| 1. |
- Aristi Capetillo, Alejandro, et al.
(författare)
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Emerging Technologies Supporting the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Plastic Materials Value Chain
- 2023
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2730-5988 .- 2730-597X. ; 3:2, s. 953-982
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plastic waste has come to the forefront of academic and political debates as a global problem that demands an urgent solution. Promoted by policymakers, academia, and corporations alike, the circular economy model presents a viable path to reach more sustainable levels of development. Emerging and disruptive technologies can catalyse the transition to a circular economy, but their application to the transition of the plastic materials realm is not fully understood. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this paper aims to understand the role of key emerging technologies in the transition towards a circular economy in the plastic materials value chain, their potential impact, as well as the barriers of adoption and diffusion. Employing the ReSOLVE framework, the analysis reveals that rather than individual technologies, four technology sets associated with Industry 4.0, distributed economies, bio-based systems, and chemical recycling stand as major enablers of this transition. The complementarity of technologies and the change needed from a systemic perspective are discussed along with a proposal for governance and practical implementation pathway to overcome barriers and resistance to the transition.
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| 2. |
- Bitencourt de Oliveira, Felipe, 1982, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing Metal Use and Scarcity Impacts of Vehicle Gliders
- 2024
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study assesses the metal composition of two vehicle gliders, configured with different equipment levels and evaluates the risk of short and long-term metal scarcity. Entropy analysis is also used for insights on secondary metal recovery strategies. Fifty-five metals are evaluated, with gold, copper, bismuth, lead, molybdenum, and certain rare-earth metals (REMs) subject to the largest supply risks. Differences in equipment levels significantly impact the short-term supply risk for specific metals. Entertainment and communications equipment contain significant amounts of REMs, whereas mirrors and electrical infrastructure contain considerable shares of gold, silver and copper. Some metals are concentrated in a few components while some are dispersed across thousands, impacting recycling opportunities. The broad metal demand of the gliders underscores the automotive industry's role in supply risks for its own manufacturing needs and other societal domains. This emphasizes the significance of comprehensively evaluating metal requirements beyond powertrains for informed resource management.
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| 3. |
- Chizarfard, Armaghan, et al.
(författare)
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Managing Structural Tensions in the Transition to the Circular Economy: the Case of Electric Vehicle Batteries
- 2022
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - : Springer Nature. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The circular economy (CE) has recently gained attention as a key transformative strategy. However, as with previous transformation processes, the transition towards the CE is not a smooth process since there are underlying structural tensions in incumbent systems that need to be overcome. One industry that is currently undergoing transformative pressure is the automobile industry where the transition to electric vehicles that use lithium-ion bat- teries is creating structural tensions. In this paper, we adopt a multi-actor perspective and analyze the strategies that different actors pursue to manage the structural tensions that are induced by the transition towards lithium-ion batteries with the goal of creating and sus- taining a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) model. Through a case study of the key actors (mining firms, material manufacturers, vehicle manufacturers, and recyclers), we reveal the particularities of managing structural tensions which are influenced by temporal, spatial, and contextual factors. We demonstrate our claim by first expanding the application bound- ary of the concept of structural tensions to show the interconnection between strategic choices made by actors at operational and technological levels; and second, unfolding the dynamics of managing structural tensions in the CE transitions from a multi-actor perspec- tive. The results of this study may support industrial actors to achieve a better understand- ing of the consequences of their short- and long-term CE transition strategies, and resolve conflicts in visions and priorities during the transition process.
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| 4. |
- Dalhammar, Carl, et al.
(författare)
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Enabling Reuse in Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes for White Goods : Legal and Organisational Conditions for Connecting Resource Flows and Actors
- 2021
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2730-5988 .- 2730-597X. ; 1:2, s. 671-695
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes have proliferated across Europe and other parts of the world in recent years and have contributed to increasing material and energy recovery from waste streams. Currently, EPR schemes do not provide sufficient incentives for moving towards the higher levels of the waste hierarchy, e.g. by reducing the amounts of waste through incentivising the design of products with longer lifespans and by enhancing reuse activities through easier collection and repair of end-of-life products. Nevertheless, several municipalities and regional actors around Europe are increasingly promoting reuse activities through a variety of initiatives. Furthermore, even in the absence of legal drivers, many producer responsibility organisations (PROs), who execute their members’ responsibilities in EPR schemes, are considering promoting reuse and have initiated a number of pilot projects. A product group that has been identified as having high commercial potential for reuse is white goods, but the development of large-scale reuse of white goods seems unlikely unless a series of legal and organisational barriers are effectively addressed. Through an empirical investigation with relevant stakeholders, based on interviews, and the analysis of two case studies of PROs that developed criteria for allowing reusers to access their end-of-life white goods, this contribution presents insights on drivers and barriers for the repair and reuse of white goods in EPR schemes and discusses potential interventions that could facilitate the upscale of reuse activities. Concluding, although the reuse potential for white goods is high, the analysis highlights the currently insufficient policy landscape for incentivising reuse and the need for additional interventions to make reuse feasible as a mainstream enterprise.
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| 5. |
- Du Rietz, Sabina, 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Consumer Behavior as a Challenge and Opportunity for Circular Food Packaging : a Systematic Literature Review
- 2024
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - : Springer. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988. ; 4, s. 413-438
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The food sector has been targeted as a potential site for the implementation of circular economy strategies. Food packaging, in particular, has caused concern due to its high production volume, short usage time, and problems related to waste management and littering. Circular economy strategies could potentially address these concerns if there is consumer acceptance and participation in circular systems. The present review seeks to inform future studies of the need for further research in this area by reviewing current knowledge of consumer behavior in relation to circular food packaging. When doing so, the study finds that studies have primarily focused on recycling, foremost in the European and American setting. However, less is known about consumers and circular packaging in developing countries. While reuse strategies were more prevalent in studies from the 1970–1980s, the review finds that such initiatives are yet again researched, which is promising given their generally favorable environmental footprint.
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| 6. |
- Fuertes Giné, Leticia, et al.
(författare)
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Public Procurement for the Circular Economy : a Comparative Study of Sweden and Spain
- 2022
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988. ; 2, s. 1021-1041
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This article examines the relationship between circular economy and public procurement by regarding green procurement as an enabler for the transition from sustainable to circular public procurement. Considering the different green procurement uptakes under the common legal framework of the European Union, and particularly, the contrasting practice results of Spain and Sweden and the opposed legal configuration of their procurement Acts, a comparative law study of the exclusion of suppliers, awarding criteria and special conditions of performance’s Articles is conducted.
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| 7. |
- Govindarajan, Venkatesh, 1972-
(författare)
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Circular bio-economy – paradigm for the future : Systematic review of scientific journal publications from 2015-2021.
- 2022
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - : Springer. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988. ; 2:1, s. 231-279
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While ‘renewable’ is the keyword in a bioeconomy and resource conservation is the motivation behind a circular economy, a circular bioeconomy is one in which waste streams from renewable bio-resources are looped back into the technosphere – open-loop or closed-loop recycling or conversion from matter to energy. This systematic review brings together 385 publications from 2015-2021, 50 countries and 150 journals, into a coherent account of the status quo of published research on circular bioeconomy. The numbers bear testimony to the growing interest in this field of research. Germany is the leading contributor to the scientific literature-base (10%), while the Journal of Cleaner Production (9%) tops the list of journals in the fray. The methodology adopted has been clearly explained, and the discussion has been segmented into sub-sections and sub-sub-sections to do justice to the diversity of the nature of the publications. A little flexibility in organisation of the flow of the text has been availed of, to improve readability. The circular bioeconomy can be visualised as a set of ‘many through many to many’ relationships, enabling both economies of scale and scope in the longer run. This calls for extensive collaboration and cooperation among the numerous stakeholders in the fray. Several barriers will have to be overcome. Technology impact assessments and sustainability risk appraisals need to be carried out in order to ensure and convince stakeholders that they are on the right path. But as one knows and will appreciate, challenges lurk where there exist opportunities to be availed of, to replace the take-make-use-dispose paradigm of a linear economy to the grow-make-use-restore alternative.
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| 8. |
- Hajoary, Pinosh Kumar, et al.
(författare)
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New for Some, Old for Others : Circular Economy Practices in Ancient Time
- 2024
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - : Springer Nature. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988. ; 4:2, s. 815-825
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The circular economy (CE) model has recently gained considerable attention from academics and policy bodies as a key approach to tackling environmental problems. On the scholarly front, we have, in recent years, witnessed an exponential growth of publications with focus on CE practices. On the policy front, the CE model is embraced by regional, national, and supernational bodies who have instituted legislation to promote its evolution and sustention. The CE model is often depicted as a novel approach to transforming industries and societies in literature and policy circles. But is its practice novel? This perspective paper highlights some practices predating the recent popularization of the CE model by presenting historical illustrations. We argue that while the CE model is an important approach to mitigate climate change and is also gaining importance in the literature, some of the currently promoted CE principles were already in place in ancient times due to necessities emanating from resource scarcity.
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| 9. |
- Horn, Erin Kelly, et al.
(författare)
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Translating Environmental Potential to Economic Reality: Assessment of Commercial Aquaponics through Sustainability Transitions Theory
- 2024
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988. ; 4:1, s. 523-554
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite popular interest and recent industry growth, commercial-scale aquaponics still faces economic and regulatory barriers primarily resulting from political and economic systems which insufficiently address pressing environmental challenges. The sustainability potential of aquaponic food production can help address and overcome such challenges while contributing to the broader development of circular economy and sustainable development of food systems. In response to the current counterproductive gap between potential applications and industry development, the interdisciplinary team of authors identifies pathways to translate the environmental potential of commercial aquaponics into economic success through a sustainability transition theory lens. To evaluate the industry’s current state-of-the-art, drivers, barriers, and future potential, interview data from 25 North American producers collected in 2021, literature, and policy are analyzed through a Technological Innovation System (TIS) assessment within a Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) approach. This supports the consideration of pathways for industry development of aquaponics as an aspect of circular economy within a dynamic sustainable development context. These pathways for action include (1.) advancing clear standards and policies for aquaponics as part of a circular economy, increasing funding and incentives, and reducing support and subsidies for competing unsustainable food production; (2.) developing and promoting cost-effective technologies; and (3.) bolstering consumer preferences for sustainable and healthy food sources.
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| 10. |
- Hultberg, Emelie, et al.
(författare)
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Exploring Scalability from a Triple Bottom Line Perspective : Challenges and Strategic Resources for Fashion Resale
- 2023
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Ingår i: Circular Economy and Sustainability. - 2730-597X .- 2730-5988.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Resale-based circular business models (CBMs) hold immense potential to contribute towards sustainability in fashion retail. To significantly impact triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability, these fashion CBMs need to be scalable. This paper investigates the challenges for scaling resale-based fashion from a TBL perspective, as well as the strategic resources required to solve these. Based on 15 semi-structured interviews, six key scalability challenges and six main strategic resources are identified. Findings show that even though challenges are mostly referred to in economic terms, environmental and social challenges are also present. The difference is that those challenges are less visible, partly due to the lack of clear and standardised tools and definitions to interpret scale. Lessons from the study can be insightful for practitioners in reflecting on the scalability potential of their CBMs from a TBL perspective and understanding what resources to make use of or develop.
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