Ten circular book recommendations

Ten book recommendations for a more sustainable existence at home and within your own organisation:

The Small Circular Economy for Dummies by Rozanne Henzen

The government’s goal is a fully circular Netherlands by 2050. Belgian MPs have compiled a list of 21 measures to achieve a circular Belgium even sooner. But what actually is a circular economy? And where do you start? ‘The Small Circular Economy for Dummies’ is an accessible book for anyone who wants to know more about a circular economy, who needs a clear explanation and who is looking for tips and tricks to put its principles into practice themselves.

How Do We Explain This by Jelmer Mommers

We have been emitting so many greenhouse gases for more than 100 years that the earth is now heating up dangerously. If we continue like this, we are heading for planet on which no one will be able to live. But, the great revolution has begun. In this book, Jelmer Mommers outlines one of the biggest challenges of our time: climate change. A problem that for most of us primarily evokes a sense of powerlessness. Wrongly. Behind the news reports about melting ice caps, species extinction and politicians in denial, there is a global movement that shows that our future on earth is something we write ourselves.

Donut Economics by Kate Raworth

Outdated economic theories have enabled a world in which extreme poverty persists, while the richest become richer every year. Economic activity is impacting nature to such an extent that our very future is at risk. In Donut Economics, economist Kate Raworth shows how mainstream economic thinking has led us astray. She draws the roadmap that can lead us to the point where everyone’s needs can be met, without having to sacrifice our planet.

The Zero Waste Project by Nicky Kroon

Think you live consciously but feel annoyed about the amount of (plastic) waste and rubbish that accumulates around you? As an experiment, Nicky and Jessie Kroon decided to live a month of zero waste. In The Zero Waste Project, they share their twelve most important lessons for developing a sustainable lifestyle and talk about their successes as well as failures. Farewell disposable coffee cups, plastic sandwich bags and pre-packed biscuits. Hello vintage shops and a better world!

Material Matters by Thomas Rau

Material Matters is an exciting journey of discovery into how we think about our role on earth. In nine chapters full of enticing examples, Thomas Rau and Sabine Oberhuber work step by step towards a new economic model. A world in which consumers are no longer ‘owners’ but ‘users’, materials have rights and waste is a thing of the past. A utopia? Not quite: Material Matters outlines the model that makes this revolution possible. Through various case studies, Rau and Oberhuber demonstrate that a future-proof world may well be closer than we think.

What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming by Per Espen Stoknes

The more we know about climate change, the greater the resistance it seems. This is no coincidence. Stoknes explains why our brain is the biggest enemy to climate action and explains a number of psychological barriers. Stoknes also explains solutions for how we should talk about climate change to inspire as many people as possible to take action. 

The Human Planet by Simon L. Lewis and Mark A. Maslin

Lewis and Maslin set out how humans came to rule the earth and what exactly the Anthropocene, a geological epoch, means. For some, the Anthropocene defines a period when humans have control over nature and its resources while for others, it’s just an illusion. The book uses science, philosophy and politics to look at how much and what kind of impact humans have had on nature over the centuries.

A CO2-neutral business, how to do it! by Rob van der Rijt

Reducing energy costs, complying with laws and regulations and contributing to combating further climate change. Important reasons for you, as an organisation, to start engaging in carbon-neutral enterprise. Saving and sustainably generating energy are both good for the planet and for your own wallet – which you will discover in this book. It’s full of practical advice and examples to make your own business operations more sustainable today.

This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein’s new international bestseller This Changes Everything is a must-read about our future. Forget everything you think you know about global warming. It’s not about carbon, it’s about capitalism. The good news is that we can use this crisis as an opportunity to transform our economic system and build something radically better.

Don’t Even Think About It by George Marshall

From the founder of the Climate Outreach and Information Network, a ground-breaking look at the most pressing question of our time: why, despite scientific evidence, are we still ignoring climate change? Read this book and think about it. George Marshall wonders, ‘The majority of us acknowledge that climate change is real, but we are doing nothing to stop it. What is the psychological mechanism that allows us to know something is true but act as if it is not?’