scholarly journals Influence of Reduced Ownership on the Environmental Benefits of the Circular Economy

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 4077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seppo Junnila ◽  
Juudit Ottelin ◽  
Laura Leinikka
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Partial Solution ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Primary Qualities ◽  
Production And Consumption

The circular economy has become a popular concept, suggesting economic growth with fewer emissions and reduced ownership as one of its key parameters. Based on the literature, however, it appears that the concept has not been sufficiently contested empirically. This study evaluates the carbon and material footprint implications of reduced ownership in the context of household consumption. We found that the reduced ownership does not automatically reduce the environmental impact of the production–consumption system in the context of households. Reduced ownership in the study did not have any noticeable influence on material footprint, and in the case of carbon footprint, it only had a mild positive influence in low-income households. The result is surprising, since both intuitively as well as based on the literature, moving from ownership to services should increase resource efficiency and reduce environmental impact. In the context of households, actual consumption and investment behavior seem to override the theoretical benefits of reduced ownership. In our study, the circular economy rebound and the willingness to invest in green products seems to explain quite well why the environmental impact of consumption is not reduced when households move from ownership to services. Households appear to spend the money saved from reduced ownership on carbon-intensive services; when they own the products themselves, they invest a more-than-average amount in the life cycle performance of the products. The paper’s implications for the circular economy as a concept for decoupling economic growth from environmental pressure is that one of its primary qualities, sharing and renting services instead of owning things, seems to offer only a partial solution for the dilemma. In order to fully benefit from reduced ownership, the circular economy should emphasize simultaneous change in both the production and consumption of services, as it seems that simply offering products for rent does not automatically reduce the environmental impact of the final demand.

POPULATION AGING, MIDDLE-INCOME TRAP, AND ECONOMIC GROWTH: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF ASIAN ECONOMIES

2019 ◽  
pp. 1842009
Author(s):  
JIUN-NAN PAN ◽  
MING-LEI CHANG
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Population Aging ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Primary Finding ◽  
Middle Income Trap ◽  
Economic Growth Rates

Population aging and the middle-income trap are serious problems felt worldwide, especially in terms of their powerful influence on economic growth. In order to explore the relationships among population aging, middle-income trap, and economic growth, this study uses a panel data of 27 economies in Asia from 1995 to 2016. The primary finding of this study is that lower-middle-income economies are facing the problem of middle-income trap, indicating that the economic growth rates of lower-middle-income economies are slowing down. In addition, population aging has a statistically significant and negative influence on the growth rate of GDP in the high-income economies, but it has a statistically significant and positive influence on the growth rate of GDP in the low-income and lower-middle-income economies. This study suggests that increasing women’s labor participation, technology innovation, and immigration could solve the problems of population aging and the middle-income trap.

Proposal of a circular model for the management of usable waste in low-income municipalities in Colombia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilo Andres Vargas Terranova ◽  
Javier Rodrigo Ilarri ◽  
María Elena Rodrigo Clavero ◽  
Paula Andrea Bustos Castro
Keyword(s):  
Solid Waste ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Economy Model ◽  
Circular Model ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Five Phases

<p><strong>PROPOSAL OF A CIRCULAR MODEL FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF USABLE WASTE IN LOW-INCOME MUNICIPALITIES IN COLOMBIA</strong></p><p><strong> </strong>Camilo-A. Vargas-Terranova<sup> 1</sup>, Javier Rodrigo-Ilarri <sup>2</sup>, María-Elena Rodrigo-Clavero <sup>2</sup>, Paula-A. Bustos-Castro<sup>3</sup></p><p><sup>1</sup>  Programa de Ingeniería Ambiental y Sanitaria, Universidad de La Salle, Carrera 2 # 10-70, Piso 6-Bloque A, 111711, Bogotá, Colombia; [email protected]</p><p><sup>2</sup>   Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), 46022 Valencia, Spain; [email protected]; [email protected]</p><p><sup>3</sup>   Quipus Consultores SAS, Carrera 8 # 16-36, 250010, Cota, Colombia; [email protected]</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Waste reuse is a main activity included in the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) system in Colombia. However, the economic costs related with these activities are not usually included within the service fee. Therefore, operators who perform reuse activities are not formalized or legally constituted and they do not always find a significant economic benefit. This on-going research raises a proposal for a circular model for usable waste in order to add value to the different stages that make up the recovery activity, generating social and environmental benefits.</p><p>The circular economy model for the reuse of waste has five phases: i) solid waste generation; ii) solid waste collection; iii) classification of solid waste in collection centers; iv) delivery to an external manager and v) reinstatement to the production chain, to finally return to the first stage.</p><p>The financial analysis of the circular economy model is also divided into five phases. In the first phase a basic calculation is made as a reference on the cost of the operation of the public cleaning service, the staff payment cost, the operation of the vehicle fleet and the cost of final waste disposal. In the second and third phases, two scenarios are raised regarding the state of the collection center in a municipality. Specifically, in the second phase, the scenario of a municipality that does not have a collection center or classification and utilization station is proposed. The investment in locating, adapting and building a collection center with different sizes is calculated. In the third phase, a scenario is proposed where a municipality already has a collection center, so the investment for its operation is calculated.</p><p>In the fourth phase, the scenarios proposed with the reference value are evaluated. Also, the behavior of production of usable waste and the fluctuation of values in the purchase and sale of this waste in low-income municipalities are determined.</p><p>Finally, in the fifth phase, a synthesis of the economic valuation is made, evaluating the scenarios for the municipalities, determining the amount of income and expenses.</p>

scholarly journals PERĖJIMAS PRIE ŽIEDINĖS EKONOMIKOS: STABDANČIŲ IR SKATINANČIŲ VEIKSNIŲ SĄVEIKA MIKRO-, MEZO- IR MAKROLYGMENIMIS / TRANSITION TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY: BARRIERS AND DRIVERS INTERACTION AT MICRO, MESO AND MACRO LEVELS

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (0) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Tomaš Jusel ◽  
Aurelija Burinskienė
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Economy Model ◽  
Meso Level ◽  
Economic Barriers ◽  
Micro Level

Threats caused by linear economy pushes humanity for transition to circular economy model. At macro level benefits of circular economy are seen very clearly, due to that, governments set priorities to reduce the environmental impact of economic growth and encourage businesses and consumers to implement circular economy principles. However, implementation of circular economy at micro level, by businesses and consumers, still appears to be in early stages. The purpose of this article is to create holistic view of barriers and drivers of circular economy, which would help to understand ways for encouraging business and consumer to use circular economy principles. For this purpose, 28 circular economy barriers and 22 circular economy drivers described in scientific literature was analysed. The result of the analysis - created system of circular economic barriers and drivers, which shows: directions for required macro level support to promote the transition of micro and meso level to circular economy model; way for benefits generated by micro and meso level, to achieve a macro level environment. The results of the research are theoretical and refer to the direction of further research.

Factors of the circular economy development

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-447
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Resource Constraints ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Waste Recycling ◽  
Resource Saving ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Traditional Patterns ◽  
High Level ◽  
Consumption Waste

Subject. Today the circular economy is viewed as a new model of economic growth that allows overcoming resource constraints. Despite the general understanding that environmental problems are the main incentive for the transition to circular models of production and consumption, the underlying factors in the development of this economic model have not been fully studied in modern literature. Are circular production models available only to technologically highly developed rich countries, or, conversely, poverty and a total lack of resources are the best incentive for the development of a circular economy? Objectives. I study the influence of such factors as the general economic and innovative development of the country, as well as the State's innovating activity to form and develop circular models of economic growth. Methods. The research was carried out with methods of econometric modeling. Eurostat data were used as an underlying source of information. Results. The study showed that the high level of the national economic development positively influences the resource efficiency of an economy, but more advanced countries produce more waste in the consumption sector. Production and consumption waste recycling demonstrates better trends in less economically developed countries. Countries with substantial innovation expenditures tend to have more robust municipal and industrial waste recycling technologies, as well as a more effective use of secondary materials. The development of an e-waste recycling system is essentially dependent on government incentives for innovation in this area. Conclusions. The findings can be used for outlining national federal and regional programs for the development of production and consumption waste recycling mechanisms in Russia. Social entrepreneurship and business initiative may appear one of the priority mechanisms spurring the circular economy in Russia through traditional patterns of resource-saving consumer behavior.

scholarly journals Circular Economy in Industrial Design Research: A Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10279
Author(s):  
Kirsten van Dam ◽  
Luca Simeone ◽  
Duygu Keskin ◽  
Brian Baldassarre ◽  
Monia Niero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Design Education ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Industrial Design ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Critical Gap ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Support Policy

In the past decades, industrial design practice and research have focused extensively on how to optimize production and consumption, as a way to prevent negative environmental impacts, such as resource depletion, pollution, and excessive waste. Recently, the “circular economy” concept is increasingly used to achieve environmental benefits and economic growth simultaneously. Industrial design can contribute to a circular economy by fostering systems changes to achieve durability, optimal reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, and recycling of products and materials. Indeed, researchers have examined both the theoretical and practical aspects of how design knowledge can support the transition to a circular economy. However, this body of knowledge has not been systematically analyzed yet. To address this critical gap, this paper poses the following question: How has industrial design research so far contributed to advancing the circular economy knowledge? Accordingly, we survey relevant design literature focusing on the circular economy, through a review of contributions published in 42 scientific journals. Based on our results, we discuss how industrial design practices can potentially contribute to a circular economy across four thematic areas: (1) design for circular production processes, (2) design for circular consumption, (3) design to support policy towards the circular economy, and (4) design education for the circular economy.

scholarly journals Circular patterns of waste prevention and recovery

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 ◽  
pp. 00003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrizia Ghisellini ◽  
Remo Santagata ◽  
Amalia Zucaro ◽  
Sergio Ulgiat
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Natural Capital ◽  
Rebound Effect ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Social Dimension ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
World Population ◽  
Production And Consumption

The growth of modern societies with their scientific, economic and social achievements was made possible by the cheap availability of fossil fuels. Side effects of fossil energy resources were the development of unsustainable production and consumption patterns, the degradation of natural capital, and the release of airborne, waterborne and solid waste. Consumption and environmental loading are not only related to fuels, but also to other material resources, such as minerals in general and rare earths in particular. The increasing shortage of crucial resources affects and constrains important economic sectors (e.g., electronic sectors, renewable energies, food production), thus placing a limit on further development and wellbeing. Concepts of sustainable economies and communities, with focus on the social dimension of development and also on the ecological and economic aspects at the same time, are gaining the attention of policy makers, managers, and investors, as well as local stakeholders (organisations, small and medium enterprises, individual citizens) and encouraging new development and business models globally referred to as the “circular economy”. The circular economy (CE) is a production and consumption system that is restorative by intention and design. Although there has been a relative decoupling of economic growth from resource use in recent decades, the gains made so far have been eaten up by a combination of economic growth and the rebound effect. There are two questions: (i) why has it been so hard to move from theory(most often from rhetoric) to practice and implementation, and (ii) how is it possible to promote an innovative and effective CE strategy in urban systems where 60% of world population is concentrated. This shift (design, networking, organisation, implementation, community planning) and related monitoring tools constitute the skeletonof the transition that needs to occur within both urban systems and economies. The point we make is that a society without waste is not only desirable, but also possible and necessary. We cannot wait longer and we cannot just accept small adjustments, increased end-of-pipe technologies and the usual interplay of promises and conflicts. The time for a massive and successful effort towards a radical change of lifestyles and production/consumptionpatterns is now, where the term "waste" itself is considered a symptom of societal illness, an indicator of immature economies, poor science and old-fashioned technology.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Environmental Benefits Associated with the Addition of Olive Pomace in the Manufacture of Lightweight Aggregates

Materials ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 2351
Author(s):  
Manuel Uceda-Rodríguez ◽  
Ana B. López-García ◽  
José Manuel Moreno-Maroto ◽  
Carlos Javier Cobo-Ceacero ◽  
María Teresa Cotes-Palomino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Lightweight Aggregates ◽  
Technological Properties ◽  
Olive Pomace ◽  
Reduction Of Emissions

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) using SimaPro software has been carried out concerning the manufacture of artificial lightweight aggregates (LWAs). The study aims to evaluate the changes in the environmental impact when an additive of residual origin, specifically olive pomace (OP), is added following the principles of the Circular Economy. This residue (commonly known as alperujo) was used as a substitute for clay in 1.25, 2.5 and 5 wt%. The environmental impact related to the use of olive pomace in the mixture was estimated using the CML 2000 methodology, yielding improvements of 3.8%, 7.7% and 15.3% for 1.25, 2.5 and 5 wt% OP added, respectively. Optimum addition results are in the range of 1.25 and 2.5 wt% OP. In this way, the reduction of emissions associated with LWA manufacture would be favored without negatively affecting the technological properties of the resulting material.

scholarly journals Trends of Income Distribution in Bangladesh and Relationship with Growth – Theories and Evidences

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M A S Alam
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Income Distribution ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
Income Disparities ◽  
Household Expenditure Survey ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
Positive Effect

Income distribution is very substantial for economic and social advancement. It affects the structure of the society, limits the level of poverty for any specified average per capita income and poverty puts pressure on growth. Different Household Expenditure Survey data of 2000, 2005 and 2010 are used to review the trends of income distribution in Bangladesh. The Decile techniques and Gini coefficient measures are used to explain the recent trends. In addition, the shares of income of the uppermost and lowermost deciles are also used to show the income dispersal in Bangladesh. It is revealed that Bangladesh has exposed visible economic growth but income disparity has increased rapidly over time. The study is also measured the affiliation between economic growth and income disparities, using a new practical form that fits the data well. Most of the upshots suggest that inequality has a substantial positive influence on economic growth. It reapproves the Kuznets’ hypothesis that at an initial stage of progress, disparity of income rises and it decreases again. Although, it provides empirical evidence that the distribution could have a positive effect on economic growth in low-income countries rather than the growth effects on distribution. The positive relationship is a contrary result to the recent empirical findings but indicates that more research is indispensable to fully understand the composite affiliation between income distribution and economic growth.

scholarly journals Environmental Impact Evaluation of Current Municipal Solid Waste Treatments in India Using Life Cycle Assessment

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 3133
Author(s):  
Venkata Ravi Sankar Cheela ◽  
Michele John ◽  
Wahidul K. Biswas ◽  
Brajesh Dubey
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Municipal Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Baseline Scenario ◽  
Gas Recovery

An environmental life cycle assessment was conducted to compare proposed municipal solid waste treatment systems with the existing system in Visakhapatnam, India. Five waste alternative treatment systems, including open dumping of municipal solid waste (S1), landfill without gas recovery [LFWGR] (S2), landfill with gas recovery (S3), anaerobic digestion + LFWGR (S4), and incineration + LFWGR (S5). EASETECH™ was considered for assessment using ReCiPE Midpoint (Heuristic) world environmental impact assessment method. Global warming potential (GWP), terrestrial acidification (TA), freshwater eutrophication (FEW), marine water eutrophication (ME), human toxicity (HTP), terrestrial ecotoxicity (TE), freshwater ecotoxicity (FWT), and marine ecotoxicity (MET) impacts were determined for each option. The existing MSW disposal practice in Visakhapatnam city (baseline scenario, S1) has the highest GWP (1107 kg CO2 eq), which can potentially be reduced to 68.2%, 81.5%, 98.2%, and 94.5% by alternative waste management scenarios S2, S3, S4 and S5, respectively. Scenario S4, involving the use of anaerobic digestion of food waste and residues dumped in engineered landfill without energy recovery was found to be the option with the highest mitigation potential of most of the impacts, and it contributes to significant environmental benefits in terms of ecological footprints in a low-income country such as India. Sensitivity analysis was conducted to confirm the reasonable legitimacy of data used for the determination of the impacts.

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