Abstract

Environmental awareness and responsibility are written into all syllabi and figures throughout the entirety of the educational system. This may be a reflection of the social response evinced worldwide with respect to the need to preserve the planet. The circular economy (CE) or closed-loop system is, perhaps, the best known model of full deployment of our resources, waste reduction, recycling, and reusing manufactured goods. This article presents research carried out on attitudes toward CE as manifested by students from the Department of Industrial Design and Manufacturing Engineering at the Federico Santa Maria Technical University in Chile. The research developed tools of a qualitative and quantitative nature to capture how students respond to the demands of CE.