Potential Of Circular Economy Research Articles

Achieving European Union strategic autonomy: circularity in critical raw materials value chains

Abstract Why is it important to understand the potential of circular economy for security? With the green transition in full swing and vulnerabilities in value chains as a consequence of the COVID–19 pandemic and Russian aggression towards Ukraine, this question has never been more timely. Titanium metal constitutes a poignant case, as it is a critical raw material essential for the strategic civil aerospace and defence sectors. In addition, circular economy solutions constitute a viable solution to mitigate import dependencies in the case of this particular raw material. The European Union, with one of the largest aviation industries globally, is dependent on titanium imports from Russia and the United States. The latter, in turn, (re)imports titanium scrap from EU aviation manufacturing to increase material efficiency and reduce costs through recycling. Based on extensive stakeholder interviews across several countries and quantitative trade data, this article presents a first-time analysis of how, in the case of the titanium value chain, circular economy solutions can support the EU Open Strategic Autonomy (OSA) objectives, as enshrined in the 2023 Critical Raw Materials Act. We suggest that in order for the EU to achieve both the OSA and decarbonization objectives, it is essential to prioritize the establishment of recycling facilities as part of reshoring of the mid-value titanium industry. With the prospect of Ukraine becoming an EU member state, this strategy could be complemented by investments into the decarbonization of the upstream value chain in Ukraine while meshing it further with the EU industrial base. We argue that such reshoring could be best achieved through careful intergovernmental and industrial negotiations between the US and EU stakeholders within the formerly established channels for aviation dispute resolutions and within the framework of Ukraine's postwar reconstruction and potential EU accession.

Innovative valorization of biomass waste-derived sodium silicate for geopolymer concrete synthesis: Sustainability assessment and circular economy potential

Exorbitant greenhouse gas emissions associated with commercial sodium silicates (SS) have curtailed the large-scale practical implementation of geopolymers and have also led to discrepancies related to their sustainability. As a result, the extraction of SS from silica-rich biomass/agricultural waste ashes (AGWA) have gained the attention of researchers. This process involves heat treatment of AGWA with sodium hydroxide in addition to the calcination to produce the ash itself, thus requiring a systematic study to justify its sustainability. Therefore, this study presents an integrated techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) to determine the economic and environmental feasibility of AGWA-derived activators for geopolymer concrete synthesis. The LCA results showed a 60–62% reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions of commercial SS-based geopolymer. A significant improvement was also observed in photochemical ozone formation, wherein the emissions were lesser from binders using AGWA based SS as compared to binders produced with commercially available SS. The TEA indicated that although the AGWA-derived SS reduced the cost of the activator by 50–70%, the overall cost of geopolymer concrete with these activators was still higher than OPC based concrete. The hydrothermal process was found to have a lower CO2 emissions and production cost as compared to the thermochemical method to prepare AGWA-derived SS. All in all, the innovative valorization of biomass-waste-derived sodium silicate in geopolymer concrete has a lot of potential to foster a circular bioeconomy by closing the loop of agricultural waste and also promote circular construction by repurposing of waste materials in concrete.

Unleashing circular economy potential in agriculture: Integrating social impact assessment with the ReSOLVE framework as a tool for sustainable development

AbstractThe circular economy concept has grown in popularity in recent decades as a potential method to offset the waste produced by the linear economy model. In this study, the authors proposed an update to the ReSOLVE framework that includes social impacts and uses decision variables based on the ECOGRAI methodology to facilitate a system‐wide analysis to support sustainable decision‐making. After the updated framework was outlined, it was employed in a theoretical case study to evaluate the current state of the poultry industry and determine hotspots where circular economy metrics could be implemented to benefit affected stakeholders. While the poultry sector was used as a case study, the proposed framework can be applied with modified indicators in other agricultural sectors. This work demonstrated that decision makers can improve the agriculture sector's high social and environmental impact by applying a framework that integrates ReSOLVE circular economy principles and social impact assessment methods.

Riding the tides of change: A bibliometric expedition on technology-enabled circular economy

This paper presents a bibliometric expedition to explore the potential of the technology-enabled circular economy. The study focuses on publications related to the circular economy and technology to maximize the quantity and materials used during production and recycling for the sustainability of the circular economy. Scopus was used to identify technology-supported circular economy publications. The study employs bibliometric analysis to analyze references, document content, and networks using R and RStudio tools, VOSviewer, and Microsoft Excel. The investigation revealed 524 documents from 1974 to 2023. The research area was analyzed using coauthorship, co-occurrence, and bibliometric coupling analysis. The results show the development of research on circular economy issues, trends in factors through the most dominant network, and the attribution of circular economy publications supported by technology in the Scopus index database. This study provides insights into circular economy practices in manufacturing companies and the potential of a circular economy supported by technology for manufacturing.

The potential of circular economy in the oil palm plantation to industry

Palm oil has become a crucial commodity because it has a high gross domestic product. The issue of the environmental effect of palm oil is still debated. On the other hand, desire become an essential aspect _ Because the production of agriculture No only For the moment but continues in the future. Studying and developing Stay About Palm is very important For knowing where Stay has been implemented. This study reviews the potency of palm oil through an analyzer potency of economy circular from cultivation to palm oil industry. The technique of deep data collection was used in writing the review. The document has been analyzed through a literature review to summarize the potential economic circular on the plantation and palm oil industry. Data search is not only limited to one country; paper from many countries has been reviewed. Studies This discusses the issue of palm oil getting its negative response and positive from various countries. However, findings show palm oil are very needed by humans. In context, waste produced _ by plantation and the palm oil industry study shows all waste can managed And converted to become something valuable. The circular economy is appropriate for increasing energy renewal in palm oil and ensuring a closed system. Management of good waste _ gives a mark plus economy from waste of palm oil so that palm oil can be sustainable in a way economy and environment.

Quantifying circularity factor of waste: Assessing the circular economy potential of industrial zones

This study offers essential metrics for informed decision-making in the context of transforming traditional industrial estates into circular economies. The study conducts a systematic analysis of an existing industrial zone, demonstrating its potential transition towards a circular approach while assessing its economic viability and avenues for enhancement. The paper unfolds as follows: It initially presents a comprehensive methodology for quantifying the economic value added through recycling within the industrial zone. Subsequently, it introduces a method to compute the economic value associated with the remaining waste generated within the industrial zone. The paper then proposes a novel approach for determining the circularity factor of an industrial zone, effectively quantifying the degree of circularity achieved within the zone. Finally, it integrates circular economic principles and outlines a framework to assess the circularity value across the entire manufacturing process, reducing waste and reintegrating it into the material supply chain. The study provides a robust methodology for calculating circular value addition within an industrial zone. Furthermore, these metrics are applied to Biyagama Export Processing Zone (BEPZ), in Sri Lanka as part of the study's empirical analysis. The circularity factor of the zone was 0.4, and it clearly identifies that the total economic value addition of the zone can be maximized through the practice of a circular economy.

Unlocking circular economy potential: evaluating production processes through circular value stream mapping in real case studies

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to propose a new mapping tool called Circular Value Stream Mapping (C-VSM) that combines Circular Economy principles with Lean tools to enhance sustainability performance in operations.Design/methodology/approachTo develop the C-VSM tool, the researchers conducted a literature review and a focus group. The tool was then applied to two real case studies in the agri-food sector, specifically analyzing an artichoke and olive oil producer, to assess its validity and effectiveness.FindingsThe study introduces the Circular Resource Box (CRB) as a key innovation in the C-VSM tool. This visual representation effectively captures resource circularity and how resources and wastes are managed, making it easy to identify circularity in the production process. By combining qualitative and quantitative information with this visual representation, companies can identify improvement opportunities aligned with the CE.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited in scope as it focuses on the application of the C-VSM tool in the agri-food sector. Further research could explore its applicability in other industries and settings to understand its broader impact.Practical implicationsThe C-VSM tool provides practical benefits to companies seeking to transition from linear to circular production processes. It enables practitioners to identify opportunities to reduce environmental impacts and optimize production operations in line with CE.Originality/valueThe introduction of the C-VSM tool is a novel approach that bridges the gap between Lean Manufacturing and CE concepts, advancing the understanding of how CE thinking can be effectively implemented in operations.

Evaluating the Circular Economy Potential of Modular Construction in Developing Economies—A Life Cycle Assessment

Circular economy (CE) is an emergent concept that promotes resource circularity in multiple product systems. Modular construction (MC), an evolving construction technique, which includes an off-site manufacturing environment, increasingly supports CE strategies such as reuse due to the elevated potential for design for disassembly (DfD). Design-stage environmental assessments are paramount in aiding the early decision making of modular construction projects to successfully plan and implement DfD strategies. Research on synergising modular construction, circular economy and environmental sustainability is rare in developing economies. Thus, the current study aims to conduct a design-stage life cycle assessment of a DfD and linear versions of a modular building unit in Sri Lanka to evaluate the potential environmental benefits. The life cycle assessment results highlight that the DfD strategy has the lowest environmental impacts in all categories, with a 63% reduction in global warming potential and an approximately 90% reduction in terms of human toxicity compared to the linear version. Further, it showed the elevated potential of reuse compared to recycling practices in improving the environmental performance. Sensitivity assessment revealed that steel was the most sensitive to the change in reuse percentage among main building materials. The analysis outcomes highlight the importance of long-term thinking, architectural design creativity and industrial and technology development to uptake the CE-driven MC in the Sri Lankan context. Finally, strategies are proposed to support the CE approach in MC in developing regions. Both quantitative and qualitative outcomes provide a basis for construction industry stakeholders, academia, and policy makers to explore further and promote modular construction practices to enhance the circularity of building materials and components in developing regions.

Exploring the potential of circular economy in the food sector

Exploring the potential of circular economy in the food sector

Exploration of Microalgae-Activated Sludge Growth Performance in Lab-Scale Photobioreactors under Outdoor Environmental Conditions for Wastewater Biotreatment

Increasing the volume of untreated and inadequately treated municipal wastewater undermines the circular economy potential of wastewater resources, particularly in low-income regions. This present study focused on and evaluated the performance of native microalgae-activated sludge (MAS) growth for tertiary treatment of anaerobically digested wastewater from an up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) in an outdoor lab-scale photobioreactor (2.2 L). Three conditions with distinct MAS inoculum concentrations alongside three controls were operated in batch mode for 5 days hydraulic retention time (HRT) at 11.5:12.5 photo-hours. The MAS inoculum concentration influenced the treatment outcome. The best performance was observed when the MAS concentration was 0.10/0.20 g L−1, and the cell density was 1.60 × 107 cells mL−1, total biomass productivity of 0.10 g TSS L−1 d−1, total phosphorus uptake of 85.1%, and total nitrogen uptake of 66.1%. Logarithmic removal (Log-Re) of bacterial pathogens (water quality indicators) showed Log-Re 3.4 for total coliforms (1.37 × 102 CFU 100 mL−1) and 4.7 for Escherichia coli (0.00 × 100 CFU 100 mL−1). The results revealed optimum remediation performance and nutrient recovery potential with appropriate inoculum concentration, in admiration to advancing the science of circular economy.

Insights into Circular Economy Potential of Lithium by System Dynamic Modelling of Material Streams

AbstractLithium is a key raw material for producing lithium‐ion batteries. This study applies system dynamics modelling to demonstrate the (1) global lithium demand in specific lithium applications from 2005 to 2050, (2) the adequacy of lithium reserves for future lithium demand, (3) lithium content of waste streams throughout lithium value chain and (4) potential of various circular strategies for answering to the rising lithium demand. According to the modelling results, the main lithium application is battery electric vehicle batteries (almost 60 % in 2023 to 80–90 % by 2050) with current battery chemistries. Without circular strategies, 75–85 % of lithium is wasted throughout the value chain. Circular strategies may reduce the waste considerably (7–47 %), but to maintain sustainable supply of lithium a stacking of multiple complementary circular strategies over the lithium value chain is required.

The circular economy potential of reversible bonding in smartphones

The increased use of adhesive bonding in manufacturing is an important barrier to implement circular economy strategies, including repair, refurbishment, and high-quality recycling. The circular economy potential of reversible adhesives that are debondable on demand, however, remains largely unexplored. In this paper we apply an integrated technology-agnostic framework to smartphones to identify and quantify the circular economy potential of reversible bonding. In this framework we combine insights from Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing, and Statistical Entropy Analysis. We find that reversible bonding of smartphones can be an enabler for circular strategies and have a considerable positive impact on preserving higher functionality on a product, component, and material level. The major added value of reversible bonding is its potential to replace and update parts, retaining the main environmental hotspot of a smartphone. Firms, however, will not likely switch to this technology, even though bonding and debonding make up only a small fraction of total lifecycle costs. Therefore, policy recommendations include mandatory policies on repairability and public procurement favouring the use of reversible bonding techniques. This would alter incentives in contexts where consumer preferences for lease markets cannot be taken for granted. The evaluation of different debonding scenarios from three distinct perspectives provides a comprehensive, more reliable, and robust understanding of the trade-offs related to debonding and its potential contribution to the circular economy.

The Circular Economy Potential of Spent Hens’ Co-Products and By-Products in Italy by Material Flow Analysis

Eggs represent one of the most consumed animal products worldwide. In Europe, over 366 million laying hens and 6.1 Mt of derived eggs have been estimated in 2020, and Italy represents the fourth largest producer (41 million hens and 0.79 Mt of eggs). Egg production has been identified as relatively environmental-friendly, but several environmental concerns have been recently raised considering the inefficient spent hens’ management. Spent hens are generally euthanized and composted or incinerated, producing greenhouse gases while at the same time significant nutrients are lost. First, the research reviews the egg supply chain characteristics and the alternative spent hens’ valorization pathways. Then, using the material flow analysis, the research quantifies and qualifies the consistencies of laying hens and protein content included in spent hens across Italy, providing a comprehensive assessment of the national scenario under an environmental and circular perspective. Furthermore, the research develops an inventory of the spent hens’ co-products and by-products in Italy, focusing on the flows of proteins for further environmental studies. The research has highlighted that over 13,948 t of proteins could be extracted, distinguishing between those embedded within offal, feathers and blood. In addition, spent hens can be used for human consumption, as well as for material or energy recovery through anaerobic digestion or microbial fermentation. Results are addressed to farmers, who are required to boost their environmental performances, and public authorities, who must implement sustainable strategies to collect spent hens.

Evaluation of the Circular Economy Potential in Improving Sustainability in the Construction Industry in the UAE

The civil engineering and construction industry is usually highlighted as primary contributing factors for resource consumption and scarcity. Many researchers perceive that as a normal event with the respect to the high demand for construction that comes concerning the growing world population. As a consequence of this demand, a need for resources and energy efficiency becomes extremely critical and vital. The circular economy could be presented as one of the potential factors to regulate the construction industry with a circular business model. The reason that the professionals highly suggest this mechanism is due to its suitability with the vibrant and dynamic nature of the construction industry that usually causes a communication gap between the main stakeholders. The literature shows that this could be a result of a lack of collaboration and creating unnecessary complex steps that affect the productivity and durability of the business. Hence, a need for a holistic and integrated framework is necessary to regulate and manage the flow work of resources and energy efficiency process. In this study, the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) will be highlighted as major key performance indicators to ensure the accuracy and feasibility of the circular economy. Through this study, the survey and the interviews showed that three areas could be considered as challenging to be applied to circular economy in construction in The United Arab Emirates (UAE): regulatory factors, economic factors, and technological factors.

Strategy formulation activities with emphasis on strategic management tools and techniques in Slovak companies

The importance and benefits of strategic management in the business sphere are declared in studies worldwide. It represents an extensive area for research. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the strategy formulation activities as well as the strategic management tools and techniques used by Slovak companies. Data on 365 manufacturing companies were obtained through an online questionnaire during 2020–2021. Selected methods of inductive statistics helped to analyze the data (the Pearson chi-square test and interval estimates for population proportion). The results show that the potential of analyzed strategy formulation activities is not filled in the Slovak companies. Enterprises only perform certain activities, and attention is focused mainly on setting strategic goals. It prevails a small orientation to sustainable development in strategic goals (only 22% of enterprises). The most used strategic management tools and techniques consist of an analysis of company resources, SWOT analysis, and customer satisfaction. From the point of view of the manufacturing area, no significant differences are defined in the use of the tools. The future management directions should include a variety of strategic management tools from the external environment. At the same time, the given tools should be supplemented with newer strategic tools ensuring flexibility and adaptation to dynamically changing conditions. AcknowledgmentWe wish to thank project VEGA: Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic (Project No.1/0093/23 Research on the circular economy potential in the Slovak business environment in the production of innovative products based on recycled materials wood – rubber – plastic).

Analyzing the enablers of circular supply chain using Neutrosophic-ISM method: lessons from the Indian apparel industry

PurposeThis research identifies the enablers for implementing circular supply chains (CSCEs) and analyzes interrelationships between them to quantify their driving and dependence power to understand the critical CSCEs.Design/methodology/approachInitially, 10 CSCEs are identified for the Indian apparel industries through an extant literature review and validated using the Delphi method by seeking experts' opinions. The identified CSCEs are subjected to a novel neutrosophic interpretive structural modeling (N-ISM) method to capture the interrelationships between CSCEs and compute the driving and dependence power of CSCEs.FindingsThe findings of the present research work revealed that “supportive legislative framework, awareness of circular economy's potential for revenue gain and availability of trained research and development (R&D) team” are the critical CSCEs that need to be considered while implementing a circular supply chain in apparel industries.Research limitations/implicationsThis study offers insightful implications to guide practitioners in implementing the circular economy in apparel supply chains.Originality/valueThis research work is one of the earlier studies to analyze the enablers for implementing circular supply chains. This study has explored CSCEs in the context of apparel industries. From a methodological perspective, the novel N-ISM method is worth highlighting as the originality of the work.

Uncovering the circular economy potential of industrial waste in Sri Lanka (case study from textile industrial - fabric waste)

A comprehensive survey was undertaken to examine the production of fabric waste in the apparel manufacturing sector of Sri Lanka. The primary objective was to assess the composition, quantities, and potential economic value of the fabric waste generated within this sector. This investigation involved 120 carefully selected industries, and data collection was facilitated through a structured questionnaire. Additionally, on-site visits were conducted at random to verify the provided data. The total amount of fabric waste generated by these industries in 2022 was determined to be 28,745.3 tons, with the overall production reaching 288,456.6 tons. This waste predominantly consisted of fabric leftovers, accounting for approximately 88.3% of the total, while the remaining portion comprised yarn leftovers. The fabric leftovers were further categorized based on their material composition, with polyester accounting for 24.5%, nylon 25%, cotton 20%, and mixed material 30.5%. The prevalent methods employed for managing fabric waste were recycling (35.5%), reuse (5%), co-processing (35%), incineration (10.5%), open dumping (12%), and other methods (2%). The findings of this study reveal that around 60% of the fabric waste could be incorporated back into the material cycle with an estimated economic value of approximately USD 12.74 at present.

Combining industrial ecology tools to assess potential greenhouse gas reductions of a circular economy: Method development and application to Switzerland

AbstractIndustrial ecology (IE) methodologies, such as input/output or material flow analysis and life cycle assessment (LCA), are often used for the environmental evaluation of circular economy strategies. Up to now, an approach that utilizes these methods in a systematic, integrated framework for a holistic assessment of a geographic region's sustainable circular economy potential has been lacking. The approach developed in this study (IE4CE approach) combines IE methodologies to determine the environmental impact mitigation potential of circular economy strategies for a defined geographic region. The approach foresees five steps. First, input/output analysis helps identify sectors with high environmental impacts. Second, a refined analysis is conducted using material flow and LCA. In step 3, circular strategies are used for scenario design and evaluated in step 4. In step 5, the assessment results are compiled and compared across sectors. The approach was applied to a case study of Switzerland, analyzing 8 sectors and more than 30 scenarios in depth. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) from waste incineration, biogas and cement production, food waste prevention in households, hospitality and production, and the increased recycling of plastics had the highest mitigation potential. Most of the scenarios do not influence each other. One exception is the CCS scenarios: waste avoidance scenarios decrease the reduction potential of CCS. A combination of scenarios from different sectors, including their impact on the CCS scenario potential, led to an environmental impact mitigation potential of 11.9 Mt CO2‐eq for 2050, which equals 14% of Switzerland's current consumption‐based impacts.

Exploring the potential of circular economy to mitigate pressures on biodiversity

The effects of circular economy on biodiversity are poorly understood. This study provides observations on approaches for assessing circular economy and illustrates, with a Finnish case study, the potential of circular economy to mitigate pressures on biodiversity. The case study focuses on the construction and real estate sectors, as well as the forest industry. The findings imply that circular economy actions that reduce the extraction of virgin raw materials and relieve land use pressures are effective. Improving material efficiency, increasing the cascading use of wood, and optimizing the use and reuse of materials and products, as well as extending the lifetime of buildings and optimizing space use, have good potential for mitigating pressures on biodiversity in Finland. However, as forest utilization has a major impact on Finnish biodiversity, certain actions that possibly increase the use of forest resources (e.g., replacing fossil-based, concrete, or steel materials with wood-based solutions) may impair biodiversity if biodiversity-enhancing forest management practices are not utilized. Assessing the biodiversity impacts of circular economy is challenging, and the need for further research and the development of indicators and assessment methods is clear.

Circular economy potential of sustainable aggregates for the Malaysian construction industry

To promote environmentally resilient development of cities and their infrastructure, government policies and business models are shifting towards sustainable practices especially through implementation of circular economy (CE) principles. Within the construction industry, successful transition to CE should be supported by holistic and comprehensive evaluation of building materials and their sustainable alternatives. This study evaluates the regional environmental impacts of construction materials, specifically aggregates for concrete production in urban areas. The Malaysian construction industry was taken as an example for this purpose. Comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out on 3 concrete types each containing a different aggregate: natural aggregate (NA); recycled aggregate (RA); and palm oil clinker (POC). Route analysis determined the transportation impacts of materials from their respective origins to the city centres of 5 main Malaysian cities. Results showed that KL was the city with the highest potential for use of sustainable aggregates as it had the lowest transport distances for all materials. Based on these findings, this study proposes recommendations to encourage CE implementation in the local construction industry and their applicability to different cities in Malaysia.