Application Of Circular Economy Principles Research Articles

Peran Sistem Pengendalian Manajemen dalam Mendukung Circular Economy Sebagai Bentuk Kontribusi Perusahaan dalam Pelestarian Lingkungan pada Cita Entertainment

This research aims to determine the role of the management control system in supporting Circular Economy standards at Event Organizer CV Cita Entertainment. This research method uses a qualitative method with a descriptive analysis approach. Results show that the scope of this research includes budget planning, logistics and evaluation processes. And the items used are items that are not disposable and can be reused for further activities, in accordance with the 3R concept (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Planning and budgeting of goods is carried out carefully so that the circular economy concept can be realized and aims to save the budget. Waste processing procedures that focus on the reuse of durable goods. This is achieved by recording and updating data regarding items that can be used repeatedly. This way, they don't end up as trash, contributing to overall waste minimization. This research aims to provide an understanding of the application of Circular Economy principles in industrial management activities through an effective management control system and targeted waste processing procedures

A comparative environmental life cycle assessment of road asphalt pavement solutions made up of artificial aggregates

The construction and maintenance of road pavements entail detrimental impacts on the consumption of resources and damage to the natural environment but also make up an opportunity for the large-scale application of circular economy principles and innovative waste valorisation paths. The present study focuses on developing a comprehensive procedure to evaluate the technical and environmental sustainability of replacing high percentage of limestone aggregates with artificial aggregates from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) into hot or cold recycled asphalt mixtures for asphalt pavements.The technical feasibility of the designed mixtures was investigated in terms of the main physical and mechanical properties of both the raw materials and the asphalt mixtures with content of artificial aggregates or sand in the range 25–40 % by mass. The environmental feasibility of the asphalt mixtures was evaluated through the SEM-EDS technique, the analysis of the eluate of the leaching test and the ecotoxicity for living organisms.Afterwards, the life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied to detect the critical spots of the life cycle of 1 m2 of a 6 cm-thick binder layer with high percentage of artificial aggregates or sand built and maintained through 30 years analysis period according to 18 impact category indicators.The main results show that, recycling the artificial aggregates into hot asphalt mixtures has on average a negligible effect on the overall environmental performance of the life cycle, and appears to be detrimental only for the consumption of fossil resources due to the higher optimum bitumen content. Looking at the results for cold mixes, the introduction of the artificial aggregates has an effect on the predicted durability of the asphalt layers, which is maximized in the case of coarse artificial aggregates. Consequent environmental benefits regard the global warming potential, fossil resource scarcity and freshwater eutrophication indicators.

Application of circular economy principles in a automotive industry chain

The economic model applied predominantly at a global level is linear, which operates through extractivism. In this model, the potential of the environment to regenerate due to resource consumption and waste generation is not fully considered. In this context, the Circular Economy emerges as an alternative for promoting new business models and forms of consumption that respects the recovery capacity of the environment., decoupling economic development from the increase in consumption of natural resources through the circularity of materials. One of the pioneering Circular Economy structures in scientific publications is called Butterfly Diagram, which has three principles and two different forms of circularity, which are biological and technical. Within the industrial context, there is the automotive sector, which traditionally practices a linear economy, consuming natural resources and generating a large amount of waste. On the other hand, the automobile is a product with a high level of recyclability, bringing great potential to the sector for implementing Circular Economy practices. The objective of this research is to identify and analyze existing circularity practices in an automotive industry, also verifying how they can be framed within the Butterfly Diagram. The research method used was a case study of a commercial vehicle manufacturer, with incorporated analysis units. The sources of evidence were semi-structured interviews, direct observation, documentary research and archive records. The research results show that Circular Economy practices already exist in the sector studied, mainly in after-sales processes. The evidence also makes it possible to propose new hierarchies for the technical cycle of materials in the Butterfly Diagram, dividing maintenance into preventive and corrective, and recycling into upcycling and downcycling.

Extracted Eucalyptus globulus Bark Fiber as a Potential Substrate for Pinus radiata and Quillaja saponaria Germination

This study aimed to explore alternative substrates for growing forest species using eucalyptus bark. It evaluated the potential of extracted Eucalyptus globulus fiber bark as a substitute for commercial growing media such as coconut fiber, moss, peat, and compost pine. We determined the physicochemical parameters of the growing media, the germination rate, and the mean fresh and dry weights of seedlings. We used the Munoo-Liisa Vitality Index (MLVI) test to evaluate the phytotoxicity of the bark alone and when mixed with commercial substrates. Generally, the best mixture for seed growth was 75% extracted eucalyptus bark fiber and 25% commercial substrates. In particular, the 75E-25P (peat) mixture is a promising substitute for seedling growth of Pinus radiata, achieving up to 3-times higher MLVI than the control peat alone. For Quillaja saponaria, the best growth substrate was the 50E-50C (coconut fiber) mixture, which had the most significant MLVI values (127%). We added chitosan and alginate-encapsulated fulvic acid phytostimulants to improve the performance of the substrate mixtures. The fulvic acid, encapsulated or not, significantly improved MLVI values in Q. saponaria species and P. radiata in concentrations between 0.05 and 0.1% w/v. This study suggests that mixtures with higher levels of extracted fiber are suitable for growing forest species, thus promoting the application of circular economy principles in forestry.

Household Waste Management in Increasing Economic Capacity Based on Bioconversion and Circular Economy in Putrapinggan Village, Pangandaran Regency, West Java

The Lecturer Team from Economics and Business, Siliwangi University, conducted Community Service Activities (PPM) for the youth and PKK groups in Putrapinggan Village, Pangandaran Regency, in May 2023. The engagement service had the theme of applying science and technology, which aims to transfer knowledge and technology from experts in household waste management in organic and inorganic waste based on bioconversion and a circular economy. Problems encountered after discussions with partners can be identified, such as partner problems in handling household waste that need to be correctly optimized. This PPM was carried out using training methods and mini-workshops, mentoring, strengthening, and collaboration, which were carried out continuously. Organic waste management utilized bioconversion technology from Black Soldier Fly (BSF) maggots. Meanwhile, socializing the application of circular economy principles in the form of the principles of reduction, reuse, recycling, recovery, and repair was an effort that the team can make to the community to support government programs in efforts to handle sustainable inorganic waste. The implementation of this service has had a direct impact in the form of increasing residents' insight regarding waste handling literacy, increasing awareness and concern regarding household waste management, and indirect impacts, namely improving health levels and increasing residents' economic capacity.

Sustainable recycling strategies to reduce plastic waste: application of circular economy principles and discrete event simulation modelling to beverage manufacturing industry

Sustainable recycling strategies to reduce plastic waste: application of circular economy principles and discrete event simulation modelling to beverage manufacturing industry

Multiscale pattern analysis of building replacements in Zurich from 2000 to 2019

Building replacement (BR) – i.e., the demolition of existing structures and subsequent construction of new buildings on the same site – is often understood as a necessary urban planning strategy despite significant environmental implications regarding solid waste generation, raw material depletion, and embodied greenhouse gas emissions. Besides, BR may also be considered an effective form of urban mining. Yet it has not been adequately studied in academic literature. Current studies often adopt a simplified ‘black box’ approach that overlooks the intricate internal mechanisms and fails to capture the interconnected material flows within the building stock. To address these gaps, this paper utilizes descriptive statistics and bipartite graph analysis to examine the transformation patterns of BR across three spatial scales in the city of Zurich. The analysis encompasses 1,018 replacement projects involving 6,115 building units from 2000 to 2019. By comparing the characteristics of demolished and newly constructed groups, the study reveals insights into the dynamic nature of BR. From a broader perspective, the combination of the various heterogeneous BR-related findings in this paper highlights the need to evaluate the application of circular economy principles to large building stocks with a more nuanced understanding of building stock dynamics over time.

Application of Circular Economy Principles to Architectural Design: A Case Study of Serbia

The circular economy (CE), as an antidote to the ubiquitous and dominant global economic concept characterized by the uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources and the flow of materials from producers to users to landfills, has become inevitable. The application of circular business models is especially needed in the building sector, as one of the main consumers of natural resources and energy, considerable polluters, and substantial producers of waste. Since architects are important participants in the process of designing and building structures, it is clear that circular principles should be incorporated into architectural design (AD) as well. This paper deals with the analysis of the degree of application of circular principles in AD in Serbia and the challenges and difficulties that architects face in this endeavor. The methods used in the research included an unstructured interview on the basic principles of CE, a case study of selected housing renovation projects in Niš, Serbia (as an illustration of the principles that deal with extending the life of buildings in the domestic environment), and a survey on the degree and importance of the application of the CE principles in AD among architects in Serbia. The case study results and survey results led to the outline of guidelines for future AD in accordance with CE principles and recommendations for creating a working environment for the architects that is more circular oriented.

Challenges of Digital Waste Marketplace—The Upvalue Platform

Waste management is a major challenge for contemporary societies, requiring urgent attention since population growth combined with widespread consumerism and industrialization has led to an alarming increase in waste production. To avoid harmful environmental impacts and the misuse of resources, it is urgent to combat this scourge. A potential solution involves the creation of industrial symbioses, characterized by the practical application of circular economy principles. The use of collaborative platforms is a possible way to promote industrial symbiosis. Addressing these pressing concerns and responding to these challenges, the Upcycle4Biz project envisions establishing a digital platform called Upvalue, conceived as a marketplace where companies can exchange waste and by-products. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the challenges and benefits associated with the development of this innovative platform, as well as a presentation of the platform itself.

DURABOT: THE TOOL TO INTRODUCE DURABILITY IN THE DESIGN PROCESS

AbstractThe extension of the product lifecycle is crucial in the application of Circular Economy principles. However, when Energy Related Products are concerned, managing a durable product does not necessarily mean dealing with sustainable products. This happens because components and/or materials are affected by aging and lead to increased requirement of resources to run (i.e. electricity); there are certain trends that, although distinct from the previous facts, balance the effects of aging, i.e. energy grid mix decarbonization. In the present work an approach that considers both the economic and environmental consequences of durable products is proposed. The Durabot tool has been developed to accomplish the environmental analysis. The work overcomes the main literature criticalities: enables the assessment of environmental consequences of durability ; the evolution of energy grid mix is introduced; the environmental consequences of durable products in different lifecycle scenarios can be assessed during the design phase; therefore, the components to substitute and to make accessible are identified. The tool is intended to be used aiming at design for product lifecycle extension, maintaining both economic and environmental convenience

Closing the Loop: How Circular Economy Approaches Can Tackle Food Waste and Promote Sustainability

Food waste has been a pressing global issue with significant economic, environmental and social implications. Approximately one-third of the food produced for human consumption is wasted or lost yearly, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, hunger and food insecurity. Circular economy approaches offer innovative solutions to tackle food waste by emphasizing the reuse and recycling of materials and resources. This perspective paper explores the potential of circular economy approaches in addressing or tackling food waste while promoting sustainability. It provides an overview of the current state of food waste, discusses the principles and implementation of circular economy approaches, and presents case studies and initiatives that exemplify the application of circular economy principles in tackling food waste. Circular economy approaches, such as food waste prevention, food rescue and redistribution, organic waste recycling and composting and upcycling food by-products, can effectively reduce food waste, conserve resources, minimize environmental impact and create economic and social benefits. We can move towards a more sustainable and efficient food system by adopting circular economy approaches.

Combining circularity and environmental metrics to assess material flows of PV silicon

A product made from virgin raw materials that ends up in a landfill presents a linear supply chain model. Today's photovoltaic (PV) industry is still largely based on this model. With the increasing volume of production, the raw materials required for it, and consequently the volume of waste, the application of circular economy principles in the PV sector can significantly increase its environmental efficiency. This study analyzes the impact of circularity on the supply chain of PV silicon used for PV module production. Four scenarios based on the combination of technological pathways and circularity options are created. Their evaluation is carried out by the methodologies of Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The State-of-art case of the PV polysilicon supply chain corresponds to the MCI score of 0.54. Closed-loop circularity solutions provide the MCI score of 0.80 presenting the potential for a circular economy approach in the industry. LCA results show the reduction of environmental impact by 12% with improved circularity. The study presents the benefits of potential circularity options within the supply chain as well as the impact of technological development on the polysilicon demand.

Advancing circular economy principles through wild black soldier flies

<abstract><p>Biowaste management poses a significant and widespread challenge. However, its consideration as a resource has led to the emergence of innovative and sustainable biowaste management techniques. One such promising solution is the use of black soldier flies (BSF) in biowaste treatment. This technique offers various advantages, such as the transformation of biowaste into versatile products that can be used in agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, animal husbandry, pharmaceuticals and energy production. Despite significant research on different aspects of the BSF biowaste treatment system, none have explored the application of circular economy principles in low-income settings using naturally occurring BSF, i.e., free-range BSF. This article addresses the gap utilizing a mixed-method approach through a case study to achieve two objectives: the localization of the circular economy through co-production with a community group and the viable production of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and compost to meet the community's needs. Through collaboration, a successful circular economy was established as biowaste was transformed into products and safely reintroduced into the local biosphere. Performance indices used included BSFL nutritional composition, harvest rates and heavy metal absence.</p> <p>Through community involvement, circular economy principles were effectively implemented to redirect a retail market's fruit and vegetable waste from the landfill. The free-range open system produced 19.15 kg of BSFL, with 44.34% protein content, 20.6% crude fat and zero heavy metals. These outcomes align with existing research, indicating that a community-led open BSFL system can generate valuable products while fostering circular economy principles with minimal financial, technological, energy and water resources.</p> </abstract>

Membrane Contactors and Their Application Potential

Nowadays, due to the scarcity of natural resources, there is more pressure on the reuse of materials and the application of circular economy principles. For this purpose, increasingly efficient and energy-saving technologies capable of extracting valuable raw materials from waste streams are needed, thus reducing energy and material dependence on primary resources. One such innovative technology is represented by membrane contactors, which enable mass sharing without the need for phase dispersion within each other, thus achieving lower operational and space requirements, as compared to conventional mass sharing devices (e.g. packed bed, tower column or stirred bed reactors). In addition, membrane contactors are very versatile and can be used not only for the recovery of valuable materials from waste streams in waste management processes (in particular recycling of metals or organics), but also as life-saving devices in biomedical applications (e.g. as extracorporeal blood oxygenation devices).

Circular Economy, Sharing, and Sustainability

This study aims to analyse the predisposition of social economy agents to resource sharing. To achieve this, it was chosen to implement an exploratory qualitative approach directed to managers and an exploratory quantitative approach directed to employees. The results allowed to estimate that they do have a significant economic impact on number, paid work and business volume. It was shown the relationship between the interest demonstration on sharing and the appropriate qualification for the jobs of managers and employees. It was demonstrated the practice of informal and non-regulated sharing of own and third parties’ resources, among close partners, without the existence of a management model of knowledge, assets, time, use/reuse and exploitation. It is anticipated that the study could serve as scientific/methodological basis for a regional investment project, R&D and establishment of partnerships, reconciling interest in a smart region, as well as the application of circular economy principles.

Sustainable recycling strategies to reduce plastic waste: application of circular economy principles and discrete event simulation modeling to beverage manufacturing industry

Sustainable recycling strategies to reduce plastic waste: application of circular economy principles and discrete event simulation modeling to beverage manufacturing industry

Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities in the Construction Sector of Kazakhstan

The circular economy in the construction sector in emerging economies is one of the most promising concepts that aims to keep the value of the construction materials and structures as long as possible. The construction industry is rapidly developing in Kazakhstan with a yearly increase in projects. This research paper investigates the construction sector in Kazakhstan in terms of the potential application of circular economy principles by local stakeholders—clients, contractors, designers, and manufacturers. As limited research has been conducted on the circularity within the construction environment, including construction parties, this paper aims to fill this research gap. It seeks to identify the construction trends and perform a barrier and opportunity analysis to develop circular economy principles in the construction sector. As a research method, PEST is used for the study of local construction trends. At the same time, stakeholders are interviewed using semi-structured surveys organized according to the ReSOLVE framework (regenerate, share, optimize, loop, virtualize, and exchange) to identify the barriers and opportunities for circular economy in the construction sector. As an outcome of this study, the most common barriers and opportunities were associated with the economic benefit factor, as this was the main motivation for the stakeholders to save construction materials for reuse or to refuse more eco-friendly technologies. Additionally, policy recommendations for companies involved in the construction ecosystem were provided according to the assessment of found barriers and opportunities in the context of the ReSOLVE framework. This analysis has shown that for most stakeholders of the Kazakhstani construction sector, virtualization is of the highest priority; therefore, opportunities for its development are recommended. Future research could focus on the development of economically feasible solutions for the circular economy in construction with the inclusion of virtualization technologies.

How Shall We Start? The Importance of General Indices for Circular Cities in Indonesia

The role of the circular economy has attracted increased attention amongst practitioners and policymakers in recent years. It has been broadly developed and applied at different levels (micro, meso and macro) in developed countries. However, to date, the possibility of a circular economy in Indonesia has not been widely explored or discussed by city actors. This gap in research represents an opportunity to investigate options that may foster the adoption of circular economy principles and practices. Which aspects of the circular economy should be of primary concern, considering Indonesia’s current situation? In response to this question, this paper offers a systemic process of lessons learnt as developed from the literature, identifying certain key aspects that could benefit Indonesia. This study mapped important factors and key indicators that have been claimed to have beneficial effects in the application of circular economy principles in cities. The authors developed a protocol to systematize the literature review process to illustrate gaps and to provide and recommend indicators for circular cities. These are equally applicable to the local situation in North Kalimantan, which we selected as a showcase medium-sized city. Empirical data was collected by interviewing different stakeholders to enrich the theoretical set of circular economy indicators. This case study offered the opportunity to gain a more realistic understanding of what circular cities might look like in the Indonesian situation. The findings allowed us to explore and describe the current circular economy city-level discussion. They also provide insight and information for decision-makers and city actors on how to collaborate to develop a framework to advance circular city initiatives.

Heavy Lifters, India: Towards a Circular Economy Era

The case helps students to understand the emerging concept of linear and circular economies. It facilitates to examine the implications of circular business models such as remanufacturing on operations management decisions. It also introduces them to the concept of total cost of ownership and impact of remanufacturing on reducing total cost of ownership. The cases help students to evaluate the challenges and opportunities of remanufacturing business in emerging economy like India. This case is among the first few cases on the application of circular economy principles in context of heavy-duty and off-road sector and the impact of these principles on product design and production planning and control decisions.

Climbing up the circularity ladder? – A mixed-methods analysis of circular economy in business practice

The adoption of a circular economy is considered one possible means of transition towards a more sustainable economic system. While the number of circular economy concepts, frameworks, and single case studies is increasing rapidly, empirical evidence on its practical implementation is still scarce. Thus, this paper attempts to understand how circular economy theory is translated into organizational practice and what barriers companies face in their efforts towards more circularity. The study entailed a mixed methods approach using content analysis and correspondence analysis in a case survey with 131 CE projects as well as semi-structured interviews with five company representatives. This provides a new methodological perspective on the application of circular economy by clustering implementation principles, enablers and barriers, and by identifying sectoral differences, based on a large sample size. Results show that three circular economy implementation clusters can be distinguished: one focused on design, one on take-back management, and one on recycling, the latter being the most frequent. With respect to application of circular economy principles, sector-related differences were found between (i) manufacturing companies and slow-moving consumer goods, (ii) fast-moving goods, and (iii) classical b2b sectors. Barriers include important regulatory barriers, such as a lack of standardization, lack of governmental enforcement and cooperation, and lack of harmonization of EU legislation. The potential for policy leverage, diversification of circular economy implementation, and future research is also described.