Currently humanity uses, on average, the equivalent of 1.6 earths to provide the resources we use and to absorb our waste. A pathway to sustainable resource use is also known as the 'circular economy.' This concept aims at optimising the value of the resources used while minimising the amount of resources used. Chris Backes addresses the question of what kind of law we need to realize this circular economy. He argues that many legal frameworks and rules on the national and the European level will have to be reconsidered, amended, or completely newly framed to foster a truly circular economy. This is the inaugural lecture which Professor Chris Backes delivered on April 12, 2017 on the occasion of accepting the Chair of Environmental and Planning Law at Utrecht University School of Law, Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law.