Barriers to the Circular Economy – Integration of Perspectives and Domains

Ritzén, Sofia; Sandström, Gunilla Ölundh

doi:10.1016/j.procir.2017.03.005

Cited by 464 publications

(336 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…' In theory the ideas underpinning the concept of the circular economy might seem straightforward, but in practice a number of operational challenges can be identified. Ritzen and Sandstrom (2017), for example, identified a number of attitudinal, financial, structural, and technological barriers to a transition to a more circular economy. A shift towards a circular model was also perceived to require far reaching changes within companies and such changes take both time and investment and where corporate financial systems are focused on rapid returns on investment and cost savings this currently does not encourage long term strategic change.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability and the UK Waste Management Industry

Jones

Comfort

2018

European Journal of Sustainable Development Research

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The aim of this paper is to offer an exploratory review of the approaches to sustainability within the UK's waste management industry. The paper begins with brief outlines of the waste management industry in the UK and the growing interest in corporate sustainability. This is followed by a review of the most recent sustainability reports published by the leading waste management companies operating within the UK and the paper concludes by offering some reflections on current approaches to sustainability within the industry. More critically the authors suggest that the selected companies' commitments to sustainability are couched within existing business models centred on continuing growth and consumption and that current policies might be viewed as little more than genuflections to sustainability. The paper provides an accessible commentary on current approaches to sustainability in the waste management industry within the UK and as such it will interest professionals working in the industry as well as academics and students interested in management and business studies, resource management and sustainability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability and the UK Waste Management Industry

Jones

Comfort

2018

European Journal of Sustainable Development Research

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“…The material demand of a supply chain element n of the supply chain m after material efficiency improvement by the factor xw can be calculated according to Equation (3) as follows: min m,na = mout m,na ((1 + xw(ηm,nb − 1)/ηm,nb (3) in which b represents the status before optimisation, a the status after optimisation, xw the improvement in waste reduction, and ηm,nb the material efficiency of the above mentioned supply chain element before its optimisation. Figure 1 shows an example calculation for the supply chain element number 4 in paint manufacturing, which is the last supply chain element of supply chain number 1, where mwaste represents the mass of waste per year of the supply chain element.…”

Section: Calculation Of Efficiency Improvements In the Supply Chainsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An evaluation of barriers to improve material efficiency in industrial companies, concerning circular economy considerations has been provided by Ritzén et al [3]. The origins of the circular economy approach emanate from several schools of thought and theories that challenge the established economic system, based on overconsumption due to the finiteness of natural resources [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Case Study Analysing Potentials to Improve Material Efficiency in Manufacturing Supply Chains, Considering Circular Economy Aspects

et al. 2018

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Abstract:In order to decouple economic growth from global material consumption it is necessary to implement material efficiency strategies at the level of single enterprises and their supply chains, and to implement circular economy aspects. Manufacturing firms face multiple implementation challenges like cost limitations, competition, innovation and stakeholder pressure, and supplier and customer relationships, among others. Taking as an example a case of a medium-sized manufacturing company, opportunities to realise material efficiency improvements within the company borders-on the supply chain and by using circular economy measures-are assessed. Deterministic calculations and simulations, performed for the supply chain of this company, show that measures to increase material efficiency in the supply chain are important. However, they need to be complemented by efforts to return waste and used products to the economic cycle, which requires rethinking the traditional linear economic system.

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“…This movement has gained considerable traction because of the tireless efforts of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation [3]. Nevertheless, there are claims that beyond recycling [2], the circular economy concept has only rarely and fragmentally been adopted by business [4]. Conversely, a significant number of barriers to the implementation of the circular economy have been identified [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, there are claims that beyond recycling [2], the circular economy concept has only rarely and fragmentally been adopted by business [4]. Conversely, a significant number of barriers to the implementation of the circular economy have been identified [4]. Interestingly, these barriers refer mostly to socio-economic aspects and decision-making at multiple levels-e.g., product design, integration into production processes, perception of sustainability, risk aversion, and unclear responsibility distribution [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Socio-Economic Embeddedness of the Circular Economy: An Integrative Framework

et al. 2018

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Global economies have been characterised by a large dependency of material inflows from natural stocks, an exponential growth of material stock-in-use in the built environment, and the extensive disposal of waste material outflows to anthropogenic sinks. In this context, the concept of the circular economy has emerged, promising to circulate the stock-in-use of materials and transforming output waste material flows back into useful resources while promoting job and value creation. These promises have drawn the attention and interest of policymakers and industry, and gained popularity across society. Despite its apparent emergent legitimacy and diffusion, a few essential adjustments still need to be addressed so that circular economy initiatives can actually deliver on their promises without leading to negative unintended effects. First, a complete entanglement with the existing formal economy is fundamentally needed; this implies valuing the preservation of natural stocks and pricing material input flows adequately. Secondly, a recognition of its socio-economic embeddedness is essentially necessary. The decision-making of societal actors affects material configuration, which in turn affects societal actors; this important feedback loop needs to be explicitly taken into account in circular economy initiatives. The aim of this short communication paper is to explore these pervasive challenges in a broad context of sustainable physical resource management. An integrative framework for recognising the socio-economic embeddedness of the circular economy in practice and the role of the formal economic system in realising its ambitions is proposed.

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Barriers to the Circular Economy – Integration of Perspectives and Domains

Cited by 464 publications

References 24 publications

Sustainability and the UK Waste Management Industry

Sustainability and the UK Waste Management Industry

Case Study Analysing Potentials to Improve Material Efficiency in Manufacturing Supply Chains, Considering Circular Economy Aspects

The Socio-Economic Embeddedness of the Circular Economy: An Integrative Framework

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