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Journal Article

Circular Economy: The Concept and Its Limitations in Environmental Sustainability

TL;DR: In this article, the authors construct the concept of circular economy from the perspective of WCED sustainable development and sustainability science, and conduct a critical analysis of the concept from a perspective of environmental sustainability.
About: This article is published in Ecological Economics.The article was published on 2016-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 30 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Sustainability science & Sustainability.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a two-step framework that aims to support analyses of product/service systems and their potential to lead to absolute resource decoupling, in which economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption.
Abstract: Product/service‐systems (PSS) that focus on selling service and performance instead of products are often mentioned as means to realize a circular economy (CE), in which economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption. However, a PSS is no implicit guarantee for a CE, and CE strategies do not necessarily lead to decoupling economic growth from resource consumption in absolute terms. Absolute resource decoupling only occurs when the resource use declines, irrespective of the growth rate of the economic driver. In this forum paper, we propose a two‐step framework that aims to support analyses of PSS and their potential to lead to absolute resource decoupling. In the first step, we present four PSS enablers of relative resource reduction that qualify as CE strategies. In the second step, three subsequent requirements need to be met, in order to successfully achieve absolute resource decoupling. Conditions and limitations for this accomplishment are discussed. Danish textile cases are used to exemplify the framework elements and its application. We expect that the framework will challenge the debate on the necessary conditions for CE strategies to ensure absolute resource decoupling.

253 citations


Cites background from "Circular Economy: The Concept and I..."

  • ...Speculations or reports about rebound effects are also evident in connection with CE (Haupt and Zschokke 2017; Bocken et al. 2014; Dahmus and Gutowski 2011; Korhonen et al. 2018)....

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  • ...…(Grosso et al. 2017) as well as dissipative losses in any loops, thus the vision of 100% material recycling may still be regarded as only theoretically possible in a distant future (Korhonen et al. 2018), and the feasibility of a closed loop economy is still unknown (Haupt and Zschokke 2017)....

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  • ...consultants, business foundations and policy-makers, the scientific research content is still young (Korhonen et al. 2018)....

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  • ...Aims and Limitations of Circular Economy While the concept of CE and its practice have been mostly developed and led by practitioners (i.e., consultants, business foundations, and policy makers), the scientific research content is still young (Korhonen et al. 2018)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a critical literature review has been carried out, which examines and reflects on the core challenges, gaps and limitations of the circular economy (CE) concept and develops a comprehensive timeline of circularity thinking, which identifies and conceptually classifies 72 different CE-related concepts from the Global North and South (such as Gandhian and steady-state economics, buen vivir, doughnut economics and degrowth).
Abstract: The circular economy (CE) has recently become a popular discourse especially in government and corporate sectors Given the socio-ecological challenges of the Anthropocene, the concept of CE could indeed help the transition to a sustainable, just and resilient future However, the actual definition, objectives and forms of implementation of the CE are still unclear, inconsistent, and contested Different actors and sectors are thus articulating circular discourses which align with their interests, and which often do not sufficiently examine the ecological, social and political implications of circularity In this context, this research asks how to better navigate and analyse the history, complexity and plurality of circularity discourses by conceptually differentiating them in a comprehensive discourse typology To answer this question a critical literature review has been carried out, which first, examines and reflects on the core challenges, gaps and limitations of the CE concept Second, this research develops a comprehensive timeline of circularity thinking, which identifies and conceptually classifies 72 different CE-related concepts from the Global North and South (such as Gandhian and steady-state economics, buen vivir, doughnut economics and degrowth) This leads to the development of a typology of circularity discourses, which classifies circularity visions according to their position on fundamental social, technological, political and ecological issues This research thus seeks to provide a basis for a more inclusive and comprehensive discussion on the topic, which opens the imaginary regarding the many circular futures that can exist and allows for a cross-pollination of ideas, policy options, strategies, practices and solutions

204 citations


Cites background or methods from "Circular Economy: The Concept and I..."

  • ...…challenge 4, on social justice and governance, which many authors have identified as one of the most important issues for a circular future (Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Hobson, 2019; Korhonen et al., 2018a; Millar et al., 2019; Moreau et al., 2017; Schröder et al., 2019a; Temesgen et al., 2019)....

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  • ...Searching online for the “circular economy” concept in 2008 would only show 20,570 results, the same search now leads to over 5.74 million, thus surpassing the popularity of the many ideas that originated it, such as “industrial ecology” (1.01 million results), and “industrial symbiosis” (195,000), and the ideas that are directly related to it like “cradle to cradle” (3.14 million), “biomimicry” (2.47 million), and “performance economy” (224,000).1 Overall, the CE concept is viewed as a promising idea and ideal that has much to bring towards addressing challenges of the Anthropocene (Aurez et al., 2016; Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Murray et al., 2017)....

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  • ...…thinking (see for example Blomsma, 2018; Blomsma and Brennan, 2017; D'Amato et al., 2019; Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Homrich et al., 2018; Korhonen et al., 2018b; Merli et al., 2018; Reike et al., 2018), and which have analysed circularity discourse in specific sectors (Colombo et al.,…...

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  • ...…makes the concept simpler and easier to promote and adopt, it also means that it faces key challenges, inconsistencies, and limitations in its understanding, application and its systemic validity (Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Korhonen et al., 2018b; Lazarevic and Valve, 2017; Reike et al., 2018)....

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  • ...While many are proposing a “deliberately vague but uncontroversial” (Lazarevic and Valve, 2017, p60) discourse on the CE as a strategy to gain widespread support in the short term, this could lead to a depoliticised CE, which does little towards tackling the systemic socio-ecological challenges of the Anthropocene (Korhonen et al., 2018b; Millar et al., 2019; Valenzuela and Böhm, 2017)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors explores the existing confusion around the conceptual definitions and interpretations of the term circular bioeconomy and explores two narratives on circular bio economy: (i) the new economic paradigm based on technological progress (the economics of technological promises) that seeks perpetual economic growth; (ii) an entropic (thermodynamic) narrative that reflects on the limits on economic growth imposed by nature.

197 citations


Cites background from "Circular Economy: The Concept and I..."

  • ...Many visions for the circular economy are currently being debated and developed in both the EU and other parts of the world (Kirchherr et al., 2017; Lazarevic and Valve, 2017; Winans et al., 2017; Korhonen et al., 2018)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a new comprehensive circular economy framework for the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings to reduce environmental impacts is proposed, which integrates methods and techniques from the building and construction literature that aim to reduce lifecycle environmental impact of buildings with a circular product supply chain approach.
Abstract: Circular economy strategies seek to reduce the total resources extracted from the environment and reduce the wastes that human activities generate in pursuit of human wellbeing. Circular Economy concepts are well suited to the building and construction sector in cities. For example, refurbishing and adaptively reusing underutilized or abandoned buildings can revitalize neighborhoods whilst achieving environmental benefits. Cultural heritage buildings hold a unique niche in the urban landscape. In addition to shelter, they embody the local cultural and historic characteristics that define communities. Therefore, extending their useful lifespan has multiple benefits that extend beyond the project itself to the surrounding area, contributing to economic and social development. To explore this complex issue, the research applies systematic literature review and synthesis methods. Decision makers lack knowledge of the environmental benefits of adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings and lack tools to implement these projects. A new comprehensive circular economy framework for the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings to reduce environmental impacts intends to meet these needs. The framework integrates methods and techniques from the building and construction literature that aim to reduce lifecycle environmental impact of buildings with a circular product supply chain approach.

170 citations


Cites methods from "Circular Economy: The Concept and I..."

  • ...Circular economy The realization that human activities have caused environmental degradation, destruction of habitats and alterations to ecosystems that endanger human wellbeing, has led to the pursuit of more sustainable strategies, such as the CE (Bruce et al., 1996; EMF, 2013; Korhonen et al., 2018)....

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  • ...The realization that human activities have caused environmental degradation, destruction of habitats and alterations to ecosystems that endanger human wellbeing, has led to the pursuit of more sustainable strategies, such as the CE (Bruce et al., 1996; EMF, 2013; Korhonen et al., 2018)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that by coupling different types of indicators via Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) it is possible to deal with conflicting situations where the selection of the best alternative can be biased by the choice of the metric.
Abstract: The debate on the identification of the most suited metrics for circular economy (CE) is open, no consensus has been reached yet on what CE indicators at product level should measure, which creates a subjective methodological framework for assessing CE strategies. In this study, we demonstrate that by coupling different types of indicators via Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) it is possible to deal with conflicting situations where the selection of the best alternative can be biased by the choice of the metric. We use a beer packaging case, by simulating a situation where a company is interested in comparing the performances of different packaging from a CE perspective. We consider eight different beer packaging alternatives in two geographical contexts (United Kingdom and India). Two sets of indicators are coupled via MCDA: i) material circularity based- indicators, namely Material Reutilization Score and Material Circularity Indicator, and ii) a selection of life cycle based- indicators relevant for beer, i.e. climate change, abiotic resource depletion, acidification, particulate matter and water consumption. The results obtained by the application of the TOPSIS (Technique for Order by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method show that the different sets of indicators can be integrated and conflicts among them can be resolved. Overall, the application of different weighting scenarios does not change the ranking of the alternatives, thus confirming that the results are stable. Therefore, our proposal of coupling material circularity indicators with LCA indicators via MCDA can advance the assessment of CE strategies at the product level.

140 citations


Cites background from "Circular Economy: The Concept and I..."

  • ...An agreement on what the CE concept exactly mean is still missing and many definitions have been proposed by scholars (e.g. Blomsma and Brennan, 2017; Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Homrich et al., 2018; Kirchherr et al., 2017; Korhonen et al., 2018)....

    [...]

References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors propose a two-step framework that aims to support analyses of product/service systems and their potential to lead to absolute resource decoupling, in which economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption.
Abstract: Product/service‐systems (PSS) that focus on selling service and performance instead of products are often mentioned as means to realize a circular economy (CE), in which economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption. However, a PSS is no implicit guarantee for a CE, and CE strategies do not necessarily lead to decoupling economic growth from resource consumption in absolute terms. Absolute resource decoupling only occurs when the resource use declines, irrespective of the growth rate of the economic driver. In this forum paper, we propose a two‐step framework that aims to support analyses of PSS and their potential to lead to absolute resource decoupling. In the first step, we present four PSS enablers of relative resource reduction that qualify as CE strategies. In the second step, three subsequent requirements need to be met, in order to successfully achieve absolute resource decoupling. Conditions and limitations for this accomplishment are discussed. Danish textile cases are used to exemplify the framework elements and its application. We expect that the framework will challenge the debate on the necessary conditions for CE strategies to ensure absolute resource decoupling.

253 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a critical literature review has been carried out, which examines and reflects on the core challenges, gaps and limitations of the circular economy (CE) concept and develops a comprehensive timeline of circularity thinking, which identifies and conceptually classifies 72 different CE-related concepts from the Global North and South (such as Gandhian and steady-state economics, buen vivir, doughnut economics and degrowth).
Abstract: The circular economy (CE) has recently become a popular discourse especially in government and corporate sectors Given the socio-ecological challenges of the Anthropocene, the concept of CE could indeed help the transition to a sustainable, just and resilient future However, the actual definition, objectives and forms of implementation of the CE are still unclear, inconsistent, and contested Different actors and sectors are thus articulating circular discourses which align with their interests, and which often do not sufficiently examine the ecological, social and political implications of circularity In this context, this research asks how to better navigate and analyse the history, complexity and plurality of circularity discourses by conceptually differentiating them in a comprehensive discourse typology To answer this question a critical literature review has been carried out, which first, examines and reflects on the core challenges, gaps and limitations of the CE concept Second, this research develops a comprehensive timeline of circularity thinking, which identifies and conceptually classifies 72 different CE-related concepts from the Global North and South (such as Gandhian and steady-state economics, buen vivir, doughnut economics and degrowth) This leads to the development of a typology of circularity discourses, which classifies circularity visions according to their position on fundamental social, technological, political and ecological issues This research thus seeks to provide a basis for a more inclusive and comprehensive discussion on the topic, which opens the imaginary regarding the many circular futures that can exist and allows for a cross-pollination of ideas, policy options, strategies, practices and solutions

204 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors explores the existing confusion around the conceptual definitions and interpretations of the term circular bioeconomy and explores two narratives on circular bio economy: (i) the new economic paradigm based on technological progress (the economics of technological promises) that seeks perpetual economic growth; (ii) an entropic (thermodynamic) narrative that reflects on the limits on economic growth imposed by nature.

197 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a new comprehensive circular economy framework for the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings to reduce environmental impacts is proposed, which integrates methods and techniques from the building and construction literature that aim to reduce lifecycle environmental impact of buildings with a circular product supply chain approach.
Abstract: Circular economy strategies seek to reduce the total resources extracted from the environment and reduce the wastes that human activities generate in pursuit of human wellbeing. Circular Economy concepts are well suited to the building and construction sector in cities. For example, refurbishing and adaptively reusing underutilized or abandoned buildings can revitalize neighborhoods whilst achieving environmental benefits. Cultural heritage buildings hold a unique niche in the urban landscape. In addition to shelter, they embody the local cultural and historic characteristics that define communities. Therefore, extending their useful lifespan has multiple benefits that extend beyond the project itself to the surrounding area, contributing to economic and social development. To explore this complex issue, the research applies systematic literature review and synthesis methods. Decision makers lack knowledge of the environmental benefits of adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings and lack tools to implement these projects. A new comprehensive circular economy framework for the adaptive reuse of cultural heritage buildings to reduce environmental impacts intends to meet these needs. The framework integrates methods and techniques from the building and construction literature that aim to reduce lifecycle environmental impact of buildings with a circular product supply chain approach.

170 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors employed content analysis on interview data gathered from managers in Finnish SME companies from the field of packaging, textiles, composite materials, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products.

167 citations

Trending Questions (1)
Is there anything that contains CE but does not include sustainability?

The paper does not explicitly mention anything that contains CE but does not include sustainability. The paper discusses the concept of CE and its limitations in environmental sustainability.