Advancements in biochar-reinforced 3D printing filaments for material extrusion: A review on material performance, sustainability, and circular economy

Toward a circular economy for plastics

Bioengineering textiles across scales for a sustainable circular economy

Developing countries are becoming the factory of the world where sustainable production is still far from developed countries. However, the acceleration of the 4.0 revolution with a close connection with the Internet of Things (IoT) achievements has forced developing countries to integrate with the trend of a circular and sustainable economy. In this paper, the emerging digital technologies of Industry 4.0 which concentration on the contribution of IoT, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Big Data in remanufacturing are reviewed. Based on IoT, remanufacturing, circular economy, and smart manufacturing, this paper has made the assessment and discussed the challenges and barriers of the 4th industrial revolution to remanufacturing, as well as the amazing opportunities that IoT technologies can contribute to the growth of the remanufacturing industry in developing countries. A value-creation perspective consists of the product which is remanufactured, the equipment and processes of remanufacturing which are adopted and associated with troubles of organization, are used to identify trends and gaps. Suggestions from findings show that it is necessary to detect the combination between cyber-physical systems and the IoT architecture to assistant smart remanufacture, parallel with developing data and infrastructures of communication and circular economy management models. It is clear that, in order to successfully develop the remanufacturing industry, emerging economies need to fully utilize the achievements of IoT technology through economic development strategies and policies in line with Industry 4.0 to create breakthroughs in sustainable circular economy development.

Circular Urban Metabolism Framework

Digitalization is creating and driving a sustainable data driven production and consumption of materials and energy. The goal of this research was to outline circular economy and employ machine learning algorithms in the industry 4.0-environmental social and governance (ESG) for the bioplastic properties. The paper review sustainability, circular and digital economy and potential of biomasses on bioplastics production, tensile strength and degradation. Sustainability and circular economy are very crucial to adaptation and mitigation of climate change and social-economic responsibilities of the environmental and human health. It was found that most studies covered sustainability, few embed circular and digital economy. It was important to investigate the end-of life of a product, to know its effect to the environment and human health. There were limited studies on bioplastics production with the digital economy. It was discovered that machine learning approaches have the potential to improve quality control and optimization in industrial processes.

The circular economy (CE) has become a key sustainability discourse in the last decade. The Netherlands seeks to become fully circular by 2050 and the EU has set ambitious circularity targets in its CE Action Plan of 2015. The plastics sector, in particular, has gained a lot of attention as it is a priority area of both the EU and Dutch CE policies. However, there has been little research on the different and often contested discourses, governance processes and policy mechanisms guiding the transition to a circular economy and society. This paper aims to fill these gaps by asking what circular discourses and policies are being promoted in the Netherlands and what sustainability implications and recommendations can be drawn from it. It does so through a mix of media analysis, policy analysis, semi-structured interviews, and surveys using Q-methodology. Results indicate a dominance of technocentric imaginaries, and a general lack of discussion on holistic, and transformative visions, which integrate the full social, political, and ecological implication of a circular future. To address those challenges, this research brings key policy insights and recommendations which can help both academics and practitioners better understand and implement the transition towards a sustainable circular plastics economy.

The circular economy has been presented as a means to promote ecological, economic, and social sustainability. However, the connection between the circular economy and sustainability remains undefined in both theory and practice. In this chapter, we examine how a circular economy and its connection to sustainability are understood among key stakeholder groups promoting the circular economy in Finland, a forerunner country in sustainable development. Theoretically, we build on circular economy and corporate sustainability literature. Empirically, we conducted an analysis of 26 qualitative interviews with circular economy stakeholders. As a result, we present three categorisations of a sustainable circular economy: a business-centric circular economy, a systemic circular economy, and a regenerative circular economy. Our findings demonstrate that different stakeholder groups at the local, regional, and national levels acknowledge the importance of the circular economy for the promotion of sustainability. Stakeholder views vary in terms of how broadly sustainability is understood and to what extent a circular economy is connected to the promotion of economic, ecological, and social sustainability. The findings call for a dialogue among stakeholders on how the circular economy can promote sustainable development.

Towards a regenerative economy: An innovative scale to measure people’s awareness of the circular economy

Purpose This study aims to investigate the state-of-the-art in economic sustainability (EcS) and social sustainability (ScS) of prefabricated construction (PFC), addressing gaps in holistic life cycle perspectives. Design/methodology/approach A bibliometric analysis and a content-based critical review were used to synthesise literature on EcS and ScS of PFC. Findings Results reveal that life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA), social life cycle assessment and additive manufacturing are emerging themes. EcS is more extensively researched than ScS, with developed regions dominating case studies. While PFC marginally outperforms conventional methods in most EcS and ScS evaluations, critical gaps persist in indicator diversity, stakeholder representation and data availability. Challenges related to methodological immaturity and data availability are discussed in depth, leading to an improvement strategy framework proposal. The discussion emphasises how holistic sustainability assessments, circular economy (CE) principles and alignment with sustainable development goals (SDGs) can position PFC as a driver for sustainable urban development. A future research agenda should prioritise methodological advancements, case-specific studies (e.g. CE), LCSA and SDG-aligned policies and decision support systems to enhance sustainability decision-making in PFC. Originality/value Although environmental sustainability in PFC is well-examined, economic and social dimensions remain underexplored. A holistic life cycle approach that integrates CE principles and SDGs can better reveal performance, assessment methods, system boundaries and gaps, ultimately driving global sustainable development, construction innovation and technological progress.

Toward a circular economy: The role of digitalization

Unlocking value for a circular economy through 3D printing: A research agenda

Idea of the circular economy in sustainability has received attention worldwide in recent years. Ensuring sustainability in each sector is vital for humans and every other life form on Earth. With 1.4 billion people, India can soon become a global leader in the circular economy and has a huge role to play in promoting sustainability. One of the major sectors where sustainability must be ensured is agriculture. Declining productivity, diminishing soil fertility, limited land resources, massive waste generation and irregular weather patterns due to climate change are major challenges to achieving sustainability in agriculture. India, being an agrarian country and with the key resources for the sustainable agro economy deteriorating day by day, the need for transition into a circular economy becomes inevitable. The present study examines the gaps in existing agricultural policies and explores the possibilities of creating positive change in the agriculture sector. In this setting, this paper proposes the Circular Agro-Economy Policy (CAEP) framework in the Indian context for its implementation to promote sustainable transformation of agriculture in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The proposed framework provides a comprehensive approach to mapping the policy environment related to the Indian circular agro economy with recommendations to adopt best practices for circularity in Indian agriculture.

Plastic waste pollution is a growing environmental and economic challenge in Africa, driven by rapid urbanization, increased plastic consumption, and inadequate waste management infrastructure. Traditional linear waste management models, characterized by “take, make, and dispose” practices, have led to significant environmental degradation and public health risks. A circular economy (CE) approach offers a sustainable alternative by promoting plastic waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, transforming waste into valuable resources. This review explores circular economy principles and their application in plastic waste management across African urban centers. Key opportunities include job creation, resource efficiency, private sector investment, and policy-driven waste management reforms. However, challenges such as weak regulatory frameworks, limited infrastructure, informal sector integration, and low public awareness hinder full adoption. The study emphasizes the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, technological innovation, and policy alignment to achieve a sustainable circular plastic economy in Africa. Keywords: Circular economy, plastic waste, waste management, sustainability, Africa, recycling, policy, innovation

The combined pressure of economic, environmental, and social crises, including bushfires, waste management, and COVID created conditions for a turn to the circular economy in Australia. In addition to a dominant circular discourse of ecological modernization in state and federal policy and business and public consultations, other more socially inclusive and ecologically sensitive discourses are circulating. The two main competing discourses are a techcentric circular economy and a reformist circular society, the latter reflected in ‘growth agnostic’ doughnut economics. In the context of unambitious federal and state policies, the circular transition is being supported by a range of intermediary organizations whose key representatives envision or ‘figure’ the sustainability transition in hybrid discursive combinations. Few studies of the circular economy transition in Australia exist and none focus on competing discourses and intermediation for sustainability transition. Since intermediary organizations both discursively reflect and lead the circular change, fuller understanding of how circularity is interpreted or ‘figured’ by key actors is crucial. This study identifies how twenty representatives from intermediating organizations actively ‘figure’ the process of the circular transition for Australia, including while managing the tension between personal positions and organizational missions. Employing the concept of figured worlds this qualitative thematic discourse interview study analyses how, drawing on available circular discourses, key actors and their organisations actively ‘figure’ the present and future circular transition. The study contributes to debates on circular discourses, nature, and the limitations of the circular economy in Australia, the relational space of intermediation, and the nature of MLP transitions for a sustainable circular transition economy in Australia.

Lack of capital is one of the most important barriers to the adoption of sustainable and circular economy. Shifting from a linear to a circular business model requires novel innovations in distribution planning, inventory management, production planning and management of reverse logistics networks, with high upfront costs and long payback periods. As implementing a circular economy business model also demands continuous monitoring and improvement of the products’ lifecycle, resources must be allocated to keep all stakeholders in the life cycle value chain committed. The challenging finance gap between need of capital and cash flow generated is recognised one of the most important obstacles of circular economy. Due to its specific importance for circular economy and due to the intrinsic heterogeneity of corporate finance generally, it is crucial to analyse the drivers and obstacles different kind of investors have in creating sustainable value in sustainable and circular economy business models. Short-term legal and financial systems supporting ‘take, make and waste’ business models are not necessarily conducive to the new settings that circular economy requires. Private equity and venture capital are problematic for startups in circular economy as they lack the high growth and relatively fast payback (exit) horizons required by investors. Public listing of equity and bonds is challenging for circular economy business models as they require track record, size and maturity meeting the scale and requirements of capital markets and institutional investors. Albeit ‘near banks’ like Google, Apple and Amazon platforms provide new payment facilities and working capital solutions for circular economy enterprises, especially startups, the most promising vehicles for circular economy business model financing are owner-member-user-based crowdfunding and other forms of peer to peer financing and participation arrangements and platforms. They affect directly to the participants’ behaviour by strengthening an open, transparent and interactive lifecycle-based business model, engaging a high number of user participation and commitment, emphasising community and shared ownership aspects and limiting access of short-term profit and takeover-seeking investors. Crowdfunding is increasingly popular to create commitment-based funds for projects in which financial institutions and private equity investors are not investing. A cooperative is specific a peer to peer financing model for sustainable businesses especially in its multi-stakeholder form, opening the business to a heterogenous group of financier-member-owners, remaining however as hard to disrupt by takeovers. Cooperative form gives also the user-members a unique possibility to own sharing platforms and other market places themselves. In this Chapter, crowdfunding and modern cooperative-based financing are discussed and compared to analyse what kind of dynamics are crucial for a successful financing of a sustainable circular economy business model. Specific attention is given to the drivers that increase the investors’ commitment for long-term circular economy-based behaviour.