based on the analysis, the main barriers on the way to building a sustainable economy were identified, namely: lack of regulated legislation, weak support from the state, unfavorable investment climate, lack of interest, and limited knowledge about sustainable development among the population and most entrepreneurs, cheapness of primary resources, which creates only favorable conditions for the continued functioning of the linear economy, low awareness of markets, and others. Conclusions. At a time of global and rapid changes, the issue of transition from a linear to a circular type of economy is an important aspect of the development of Ukraine and its economy. Such a transition requires both material and time resources, but the implementation of the principles and initiatives of the circular economy will increase competitiveness and ensure economic growth in the conditions of European integration, as well as solve several urgent problems related to ecology.