Abstract
The increase in waste volume and greenhouse gas emissions and decrease in raw-material reserves are some of the serious problems that our planet is facing. The measures needed to address these issues cannot be implemented under the prevailing linear economy model; hence, the circular economy model has been introduced. The successful implementation of circularity, whose basic principles include waste reduction, reuse, and recycling, requires a change in the behaviour of all the parties involved and is expected to lead to industrial–urban symbiosis schemes. The present paper looks at the current state and future prospects of the circular economy in Cyprus, based on the evidence drawn from an EU-funded project entitled “a digital Solid Waste reuse plAtform for BalkaN” (Project Acronym: SWAN). The project’s main objective was the design and development of a digital solid waste reuse platform involving four countries: Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. Using the data collected, in the context of this project, from a sample of Cypriot industries, we looked into the familiarisation of the respondents with the basic concepts of circularity and their willingness to participate in symbiotic value chains. Moreover, we examined the composition of the waste streams produced by those industries and proposed potential waste reuse business models and subsequent symbiotic clusters.
Highlights
The United Nations glossary defines waste as “materials that are not prime products for which the generator has no further use in terms of their own purposes of production, transformation or consumption, and of which they want to dispose” [1]
The methodology followed in order to identify and assessed symbiotic schemes has been described in detail in [26]
The scope of this paper was to look into waste management and circular economy practices in Cyprus through the findings of the SWAN project
Summary
The United Nations glossary defines waste as “materials that are not prime products for which the generator has no further use in terms of their own purposes of production, transformation or consumption, and of which they want to dispose” [1]. Waste is any unwanted or unusable material or any substance that is discarded after primary use or is worthless, defective, and of no use They can be solid, liquid, or gas, and each type requires different methods of treatment and management. Waste management involves the activities and actions from waste generation to the final disposal, including the collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal, together with the monitoring activities and regulation aspects. It follows a generally accepted hierarchy from the most preferred to the least preferred option: reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, incineration, controlled landfill, and landfill [2,3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
