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Reverse logistics and the sectoral agreement of packaging industry in Brazil towards a transition to circular economy
Abstract
The objective of this article is to describe the first phase of the implementation of the Sectoral Agreement of Reverse Logistics of Packaging in Brazil, from the perspective of the transition to the circular economy. For this purpose, a case study was carried out, considering as analysis unit the Brazilian sectoral agreement of reverse logistics of packaging. The data collection was conducted through documental analysis and interviews with waste pickers associations, managers in the business sector and government representatives, who are the key signatories of the agreement in focus. The results were triangulated in order to show different perspectives unveiled by the research sources and methods. The analysis of results was carried out based on content analysis proposed by Bardin (1977), in which categories were defined a priori and adjusted a posteriori. The main results show that the concept of circular economy, although not formally expressed in the Brazilian law and sectoral agreement, guides the actions developed by the signatories of the agreement. This article can serve as an input for researchers and practitioners interested in sectoral agreements in Brazil and in developing countries, as well as input for managers in the public and private sectors and other key stakeholders concerned with the implementation of reverse logistics under relevant legislations on solid waste management that reinforce transitions to the circular economy.
... No Brasil, o principal marco regulatório que aborda a economia circular é a Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS), introduzida em 2010 pela Lei nº 12.305 (Brasil, 2010), sendo pioneiro nos países da América Latina e Caribe a implementar a legislação relacionada à gestão de resíduos (Guarnieri;Cerqueira-Streit;Batista, 2020). ...
... No Brasil, o principal marco regulatório que aborda a economia circular é a Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS), introduzida em 2010 pela Lei nº 12.305 (Brasil, 2010), sendo pioneiro nos países da América Latina e Caribe a implementar a legislação relacionada à gestão de resíduos (Guarnieri;Cerqueira-Streit;Batista, 2020). ...
... No Brasil, o principal marco regulatório que aborda a economia circular é a Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS), introduzida em 2010 pela Lei nº 12.305 (Brasil, 2010), sendo pioneiro nos países da América Latina e Caribe a implementar a legislação relacionada à gestão de resíduos (Guarnieri;Cerqueira-Streit;Batista, 2020). ...
RESUMO A tradicional economia linear é caracterizada pelo consumo de recursos finitos na prática regular da extração, produção e descarte, cujas consequências causam preocupação recorrente na sociedade. Por outro lado, a economia circular busca o progresso econômico associado à otimização de recursos naturais através do desenvolvimento dos processos de fabricação com o emprego de matéria-prima alternativa, priorizando insumos duráveis, recicláveis e renováveis. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho objetiva descrever a aplicação da economia circular do aço em siderúrgica, destacando os impactos para a sustentabilidade econômica, social e do meio-ambiente. A metodologia da pesquisa contemplou estudo de caso com etapas de revisão da literatura, investigação em campo e análise dos dados coletados. A investigação em campo consistiu em observação direta e análise de documentação, além de visitas e entrevistas com os gestores da empresa estudada. Os resultados demonstraram os impactos positivos do modelo de negócio no contexto da economia circular, com a redução de emissão de gases de efeito estufa em aproximadamente 50% em relação à média global; redução da energia gasta durante fabricação do aço em 8,90%, mesmo diante do aumento da produção de 5,53%. Ressalte-se também o reaproveitamento histórico crescente de resíduos para a produção do aço. A principal contribuição desta pesquisa reside na sistematização das ações que caracterizam a economia circular do aço numa siderúrgica, através da qual se incentiva processos sustentáveis na indústria da construção civil, reduzindo o consumo de matérias-primas, energia e emissões, ainda assim aumentando a rentabilidade num ambiente sustentável.
... The shift towards a circular economy is underpinned by various theoretical frameworks that emphasize sustainability, resource efficiency, and systemic innovation (Abidin et al., 2023;Awan et al., 2021;Camacho-Otero et al., 2018;Ghaithan et al., 2023;Giudice et al., 2020;Guarnieri et al., 2020;Halari & Baric, 2023;Țurcan, 2023;Velenturf et al., 2018). Central to this shift is the notion of closing the loop in product lifecycles, which involves rethinking product design, production processes, and consumption patterns (Giudice et al., 2020). ...
... Reverse logistics is another essential component of the circular economy, involving the processes of returning products and materials to the production cycle. Guarnieri, Streit, and Batista (2020) discuss the importance of reverse logistics in the packaging industry in Brazil, highlighting the need for sectoral agreements and collaborative efforts to facilitate the transition to a circular economy. Effective reverse logistics systems can reduce waste, recover valuable materials, and support sustainable production practices (Guarnieri et al., 2020). ...
... Guarnieri, Streit, and Batista (2020) discuss the importance of reverse logistics in the packaging industry in Brazil, highlighting the need for sectoral agreements and collaborative efforts to facilitate the transition to a circular economy. Effective reverse logistics systems can reduce waste, recover valuable materials, and support sustainable production practices (Guarnieri et al., 2020). ...
This study investigates decision engineering in the context of the circular economy, aiming to explore practitioner perspectives on decision-making processes, tools and techniques, and challenges. The objective is to provide insights into how decision engineering can support the transition to a circular economy, enhancing sustainability and resource efficiency. Qualitative research methods were employed, utilizing semi-structured interviews with 22 practitioners involved in circular economy initiatives across various sectors. Purposive sampling ensured a diverse representation of perspectives. Data analysis was conducted using NVivo software to identify key themes and patterns in the practitioners' experiences and insights. The findings reveal several key themes. Decision-making processes include strategic planning, operational decisions, stakeholder engagement, feedback mechanisms, and resource allocation, all crucial for integrating circular economy principles into organizational strategies. Tools and techniques such as data analytics, modeling and simulation, lifecycle assessment, and decision support systems support informed decision-making. However, practitioners face significant challenges, including regulatory constraints, financial limitations, technological barriers, cultural resistance, information gaps, market dynamics, and resource limitations. Effective decision engineering is essential for navigating the complexities of the circular economy, facilitating sustainable practices, and achieving environmental goals. By understanding practitioner perspectives and addressing identified challenges, organizations can develop robust strategies to advance circular economy initiatives. This study underscores the importance of strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and the use of advanced tools in fostering a circular economy that is resilient and resource-efficient.
... The notion of circular economy was subsequently refined and polished from these initial roots. Guarnieri et al. (2020) assert that the circular economy has gained worldwide recognition as an emerging business model that emphasizes the synchronization of the whole supply chain to mitigate adverse environmental effects. The concept of the circular economy pertains to a framework of production and consumption that seeks to optimize resource use and waste management by means of recycling and reutilization, while avoiding unnecessary consumption of natural resources and optimizing waste treatment processes through the exchange of advanced technologies (Van Buren et al., 2016). ...
... This conclusion is also similar to the results of previous studies. Guarnieri et al. (2020) have demonstrated that the COVID-19 pandemic's effects have been positive for the transition to this novel economic paradigm. The impact of the COVID-19 has created an appropriate opportunity for countries and firms to consider applying the circular economy principles, especially when the world is entering the post-pandemic phase (Ibn-Mohammed et al., 2021). ...
... The pandemic of COVID-19 has posed significant challenges for the whole globe, but it is also seen as a major catalyst for accelerating the shift to a circular economy. Research by Ibn-Mohammed et al. (2021), Guarnieri et al. (2020), and Sarkis et al. (2020) all support this finding. While advantages and opportunities supplied by stakeholders have been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect on the transition to the circular economy, barriers and obstacles resulting from stakeholder pressure have been found to negatively affect the shift in organizations. ...
Impact statement
The COVID-19 epidemic and rising stakeholder pressures have increased the need to transition to a paradigm of economic development that extends the product life cycle. This study expands the existing knowledge about the stakeholder and COVID-19-driven pressures on firms throughout the globe to adopt a circular economy model and to verify that such an economic model may indeed lead to sustainable development. Based on our research, we recommend that certain stakeholders undertake measures to mitigate the primary obstacle to the adoption of a circular economy inside the organization. This includes resolving challenges such as interdepartmental communication barriers and the ambiguity around departmental duties related to circular economy initiatives inside companies. Furthermore, the emerging technologies of Industry 4.0 have the potential to enable the implementation of circular economy practises. Therefore, it is essential for managers to be aware of the need to transition to digital supply chains to effectively implement circular economy principles. Another solution is that businesses from different industries should link together and build a system to turn waste from one industry into another industry’s raw materials, or in other words, recycle thoroughly and efficiently to minimize the amount of waste released into the environment.
... Recycle, Resource, Product, Industry, Life Cycle, among others. This result demonstrates the myriad of themes involved in the concept of circular economy and its origin in other concepts already established in the literature, as pointed out by [4,7]. In addition to these results, Table 2 presents the 30 most relevant articles dealing with the topic, ordered based on the Methodi Ordinatio. ...
... Based on the analysis of the articles considered for the literature review, a research agenda is suggested, which can help researchers, managers and others interested in the circular economy theme in conducting future studies. Related to the 1 and 2 propositions of the research agenda, we can detach the studies from [4,5,17], which stated that despite the number of studies published on the circular economy concept, few of them tried to understand it through indicators or wellknown methodologies and systematised steps how it works, and how is the level of circularity of products, processes and supply chains. ...
... The 4 th and 16 th propositions of the research agenda are related to public policies, plans of action, guidelines and circular economy legislation; these are still unexploited topics as mentioned by [4,5,6,8,9,17,20,29,30]. As noted by [17], many countries, mainly the developed ones, have institutionalised adopting a circular economy through guidelines, laws and strategies. ...
In the last decade's new models of development considering the integration between the economic and ecological systems have appeared in response to the scarcity of resources and environmental impacts; the circular economy is one of these models. Although it is possible to find extensive literature on the subject, mainly in the last decade, the concept still lacks theoretical deepening. This article aims to and characterize the literature on the circular economy, published from 2008 through 2019 at the scientific bases Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science.To achieve this goal, an integrative literature review was conducted, based on the Methodi Ordinatio Protocol, considering 2,661 papers from Web of Science, Science Direct and Scopus databases. The findings demonstrated the main characteristics of the papers published in the period considered for this ILR, showing the prominent authors, the distribution of the papers over the year, the central countries and journals of the publications, and the primary methods. In addition, we identified a research agenda with many topics until not addressed. The contribution of this study lies in the analysis of the main characteristics of the international literature on the circular economy, published in journals with impact factors, as well as identifying a research agenda that can help researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders in the area.
... Diverse technological solutions were proposed to curb these pollutant sources from the pharmaceutical industry's wastewater [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58]. Nevertheless, their disposal in the environment remains poorly regulated [31], and the majority of the population is not aware of the persistence of the pharmaceutical products in water [31,33]. ...
... In the federal system it is mandatory through Decree 10,388 [63], but in the municipal system the pharmacists do not perceive the shared responsibility to be a reality because of the excessive workload associated with tasks related to the RL (as stated by two interviewees from RS A solidary pharmacy). According to the interviewees, lately, 60% of the collection has been unusable-which indicates a careless attitude from the community that donates and raises questions about the shared responsibility as a respected principle [27,31,33], mainly from the consumers' perspectives [43,44]. ...
... Retailers must pay for the medicine collectors; distributors, for the specific packs to protect the delivered medicines; industry and importers must pay for the final disposal; and all of these parties must share the transportations costs [63]. In such respect, the federal MRLS shows transactive coherence with the principle of shared responsibility [27,33]. ...
Brazil adopted a national medicines reverse logistic system (MRLS) in 2020 to properly discharge medicines for human use. Parallel to this, there are Brazilian municipal MRLSs that have been working since 2002 that facilitate the appropriate discharge or reuse of medicines. These systems are not linked with each other. This paper evaluates the national and the municipal Brazilian MRLS, and compares them regarding their principles, concepts, procedures, and (socio)economic outcomes
using a modified sustainability assessment framework. It was found that shared responsibility is a principle of both MRLSs, but that local systems provide additional community benefits and lead to greater circularity in the use of medicines. Procedural aspects are highly formalized only in the national MRLS. The national MRLS collected and destroyed 52.7 tons of medicines in 2021 but did not disclose the costs. Estimations based on demographic data, information disclosed by one
municipality, and secondary data from five other local systems indicate that the six municipalities could return around USD 123 million in 2021 to the benefit of the local population, if they spent USD 12.6 million on correct disposal. Such an estimate, however, is not fully trackable, and it exposes the lack of transparency and data collection at the local level.
... Diverse technological solutions were proposed to curb these pollutant sources from the pharmaceutical industry's wastewater [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58]. Nevertheless, their disposal in the environment remains poorly regulated [31], and the majority of the population is not aware of the persistence of the pharmaceutical products in water [31,33]. ...
... In the federal system it is mandatory through Decree 10,388 [63], but in the municipal system the pharmacists do not perceive the shared responsibility to be a reality because of the excessive workload associated with tasks related to the RL (as stated by two interviewees from RS A solidary pharmacy). According to the interviewees, lately, 60% of the collection has been unusable-which indicates a careless attitude from the community that donates and raises questions about the shared responsibility as a respected principle [27,31,33], mainly from the consumers' perspectives [43,44]. ...
... Retailers must pay for the medicine collectors; distributors, for the specific packs to protect the delivered medicines; industry and importers must pay for the final disposal; and all of these parties must share the transportations costs [63]. In such respect, the federal MRLS shows transactive coherence with the principle of shared responsibility [27,33]. ...
... By analysing the implementation of the first phase of the Sectoral Agreement for packaging in Brazil, Guarnieri et al. (2020) used documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews with government representatives, companies, and recyclable material pickers. Although the term CE is not present in the Brazilian National Solid Waste Law (No. 12,305/10), its objectives, principles, and instruments are believed to align with what this new paradigm advocates (BRASIL, 2010). ...
... In its first phase, the sectoral agreement showed interesting results regarding support for picker cooperatives (who collect, sort, and facilitate the shipment of packaging for recycling), installation of PEVs (Voluntary Delivery Points), and environmental education programs for the population. However, the authors point out that this phase happened as a pilot project since it was implemented only in 12 Brazilian cities, those that would host the World Cup in 2014 and, therefore, had more significant logistical infrastructure (GUARNIERI et al., 2020). ...
... The authors defend coercive isomorphism as they believe the law should be implemented throughout the Brazilian territory, respecting the principles of shared responsibility and socio-productive inclusion of the pickers (GUARNIERI et al., 2020). ...
This study proposes a framework to facilitate the Circular Economy (CE) implementation cases analysis from the Institutional Theory (IT) perspective. The development of this theoretical framework was based on the levels of operationalisation of the Circular Economy and the types of isomorphic changes. To demonstrate the framework's applicability, we present a matrix classifying 59 case studies into nine quadrants (3 x 3). Subsequently, the papers' contents were discussed, revealing strategies and practices for institutional behavioural change that drive CE implementation at the micro, meso, and macro levels. Therefore, the results of this work contribute not only to academia by introducing a new way of analysing CE case studies but also to managers by discussing implemented or ongoing implementation cases.
... The PNRS -National Solid Waste Policy (Brazil, 2010) includes ideas for a Circular Economy. However, challenges persist in waste management (Guarnieri et al., 2020). ...
... The implementation of reverse logistics faces obstacles in Brazil, and the PNRS still needs to achieve satisfactory results regarding shared responsibility for the product life cycle or the elimination of landfills (Ferreira et al., 2017;Guarnieri et al., 2020). The adoption of the Circular Economy in the country is affected by financial, operational, and giving priority to more durable, recyclable and renewable products (Brazil, 2024). ...
Objetivo: Os resíduos de alimentos podem ser reaproveitados por meio de métodos como compostagem, logística reversa e digestão anaeróbica, usando técnicas da Economia Circular (EC). Este estudo visa analisar a aplicação da Economia Circular por ONGs no Brasil (Ecozinha) e Togo (ENPRO) para lidar com o desperdício de alimentos. Metodologia: Fazendo uso do framework ReSOLVE analisou-se dados elaborados de duas maneiras: Análise documental e aplicação de questionários. Quatro gestores responderam completamente os questionários (Google Forms), sendo dois de cada país. Resultados: Ambas as ONGs utilizam abordagens regenerativas, convertendo resíduos em adubos para melhorar o solo e a produção de alimentos. A Ecozinha (Brasil) atua como intermediária na destinação adequada de resíduos, enquanto a ENPRO (Togo) coleta e transforma resíduos orgânicos em produtos agregados. A Ecozinha auxilia estabelecimentos a gerenciar seus resíduos, promovendo a Economia Circular. A ENPRO, por sua vez, valoriza resíduos melhorando o saneamento básico. As duas ONGs analisadas adotam compostagem para fechar o ciclo de materiais, compartilhando compostos com agricultores. Implicações teóricas: A aplicação de uma estrutura teórica em um caso empírico releva novas formas de análise. Adicionalmente, são sugeridas pesquisas posteriores para a criação de sistemas alimentares mais resilientes, justos e eficazes. Implicações práticas: O levantamento de oportunidades, barreiras e a elaboração de um framework ilustrando a relação colaborativa contribuem para a tomada de decisão de produtores, empresários e governo. Originalidade: Até o presente momento, não se encontram estudos que abordem a valorização e a transformação de resíduos alimentares por organizações não governamentais nos países em desenvolvimento.
... In the context of Brazil, despite existing policies and programs aimed at sustainable development and circular practices, there is a pressing need for more comprehensive national guidelines regarding the application of circular models. While the National Solid Waste Policy-(PNRS) [14] incorporates circular economy concepts, challenges persist in waste management [52]. Noteworthy studies by [6,21,51] underscore the need for more research on the circular economy in Brazil, mainly focusing on conceptual frameworks, practical applications, and the intricate relationship with the National Solid Waste Policy. ...
... The implementation of reverse logistics encounters formidable challenges in Brazil, and the National Solid Waste Policy has yet to fulfill its objectives, notably in eliminating landfills [42,52]. Brazil's embrace of the circular economy is hindered by myriad financial, operational, structural, attitudinal, and technological obstacles [17,92]. ...
This article delves into the intriguing realm of food waste valorization conducted by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in two distinct locales-Brasilia, Brazil, and Lomé, Togo. The primary focus of this exploration is the lens of the Circular Economy (CE), a concept that emphasizes the sustainable utilization of resources within closed loops. The discourse is further enriched by introducing the notion of upcycling, a complementary force to the Circular Economy, particularly within the intricate web of food supply chains. The ReSOLVE framework, a strategic approach for managing food waste, is a guiding light in this research. Upon dissecting the outcomes, noteworthy limitations come to the forefront, shedding light on the challenges of aligning NGOs from both countries with the principles of the Circular Economy in their food waste management endeavors. These challenges assume heightened significance against the backdrop of the intricate global food security landscape, effectively underlining the intricacies of harmonizing the Circular Economy's ambitions with the pragmatic goal of diminishing food waste. The overarching objective of this study is to galvanize circular-oriented initiatives that can effectively curtail and prevent food wastage on a global scale, with a particular emphasis on developing nations. This pursuit is underscored by the triad of benefits such initiatives confer: economic advancement, social amelioration, and a positive ecological footprint. In an era where sustainability stands as a paramount concern, this research advocates for concerted efforts to harmonize the noble ideals of the Circular Economy with the pressing need for food waste reduction, especially within regions striving for holistic growth and development.
... Diversos estudos sobre o Brasil (Gutberlet;Uddin, 2017;Sousa Dutra;Yamane;Siman, 2018;Calderon Marquez et al., 2021;Sakamoto et al., 2021;Coletto;Carbonai, 2023) concordam sobre a importância da participação dos catadores na cadeia de reciclagem, especialmente, no aproveitamento de resíduos que seriam desviados para disposição final, por exemplo. No entanto, há carência de incentivos para sua organização e inserção no mercado formal, enfrentando baixa remuneração, dificuldades de formalização e gestão de suas organizações, seja por questão financeira seja pela infraestrutura, quando comparados a outros atores do mercado, como atravessadores e empresas comercializadoras (Guarnieri, Cerqueira-Streit;Batista, 2020). ...
... Diversos estudos sobre o Brasil (Gutberlet;Uddin, 2017;Sousa Dutra;Yamane;Siman, 2018;Calderon Marquez et al., 2021;Sakamoto et al., 2021;Coletto;Carbonai, 2023) concordam sobre a importância da participação dos catadores na cadeia de reciclagem, especialmente, no aproveitamento de resíduos que seriam desviados para disposição final, por exemplo. No entanto, há carência de incentivos para sua organização e inserção no mercado formal, enfrentando baixa remuneração, dificuldades de formalização e gestão de suas organizações, seja por questão financeira seja pela infraestrutura, quando comparados a outros atores do mercado, como atravessadores e empresas comercializadoras (Guarnieri, Cerqueira-Streit;Batista, 2020). ...
Uma das alternativas de gestão de Resíduos Sólidos (RS) é a Coleta Seletiva (CS), ainda incipiente no Brasil, com percentual de 32% em 2021. Nesse escopo, este trabalho teve como objetivo analisar como tem sido realizada a CS no contexto de alguns municípios do Pará. Para tanto, foram seguidas duas etapas: 1) coleta e análise da opinião dos participantes da Pesquisa; e 2) coleta e análise de dados do Sistema Nacional de Informações sobre Saneamento – Resíduos Sólidos 2021 (SNIS-RS 2021). Inicialmente foram identificados os órgãos municipais responsáveis pela gestão de RS nos municípios e enviado por e-mail roteiro com questões abertas relacionadas à temática, analisando as respostas com base nos instrumentos da Política Nacional de RS (CS e inclusão de catadores, planos de RS e educação ambiental); e na etapa 2 foram coletados informações e indicadores do SNIS-RS 2021, cuja análise se baseou na comparação entre os dados coletados no Sistema e as respostas dos participantes. A expansão da CS nos cinco municípios analisados tem sido lenta e realizada de forma significativa por catadores autônomos que atuam nos lixões, porém, os municípios têm buscado integrá-la a ações de educação ambiental nas escolas e estratégias de inclusão socioprodutiva dos catadores.
... In the circular economy, reverse logistics refers to the process of gathering and aggregating items, components, or materials after the end of their useful lives for reuse, recycling, and returns (Guarnieri et al., 2020). Reverse logistics plays a crucial role in this system by enabling the recovery and reuse of products and materials that would otherwise be discarded (Patwa et al., 2021). ...
... Therefore, effective reverse logistics can assist with the most effective waste disposal, recycling, and reuse. Guarnieri et al., 2020;Patwa et al., 2021;Butt et al., 2023 Technological Competence ...
The concept of a circular economy has received an increasing amount of focus in recent years due to its potential as a means to achieve long-term economic sustainability. The current study applies the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) methodology to investigate the complex relationships between a total of sixteen key variables from the literature that affect circular economy efforts. The findings imply that initiatives to advance technological know-how, awareness, resource sharing, recycling and reuse, and reverse logistics may have a substantial influence on the circular economy. As organizations seek to enhance their sustainability efforts,
these insights can guide decision-makers in formulating effective strategies that harness technological advancements, optimize logistics operations, and raise awareness to foster a circular economy that benefits both the environment and society. This research based on ISM theory adds clarity on what helps spread the concept of a circular economy. It offers significant fresh insights for marketers and policy makers
... No Brasil, a aplicação de modelos circulares carece de diretrizes nacionais, apesar de existirem políticas e programas para o desenvolvimento sustentável e práticas circulares (CNI, 2019). A Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (Brasil, 2010) inclui ideias de Economia circular, porém, desafios persistem na gestão de resíduos (Guarnieri et al., 2020). Estudos como o de Corsi et al. (2017) destacam a falta de pesquisas sobre Economia Circular no Brasil, com foco em conceitos, aplicações e relação com a PNRS. ...
... A implementação da logística reversa enfrenta obstáculos no Brasil, e a PNRS ainda não alcançou resultados satisfatórios quanto a responsabilidade compartilhada pelo ciclo de vida do produto ou eliminação de lixões (Ferreira et al., 2017;Guarnieri et al., 2020). A adoção da Economia Circular no país é afetada por barreiras financeiras, operacionais, estruturais, atitudinais e tecnológicas (Cerqueira-Streit et al, 2023). ...
Introdução
Os resíduos de alimentos podem ser reaproveitados por meio de métodos como compostagem, logística reversa e digestão anaeróbica, usando técnicas da
Economia Circular (EC) (Silva & Capanema, 2019). O tratamento adequado do desperdício também é crucial para evitar contaminação e degradação
ambiental (Silva et al., 2015). Além disso, formuladores de políticas estão interessados em programas de prevenção e redução do desperdício alinhados com os
Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS), trazendo inclusive vantagens econômicas (Cristobal et al., 2018).
Problema de Pesquisa e Objetivo
Existem lacunas consideráveis na investigação da Economia Circular (Merli et al., 2018) tanto no contexto africano, como apontado por Nijman-Ross et al.
(2023), quanto no cenário brasileiro (Guarnieri et al., 2023). Diante destas lacunas na literatura, é posta a seguinte pergunta de pesquisa: Quais iniciativas de
Economia Circular ONGs do Brasil e do Togo têm realizado para a reduzir o volume de resíduos alimentares? Por isso, este estudo visa analisar a aplicação da
Economia Circular por ONGs no Brasil (Ecozinha) e Togo (ENPRO) para lidar com o desperdício de alimentos.
Fundamentação Teórica
A Economia Circular, entendida como uma alternativa ao modelo econômico vigente, busca reduzir a exploração de recursos naturais, aumentar a reutilização
de produtos descartados e minimizar a poluição ambiental (EMF, 2013). A colaboração entre upcycling e princípios da Economia Circular no combate ao
desperdício alimentar promove sistemas alimentares mais sustentáveis e resilientes (De Oliveira Costa et al., 2022). Essa sinergia não apenas diminui impactos
ambientais, mas também melhora segurança alimentar, equidade social e estimula inovação em diversos setores (Dou et al., 2022).
Metodologia
Fazendo uso da estrutura ReSOLVE elaborado e divulgado por EMF (2015), foi possível analisar um modelo de gestão de resíduos alimentares orgânicos em
duas ONGs: uma do Brasil e outra do Togo. Primeiramente, os dados foram coletados através de análise documental, disponíveis em seus websites. Em
seguida, coletou-se dados a partir de questionários respondidos pelos gestores das ONGS. Quatro gestores responderam completamente os questionários
(Google Forms), sendo dois respondentes de cada ONG. A análise documental e dos dados coletados seguiram a metodologia proposta por Bardin (1977).
Análise dos Resultados
Ambas as ONGs utilizam abordagens regenerativas, convertendo resíduos em adubos para melhorar o solo e a produção de alimentos. A Ecozinha (Brasil)
atua como intermediária na destinação adequada de resíduos, enquanto a ENPRO (Togo) coleta e transforma resíduos orgânicos em produtos agregados. A
Ecozinha auxilia estabelecimentos a gerenciar seus resíduos, promovendo a Economia Circular. A ENPRO, por sua vez, valoriza resíduos melhorando o
saneamento básico. As duas ONGs analisadas adotam compostagem para fechar o ciclo de materiais, compartilhando compostos com agricultores.
Conclusão
Os resultados indicam percepções semelhantes entre atores de diferentes regiões, podendo ser aplicáveis a outros países em desenvolvimento. Entretanto, o
estudo tem limitações. Focado somente em duas ONGs, o estudo carece de uma maior abrangência. Ademais, este estudo é predominantemente baseado em
uma única estrutura teórica (ReSOLVE). A fim de evoluir nas investigações para redução de resíduos alimentares, sugere-se que pesquisas futuras avaliem o
nível de maturidade e colaboração das relações entre ONGs e estabelecimentos comerciais à luz dos princípios da Economia Circular.
... La razón de esto es que la capacitación de personal en manejo de residuos sólidos en toda la cadena del reciclaje del plástico es un aspecto relevante para abordar el bajo reprocesamiento de residuos materiales, así como la percepción de los métodos y la calidad de los materiales recuperados son barreras dentro de la gestión y manejo de este tipo de residuos (Peña et al., 2015). En tal sentido, aunque en nuestro medio regional, incluyendo Colombia, no está expandido el desarrollo del mejoramiento adecuado de residuos sólidos, se mencionan dentro de las políticas gubernamentales algunos principios y objetivos para el uso adecuado de residuos sólidos, tales como: tasas de reciclaje, reutilización, uso de residuos sólidos, estímulos a la producción sostenible, desarrollo y mejora de tecnologías limpias, incentivo a la industria del reciclaje, capacitación técnica de residuos sólidos, entre otras (Guarnieri et al., 2020). Igualmente, dentro del buen manejo y tratamiento que se le dé a los residuos sólidos, es necesario destinar recursos en tecnología y capital humano que incidan directamente en el ahorro de materiales, energias y recursos naturales, a través de programas de innovación y desarrollo (Rincón et al., 2021). ...
La presente investigación muestra el análisis realizado a partir de una revisión bibliográfica de los trabajos referidos a la gestión de los procesos que se efectúan para el aprovechamiento de los residuos plásticos en Colombia, de tal forma que se conozcan los parámetros que están interrelacionados con la ejecución de estos procesos. Puntualmente, y a partir de dicha revisión, se forman los objetos de medición de los trabajos y se presenta el cómo se están abordando los procesos de aprovechamiento en este tipo de residuos. Al concluir, se tiene que el aprovechamiento que se realiza de los residuos plásticos en Colombia no es el adecuado pues se presentan reprocesamientos de residuos de materiales ineficientes, por consiguiente, es importante la adopción de modelos de producción más sostenibles y planes de gestión integral, para tratar de forma adecuada los residuos plásticos.
... However, WPOs need legal, economic and institutional support from the government for their maintenance, structuring and organization [17,36,37,57,60]. In short, the participation of WPOs in solid waste source-separated collection (formal recycling) depends on government as the main source of financing [21,27,30,39], including through the provision of trucks, machinery and sorting facilities, along with training and investment in environmental education [59]. In this scenario, even when organized in WPOs, waste pickers continue to face the same problems as in informal arrangements, putting them at a disadvantage in the recycling market by providing earnings lower than those of intermediaries [34,48,50,54,65,66]. ...
In low- and middle-income countries, waste pickers organized in cooperatives and associations face legal, operational, and management challenges. This article proposes a method to assess the performance of waste picker organizations based on sustainability indicators, as well as suggesting relevant measures to improve the formal recycling and solid waste source-separated collection. The method was applied to evaluate ten organizations in a region comprising 12 municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sustainability indices indicated low performance of the organizations, highlighting the lack of investment resulting in low monthly income for waste pickers, low recovery rates of recyclable waste, and poor working, health and safety conditions. The size of the municipality and existence of a contract between the municipal governments and waste picker organizations were not decisive factors for achieving favorable performance. Additionally, in the study region, there is no evidence that favorable performance of an individual organization leads to higher rate of recyclable waste recovery. However, there is evidence suggesting that it leads to higher income for waste pickers. To improve performance, a set of measures that can support formation of waste picker organizations in Brazil and other countries was proposed and validated through participatory means.
... Based on the study, they offer multiple solutions for the successful implementation of RL that can be beneficial from environmental, social, and economic perspectives. Guarnieri et al., (2020) while understanding the implementation of RL in Brazil, claimed that though the term circular economy is not formally used in the nation's policy, the essence of the study is based on CE principles. Thus, RL and CE are cohesive elements for a sustainable economy. ...
Achievement of sustainability goals is an epic task for developing economies that still strive to fulfil their basic needs. The availability of limited resources in the developing world vis-à-vis the ever-increasing demand poses further challenges to developing economies willing to transition into circular economies. Reverse logistics (RL) can facilitate this transition towards a circular economy (CE) by maximising resource utilisation and minimising waste, contributing to sustainability goals. This paper contributes to emerging literature by analysing the development and comprehensive potential of reverse logistics as a sustainability tool. It explores the significant barriers to the adoption of reverse logistics towards a circular economy, considering long-term sustainability. In the first phase, thirteen barriers have been identified from the past academic literature. Three barriers with a defuzzification number less than the threshold limit are excluded, and the final ten barriers are then prioritised using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The findings suggest that a lack of strategic plans for returns is crucial for RL adoption towards a circular economy, followed by a lack of visibility for recycling/reuse. Organisations can increase customer satisfaction, promote environmental sustainability, and gain a competitive edge in the market by creating a strategic plan for reverse logistics. Organisations may lower costs and contribute to a more sustainable and ecologically responsible supply chain by improving visibility across the reverse logistics process. The results serve as a framework for decision-making in RL towards sustainable development. Managers and policymakers can formulate more robust and realistic decisions that align with “maximising profits,” “saving the planet,” “social concerns,” and, most importantly, “consumer concerns” in the circular economy ecosystem. Several implications are derived, leading to increased competitiveness and resilient business strategies. The novelty of this work lies in the identification of barriers to reverse logistics adoption towards a circular economy using an integrated fuzzy Delphi-DEMATEL approach, considering long-term sustainability. This approach is studied for the first time in a developing economy context, proposing social economic, and environmental effects and actions to be taken by organisations for sustainable development.
... With the growing volume of solid waste in contemporary society, the issue of reverse logistics has transcended the exclusive scope of private companies, becoming an urgent concern for public institutions as well (Guarnieri et al., 2020). These institutions are now urged to make efforts to properly manage the disposal and reuse of products after their useful life cycle. ...
The implementation of sustainable practices in the educational context is fundamental to foster a culture of environmental and social responsibility. This study investigates reverse logistics practices at the Rio Branco Campus of the Federal Institute of Acre (IFAC), aiming to identify implemented actions, challenges faced, and propose strategies to strengthen the institutional commitment to sustainability. Using a mixed-method approach, we combined documentary analysis of the internal regulations and the Institutional Development Plan (IDP) with semi-structured interviews with members of the academic community. The documentary analysis revealed institutional alignment with sustainable practices, evidenced by environmental and social responsibility goals in IFAC's IDP. However, the lack of specific guidelines for post-consumer reverse logistics suggests the need for improvement. Interviews highlighted employees' awareness of sustainability and reverse logistics as positive, but pointed to the lack of clear guidelines as a gap. Although the Rio Branco Campus of IFAC demonstrates a commitment to sustainability, there is room for improvement in integrating post-consumer reverse logistics practices. We recommend the inclusion of specific goals and strategies for solid waste management in the IDP, as well as a more comprehensive approach to sustainability in institutional policies. These final considerations establish a basis for future research and practical improvements, aiming to strengthen the institutional commitment to sustainability at IFAC.
... Assunção (2019) destacou que a importância da abordagem cradle to cradle (do berço ao berço) está na proposta de uso seguro e potencialmente infinito de materiais em ciclos, isto é, os recursos são reutilizados indefinidamente, circulando em fluxos seguros e saudáveis para os seres humanos e para a natureza. Inserir a economia circular na gestão dos resíduos sólidos urbanos de forma ambientalmente correta, segura e sustentável deve ser uma das principais prioridades de qualquer país ou sociedade moderna (Traven et al., 2018 (Guarnieri et al., 2020). Segundo Valenzuela-Levi (2019) ...
Objective: This article aims to identify the trends of scientific publications on sanitary landfills in the context of the circular economy as an instrument for urban solid waste management. Theoretical framework: The theoretical basis of this research sought to discuss the theme of circular economy and its relationship with solid waste management in different contexts of countries. Method: The methodology of this study was based on the bibliometric search in the Web of Science database from the keywords ("landfill" AND "environmental impact" OR "solid waste" AND "circular economy"), followed by the statistical analysis of the results and generation of graphs and tables in the bibliometrix application, qualitative analysis of the most cited articles and the methods used for 30 selected articles on waste management and circular economy was also carried out. Results and conclusion: The results identified 667 publications between the years 2008 and 2021, presenting a scientific growth and important contribution of the authors to studies on the circular economy applied to solid waste management in world countries. In view of the results, he realized that the circular economy contributes to the management of solid waste by establishing strategies in the countries to minimize the impacts and disposal of waste in landfills and insert the criteria of reuse, recycling and reinsertion of a product in the production chain. Research implications: The bibliometric research allows the creation of a reliable database of scientific publications, whose state-of-the-art on the circular economy applied to solid waste management allows the identification of the main practices applied in different countries worldwide. Originality/value: The study applies different methods to analyze the field of studies of the circular economy applied to landfills, in order to highlight the importance of the theme in the world scenario, as well as the innovations and strategies already executed. This article sought to present scientific trends, from which new research can be developed in different countries that seek to adopt sustainable alternatives for solid waste management.
... However, Lakatos et al. (2021) establish that CE aims at the controlled integration of degenerative activities (active, extensive by definition) and regenerative (reactive, intensive by definition) in order to preserve the natural balance and, within the society, with a view to sustainable development. Guarnieri et al. (2020) mention that the CE is recognized worldwide as a new way of doing business based on managing the entire supply chain, considering the direct and inverse flows that allow the reduction of resource use and the negative impact on the environment. On the other hand, Torbey et al. (2021), establish that CE is considered a new business model where no waste is recovered, envisions a future in which nothing is wasted, a future in which "waste" becomes an asset, a future in which all products at the end of their primary use are recovered either reused, remanufactured or recycled by several generations (Bradley et al. 2016). ...
... China is also promoting the domestic adoption of circular economy practices as part of its pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2060 (Bleischwitz et al., 2022). Meanwhile, scholars are showing interest in exploring the adoption of the circular economy across multiple sectors and regions, such as the African energy sector (Mutezo & Mulopo, 2021), the Brazilian packaging industry (Guarnieri et al., 2020), or the US construction sector (Guerra & Leite, 2021). ...
This article presents a comprehensive economy‐wide material flow analysis of the Australian economy in 2019, examining the domestic extraction, trade, end‐of‐life flows, and recycling for all materials. The results highlight Australia's role as a natural resource supplier, with metals and fossil fuels being primary contributors. Through material flow analysis, we found that in 2019 Australia extracted 2587 Mt of natural resources, exported a substantial fraction (1459 Mt), and used 917 Mt to fulfill domestic needs. The recycling flows and circularity metrics are also explored, with an end‐of‐life recycling rate of 51.1% and an overall circularity rate of 5.1%. An additional assessment of Australia's consumption‐based material footprint highlights mobility and housing as the dominant material‐using sectors. These results contribute to understanding Australia's material consumption patterns, indicating significant reliance on foreign semifinished and finished products, and provide insights into the potential for enhancing economic circularity.
... Their objective was to fill in the knowledge gaps of business opportunities, drivers, needs, and barriers for tailings valorization since the transformation towards a CE needs advancements in understanding these factors. (77) investigate the "Reverse logistics and the sectoral agreement of packaging industry in Brazil towards a transition to a circular economy." Their findings emphasize the significance of environmental awareness in facilitating the reverse logistics process. ...
The growing global interest in Circular Economy (CE) adoption by organizations has received considerable attention in academic literature. This review delves into the multifaceted aspects of CE transformation, assessing barriers, drivers, and potential research directions. It encompasses three main clusters: frameworks and definitions, barriers and drivers, and industry-specific research. Existing studies significantly contribute by unveiling strategies, frameworks, and innovative ap-proaches aiding CE transition. However, there's a notable focus on identifying barriers hindering CE implementation, revealing a critical need for effective solutions. Moreover, the review highlights the lack of CE frameworks in the service sector and insufficient awareness among Small and Me-dium Enterprises, necessitating deeper exploration. Despite the potential of digital technologies like Industry 4.0 in expediting CE transformation, comprehensive implementation strategies remain lacking. Noteworthy frameworks, such as circular business models and two-stage transformation models, offer practical pathways for CE adoption. Dynamic capabilities emerge as a crucial yet underexplored factor facilitating CE transition. Future research should delve into country-specific contexts, integrate digital technologies into industries, and explore the relationship between dy-namic capabilities and CE transformation, especially within small and medium-sized enterprises. While progress has been made in understanding CE principles' adoption, this review highlights research gaps that require attention for global sustainability and widespread CE practice imple-mentation.
... Achieving efficient GRL is imperative and necessitates a transformation of traditional logistics operations. However, the integration of sustainable practices in logistics operations presents substantial challenges for nations globally (Guarnieri et al., 2020;Jørsfeldt et al., 2016;Martins et al., 2019). This transformation involves the substitution of polluting vehicles with eco-friendly alternatives and a comprehensive reconfiguration of all aspects of the supply chain with an ecological approach. ...
The logistics sector plays a crucial role in supporting various aspects of the economy, making it an essential part of a nation's development. However, this sector also contributes to environmental pollution through various emissions. The adoption of environmentally friendly logistics practices presents a promising solution to mitigate adverse environmental impacts. This study aims to investigate the influence of economic growth, green innovation, foreign direct investment, transport emissions, renewable energy, and trade openness on green logistics in both Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) and Gulf countries from 1992 to 2020. This study used an advanced panel approach to obtain robust results, considering cross-sectional dependency and slope heterogeneity. The cross-sectionally augmented autoregressive distributed lag method was employed to analyze long and short-run estimations. Our findings reveal that in Gulf countries, both transport emissions and foreign direct investment have a negative impact on green logistics. In the BRICS countries, economic growth, transport emissions, trade openness, renewable energy, and green innovation have a positive impact on green logistics. The study proposes several recommendations to improve logistics development in both groups of nations and promote sustainability. To achieve carbon neutrality, it is important to adopt green logistics, promote green investments, and support renewable energy, innovation , and sustainable growth.
... Abordagem da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS) na transição para uma economia circular, com ênfase na logística reversa da cadeia de suprimento de embalagens. Guarnieri et al. (2020) Implicações da conformidade regulatória de embalagens industriais. ...
O artigo aborda como tema principal as embalagens, levando em consideração suas características e importância em cadeias de suprimentos sustentáveis. A metodologia adotada neste estudo consistiu em uma revisão sistemática da literatura e análise dos artigos selecionados usando a ferramenta Inciteful e proporcionou uma abordagem para investigar a importância das embalagens na cadeia de suprimentos e os aspectos relacionados à sustentabilidade. Foram identificadas várias lacunas, como a falta de estudos multidisciplinares sobre custos e design de embalagens reutilizáveis, colaboração na cadeia de suprimentos circular, soluções inovadoras para resíduos plásticos, além da falta de investimentos em processos de fabricação de embalagens mais eficientes e sustentáveis. A análise da literatura proporcionou uma compreensão das necessidades e lacunas de pesquisa relacionadas ao uso de embalagens. A adoção de novas tecnologias e materiais pode trazer benefícios econômicos, considerando-se a destinação final desde o início da cadeia de produção.
... In the case of Brazil, promoting and improving CE is a complex challenge due to the broad territorial and enormous biodiversity (Mancini et al., 2021). However, Guarnieri et al. (2020) demonstrated the regional transition to CE on the governmental and systems levels, by which government policies and regulations strengthen business practices governed by CE. In another analysis conducted in Brazil, Sehnem et al. (2019) also observed initiatives to bring about circularity, especially in the service sector, which promotes the virtualization of processes, sharing, ecological products, social responsibility, and an emphasis on recycling. ...
Link:
https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1i9C53QCo9j3kK
... In Brazil, the main regulatory framework that addresses the circular economy is the National Solid Waste Policy (NSWP), introduced in 2010 by Law 12,305 (BRAZIL, 2010). Brazil can be considered a pioneer in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to implement legislation related to waste management (GUARNIERI et al., 2020). However, the circular economy is not formally expressed in national laws and has been approached in a decentralized way, with incipient implementation and the concept still little understood (JESUS et al., 2023). ...
This research aims to describe a case study of the application of the circular economy of steel in a steel industry, demonstrating the impacts on economic, social and environmental sustainability. The methodology employed included a case study with stages of literature review, field investigation and analysis of collected data. The results demonstrated the positive impacts of the business model in the context of the circular economy, with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 50% compared to the global average; 8.90% reduction in energy spent during steel manufacturing from 2019 to 2020, despite the 5.53% increase in production in the year. It should be noted that each year a greater percentage of waste is reused, with a maximum value of 78.88% in 2020. The main contribution of this work consists in the systematization of the actions that characterize the circular economy in the steel industry, through which it encourages sustainable processes in the civil construction industry, The sector can be one of the drivers of the transition to a circular economy by reducing the consumption of raw materials and energy, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions, increasing profitability and having a sustainable approach.
... These studies explore strategies, practices, and case studies related to the region's circular economy implementation, sustainable supply chain management, and consumer behavior. Some investigations are linked to the studies conducted by Chiappetta Jabbour, De Camargo Fiorini [37], Cardoso de Oliveira, Machado [38], and Guarnieri, Cerqueira-Streit [39]. ...
Circular Economy (CE) plays a crucial role in Latin America, where the transition to new economic development models poses significant challenges. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of CE research in the region to identify critical areas of development, influential authors, organizations, and future research trends. This analysis aims to highlight the progress made in the CE field in Latin America and identify areas for improvement to promote sustainable development. Using the Scopus database, we analyzed 632 research papers, and the rising number of CE publications in Latin America suggests a continuous growth trajectory, expected to reach over 2500 studies by 2026. The analysis reveals that Brazil leads CE research with 274 publications, Waste Management being the most studied topic. The study highlights the region's growing trend towards implementing innovative and sustainable solutions for waste management and resource utilization, such as bioengineering and biochemistry processes, which could positively impact the region's economy and environment. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers and researchers aiming to promote sustainable development in Latin America.
... Destaque-se que a LR pode ser vista como todas as ações voltadas ao gerenciamento, redução, processamento e disposição de resíduos perigosos ou não, relacionadas a várias etapas do ciclo de vida do produto, como produção, embalagem, sua fase de uso e seus processos de distribuição e retorno de compra . Complementarmente a isto, Guarnieri et al. (2020) colocam que a LR de pósvenda compreende o planejamento, controle e destinação dos produtos sem uso ou por devoluções, cujos bens podem retornar à origem por razões distintas, como expiração de prazo de validade, excessos em estoque, problemas de garantia, defeitos e substituição de componentes, entre outras razões. ...
A percepção da importância dos Provedores de Serviços Logísticos (PSL) na operação de Logística Reversa (LR) tem aumentado devido ao incremento do fluxo de produtos retornados para as indústrias e, principalmente, das vendas advindas do comércio eletrônico. Desta forma, é intenção deste estudo apresentar e analisar a rede PSL que atua com LR no Brasil. Através de uma pesquisa exploratória e descritiva, combinada com a metodologia de análise de rede, o estudo revela como é constituída a rede de PSL que atuam com LR no Brasil. A visão estabelecida pela análise fornece aos gestores de empresa a relação existente entre os PSL e os segmentos de negócios que operam com processos reversos. Isto permite entender como articular operações otimizando a rede de negócio nesta área. Este estudo é um dos primeiros no Brasil a fazer este mapeamento, oferecendo à academia e às empresas o conhecimento a respeito da rede de LR.
... drive the waste collection process. Indirectly, it also ensures an enhanced social status to waste pickers (Guarnieri et al., 2020). Besides, ensuring the industry status will engage more workers and generate additional investments in waste collection. ...
Adverse environmental impacts and growing environmental awareness among customers have motivated industries to follow sustainable manufacturing practices. Remanufacturing, a sustainable manufacturing practice, plays a critical role in the circular economy and provides economic, environmental, and social benefits. Despite these benefits, remanufacturing practices are still in an embryonic, underutilized state in developing countries like India. Problems at organizational, technological, and operational levels restrict developing countries from embracing remanufacturing practices. The paper aims to develop a framework to recognize and evaluate the remanufacturing barriers in the Indian leather industry. Twenty barriers to remanufacturing practice were identifed and evaluated based on experts’ feedback and a literature survey. An integrated approach, comprising a fuzzy
analytic hierarchy process (F-AHP) and fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (F-DEMATEL), was used to rank and reveal the barriers’ interrelationships. A real world implementation of the integrated approach is demonstrated. Findings reveal that the absence of effective government policy enforcement, lack of constructive publicity of "6R" products for the public, insufficient awareness of the necessity of recovering value from wastes, low financial assistance to the waste collectors, and weak business case are the top five major barriers that impact remanufacturing practice. The study theoretically advances the remanufacturing domain knowledge. It also recognizes that the application with any industrial sector would reduce the impact of such barriers and increase the feasibility of remanufacturing practices. Additionally, the framework used in this study will assist policymakers and industrial practitioners in emerging economies in implementing remanufacturing practices.
... Another possible option for sustainable development is the circular economy (CE) (Geissdoerfer et al., 2017). The environmental awareness of a more sustainable world (obtained by the CE) is essential to make the RL process viable (Guarnieri et al., 2020;Taddei et al., 2022). At the same time, RL is a crucial part of CE (Bernon et al., 2018), as it contributes to one of the pillars of CE, which is the reverse route of products and technical materials (EMF, 2013). ...
The final chapter concludes the book’s exploration of electric vehicles in India. Using a value chain approach, the books covers both upstream and downstream activities in the battery value chain. It examines the EV ecosystem, relevant policies, regulations, and financing mechanisms for the EV transition. Additionally, it addresses skills and jobs within the EV value chain. The chapter outlines possible pathways for India's EV transition, emphasizing that these routes will be shaped by numerous factors, including geopolitics. This holistic overview ties together key aspects critical to India's evolving EV landscape and its role in decarbonizing the transportation sector.
This article addresses the modalities recently regulated by Federal Decree No. 11,413 of February 13, 2023, to enable the reverse logistics of post-consumer packaging in Brazil: compensation, structuring, and future mass. The study analyzed documentary data from electronic portals of management entities and independent verifiers operating in the national market. The results revealed that the modality called “compensation” serves as a payment mechanism for environmental services, in which those responsible for pollution pay cooperatives, associations, or other logistical agents of recyclable materials to provide services that include the collection, sorting, and environmentally friendly final disposal. The “structuring” modality focuses on optimizing the existing chain’s operational structure through financial investments ranging from acquiring equipment to supporting accounting, legal, and technical aspects. Meanwhile, the “future mass” modality involves financial investments to implement new systems where these do not yet exist or are incipient, ranging from establishing selective collection to structuring associations and cooperatives. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to infer that these modalities have attributes that can increase the efficiency of reverse logistics for post-consumer packaging in Brazil. Additionally, it was observed that the isolated implementation of each modality does not result in substantial advances. However, when integrated, these modalities complement each other as each one offers specific advantages and benefits suitable to meet the different particularities of each Brazilian region.
Keywords:
reverse logistics; recycling credit; compensation; structuring; future mass
We uncover the systemic complexities of a polymer recycling chain insufficiently investigated, focusing on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) – a core contributor to plastics pollution in the Global South, via mismanaged waste. Rigid blow-moulded HDPE is widely used in retail packaging and fast-moving consumer goods containers; it is also sought-after for the production of ‘secondary’, recycled HDPE (r-HDPE). Starting from a single location (Brazilian town) and a waste picker cooperative (informal recyclers – IRS), we investigate the collection/sorting of municipal solid waste (MSW) recyclables along the downstream value chain of scrap dealing, reprocessing, and manufacturing. The methodological frameworks of technical networks, material flow analysis (MFA), and complex value optimization for resource recovery were used. Results demonstrate an informal to formal spectrum of operations, with clear transition points. The material quality standards required at manufacturing with r-HDPE are poorly applied at the collection stage, indicating a problematic quality management interfacing. Material rejects (losses), allowable contamination level, and monetised value of recyclate are interlinked at each stage. The most substantial value creation and appropriation is accomplished at the initial collection/sorting waste picker stage, followed by the value creation at the final production of the r-HDPE pellet. Reprocessors bear disproportionate material losses, counterbalanced by purchasing pricing. Despite overall rejects of 29% wt. (ar) , a high actual recycling rate for rigid HDPE is achieved: 38% wt. (ar) , indicative of an effective collection for recycling and refined manual sorting by the partially formalised IRS. These novel insights on informal recycling networks can inform effective interventions to expand circularity and prevent plastic pollution.
This study assesses for the first time the drivers, opportunities, barriers, and strategies for the transition to a circular economy in Latin America and the Caribbean through a comprehensive systematic review of the current academic literature. A total of 247 articles have been analysed through the lens of the PESTLE framework (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental), coupled with the consideration of the most recognised circular economy strategies (narrowing, slowing, closing, and regenerating) and solutions (the ten R's strategies: refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, and recover). Key drivers identified in the literature include governmental policy shifts in the region towards circular and sustainable practices. These practices have focused on leveraging the abundance and diversity of natural resources and the region's climatic conditions that favour the development of bio-industries, renewable energies, and innovative sustainable materials, reflecting a clear adaptation of circular economy strategies to the specific needs and resources of Latin America and the Caribbean. Similarly, the technological and regulatory progress in pollution prevention and control, although still slow, has driven the implementation of circular economy strategies, making the role of new circular technologies fundamental for the region's sustainability. Barriers mentioned in the articles include limited governmental incentives, inadequate infrastructure for waste management, and the high costs associated with transitioning to circular economy practices, compounded by a lack of general public awareness and engagement. Regarding the circular economy strategies, the reviewed studies predominantly focus on recycling (“closing”) due to the immediate waste management needs of the region, with less emphasis on resource efficiency (“narrowing” and “slowing”) and minimal adoption of regenerative practices due to higher initial investment demands. Recycling and, to a lesser extent, recovery dominate the ten R's strategies discussed in the literature, indicating still a focus on end-of-life approaches in the region, while strategies like reduce, reuse, and repurpose are gaining representation; however, research on repair, refuse, remanufacture, and refurbishment should be the focus of future investigations. Finally, this article provides guidelines and recommendations for future research to facilitate the deployment and management of a sustainable circular economy in the region.
No Brasil, houve um avanço com a promulgação da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos (PNRS) que trouxe o planejamento, através dos Planos Municipais de Gestão Integrada de Resíduos Sólidos (PMGIRS), para auxiliar na falta de visão sistêmica das políticas locais e minimizar os impactos da rotatividade de prefeitos e falta de controle social. Dentro desse contexto, o presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a conformidade dos Planos Municipais do Estado do Rio de Janeiro em relação aos requisitos mínimos estabelecidos pela PNRS. Assim, foi realizado um levantamento dos PMGIRS dos 92 municípios do estado, através de sites eletrônicos de pesquisa e institucionais, no espaço temporal de janeiro de 2020 a março de 2021. Foram encontradas informações sobre 44 PMGIRS, no entanto, considerou-se nesta pesquisa, como amostra, dezesseis PMGIRS por estarem concluídos e disponibilizados em internet. Os municípios foram classificados em pequeno, médio e grande porte em função do número de habitantes. Como instrumento de avaliação foi elaborada uma matriz com os incisos de I a XIX do artigo 19 da PNRS. Os resultados apontaram que apenas 38% dos PMGIRS apresentaram mais de 60% de atendimento ao conteúdo mínimo estabelecido pela PNRS. Os PMGIRS de municípios de pequeno porte, teve atendimento igual ou superior a municípios de grande porte. Os incisos que garantem a sustentabilidade do sistema, como cobrança pelos serviços de limpeza urbana não estavam contemplados em mais de 60% dos planos de gestão. Já o Inciso que versa sobre Educação Ambiental foi atendido em 100% dos planos.
As políticas públicas são instrumentos capazes de gerar mudanças no sistema político e social, inclusive podem auxiliar na implementação da Logística Reversa (LR) e da Economia Circular (EC). Por isso, o objetivo do presente estudo é identificar mudanças recentes nas políticas públicas sobre resíduos sólidos e analisar o potencial de incentivo à LR e EC. Esta investigação caracteriza-se como qualitativa, exploratória, descritiva cuja estratégia foi a análise documental, e o instrumento de coleta foram documentos disponíveis publicamente. Quatro decretos recentes foram localizados no website da Presidência da República. Os mesmos foram descritos e debatidos com a literatura e constatou-se que todos, se implementados, são capazes de contribuir à sustentabilidade. Afinal, trazem novas formas de controle, estabelecem metas e prazos e garantem a isonomia na fiscalização. Ademais, organizam o fluxo e preveem a instalação de pontos de coleta. Os decretos inovam ao apresentar novos instrumentos para implementação da LR que contribui em parte, para a transição para a economia circular, além de reagrupar os atores da cadeia de embalagens. Por fim, ressalta-se a preocupação com o fortalecimento das cooperativas dos catadores de materiais recicláveis ao recriar o Comitê Interministerial e programas específicos. Portanto, este trabalho contribui para gestores que precisam se adequar às novas normas e auxilia pesquisadores ao apontar direções para pesquisas futuras.
A Logística Reversa é uma ferramenta para gestão de resíduos sólidos, incorporada oficialmente no Brasil pela Lei 12.305/2010 (BRASIL, 2010), que estabeleceu três instrumentos para implementar os sistemas de logística reversa: acordos setoriais, termos de compromisso e regulamentos expedidos pelo poder público. Para o segmento de embalagens em geral, foi assinado em 2015 o Acordo Setorial, com a meta de recuperar 22% das embalagens recicláveis do mercado brasileiro. Esta pesquisa objetivou traçar um panorama comparativo entre a produção científica global sobre a logística reversa de embalagens e o seu desenvolvimento no Brasil nos últimos 20 anos. Para tanto, realizou-se uma análise bibliométrica na base de dados Scopus com auxílio da ferramenta Biblioshiny, além de pesquisas em documentos oficiais e na literatura científica. Os dados gerados pelo Biblioshiny foram exportados no formato CSV para criação de gráficos contendo múltiplas análises. Para analisar o cenário brasileiro, utilizou-se pesquisas em documentos oficiais e na literatura científica, com destaque para o site da Coalizão Embalagens. As análises mostraram a importância crescente da temática, o quantitativo crescente de publicações, citações e implementação de políticas públicas em países de todos os continentes do mundo, com destaque de 2010 em diante. O Brasil ocupa posição de relevância em número de publicações e citações, notadamente nas regiões Sudeste e Sul, o que infelizmente não tem sido acompanhado da efetiva implantação da cadeia de logística reversa de embalagens, em virtude de diversas dificuldades gerenciais e operacionais, que resultam em descontinuidades nas etapas logísticas que envolvem o processo. Uma das limitações da pesquisa foi a divergência e imprecisão de dados oficiais concernentes à realidade brasileira. Assim, sugere-se a descentralização da gestão, monitoramento e fiscalização dos instrumentos de logística reversa para os estados e municípios, com base no princípio da responsabilidade compartilhada, bem como a realização de estudos posteriores com a finalidade de compreender em profundidade as particularidades das cadeias de logística reversa de embalagens.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the need to adopt a restorative and regenerative model proposed by circular economy (CE). Methods: This article aims to identify the current status of packaging waste management in the CE context through an integrative literature review using Scopus and Web of Science databases. Using the Bibliometrix package, 162 articles were analyzed. Results: A bibliometric overview is presented, including the prominent authors and journals, and most cited articles, techniques and research methods used. Most of the analyzed articles are of the theoretical-empirical, quali-quantitative type, and plastic is the most studied material when a paper focused on one waste item. The contribution of packaging waste management for the transition to CE is discussed, highlighting important actions such as the replacement of materials to increase recyclability, the installation of voluntary delivery points associated with education programs focusing on the environment and support for cooperatives of waste pickers. In addition, a research agenda was developed that highlights the main gaps identified to guide future studies. Conclusion: Finally, the managerial contributions of the study are emphasized in particular by providing insight into the implementation of this model of growing international interest.
As políticas públicas são instrumentos capazes de gerar mudanças no sistema político e social, inclusive podem auxiliar na implementação da Logística Reversa (LR) e da Economia Circular (EC). Por isso, o objetivo do presente estudo é identificar mudanças recentes nas políticas públicas sobre resíduos sólidos e analisar o potencial de incentivo à LR e EC. Esta investigação caracteriza-se como qualitativa, exploratória, descritiva cuja estratégia foi a análise documental, e o instrumento de coleta foram documentos disponíveis publicamente. Quatro decretos recentes foram localizados no website da Presidência da República. Os mesmos foram descritos e debatidos com a literatura e constatou-se que todos, se implementados, são capazes de contribuir à sustentabilidade. Afinal, trazem novas formas de controle, estabelecem metas e prazos e garantem a isonomia na fiscalização. Ademais, organizam o fluxo e preveem a instalação de pontos de coleta. Os decretos inovam ao apresentar novos instrumentos para implementação da LR que contribui em parte, para a transição para a economia circular, além de reagrupar os atores da cadeia de embalagens. Por fim, ressalta-se a preocupação com o fortalecimento das cooperativas dos catadores de materiais recicláveis ao recriar o Comitê Interministerial e programas específicos. Portanto, este trabalho contribui para gestores que precisam se adequar às novas normas e auxilia pesquisadores ao apontar direções para pesquisas futuras.
Döngüsel ekonomi (DE) modeli, malzemelerin yeniden kullanımını, ürün
yaşam döngülerinin uzatılmasını ve israfın en aza indirilmesini vurgulayarak,
geleneksel doğrusal tedarik zincirlerinin yeniden yapılanmasını zorunlu
kılmaktadır. Çevreyle ilgili endişelerin azaltılması ve sürdürülebilirlik
derecesinin yükseltilmesi hedeflerine doğru ilerlemek için bu yaklaşım giderek
daha fazla benimsenmektedir. Araştırmalar, döngüsel ekonomi fikirlerinin
tedarik zincirlerine entegre edilmesinin, hem firmaların genel performansına
hem de operasyonel verimliliklerine olumlu etkileri olduğunu göstermektedir.
Kitabın bu bölümünde, döngüsel ekonomi modelinin tedarik zincirleri
üzerindeki etkisi ve bu etkinin lojistik süreçler üzerinde nasıl bir dönüşüm
yarattığı kavramsal bir bakış açısı ile incelenmektedir. Özellikle, lojistik
süreçlerin düzenleyicilerinin, ürün ve hizmet akışlarını yönetirken döngüsel
ekonomi çerçevesinde çevresel etkileri nasıl azaltabilecekleri ele alınmaktadır.
Sonuç olarak, bu araştırma, döngüsel ekonominin tedarik zincirleri ve
lojistik operasyonlar üzerinde oyunun kurallarını nasıl değiştirebileceğini ve
sürdürülebilirlik hedeflerine ulaşmada nasıl katkıda bulunabileceğini detaylı
bir şekilde ortaya koymaktadır.
Introduction: The circular economy and reverse logistics have as main objective to look for means for the final disposal of waste, that is, the waste that at first is no longer useful undergoes a new evaluation within the process of reverse logistics and consequently of circular economy for how it, identify whether this waste will be reused in another segment or destined for a specific location for that material. Objective: The main objective of the study was to analyze, through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), the relationship between Reverse Logistics and Circular Economy. Method: The research is characterized as a qualitative, descriptive approach, in addition, the research was carried out through the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) taking into account the PRISMA guidelines. For data management, StArt - State of the Art through Systematic Review was used. Results and discussion: A total of 1,351 studies were surveyed, after applying the study analysis strategies, 20 articles were selected, which were consistent with the inclusion criteria. It was possible to show that Brazil is the country that most contributed with studies focused on the Circular Economy and Reverse Logistics, mainly in the year 2021, which corresponds to 50% of the total analyzed in the period under study. In this way, it is noted that this relationship is increasingly on the rise, considering that they are methods that are related and that contribute significantly to the society and economy of a country. Conclusion: It is considered that the process of Reverse Logistics and Circular Economy, when carried out correctly, contributes to the products at the end of the life cycle, being rescued for a new production process, being a viable reuse, aiming at the recovery of the product. Finally, this whole process depends on the joint work of end users, government, industries/companies and collectors' cooperatives.
Nowadays, a lot more packaging is used to protect and carry products, since they are no longer sold in bulk. Brazil holds the world's fourth largest consumer market for Hygiene, Perfumery, and Cosmetics—HPC in the world. It can therefore be inferred that there is a large consumption of packaging in this sector. However, the country has with the Brazilian Solid Waste Policy (BSWP), which obligates the implementation of reverse logistics for packaging and introduces the concept of shared responsibility—everyone in the chain is responsible for the waste. This paper aims to analyzed the perception of consumers of the sector of HPC related to the disposal and reverse logistics of packaging of beauty products under the Circular Economy‐CE perspective. For this purpose, we applied an online survey with consumers in the HPC sector in Brazil. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. It was identified that consumers lack knowledge about the concepts of CE and BSWP, indicating a need to improve the environmental awareness of the population. However, most consumers showed interest in companies that are concerned with the destination of used packaging.
The article aims to analyse the experience regarding the adoption of the voluntary French standard XP X30‐901, used as the main reference point to design the ISO 59004 that will define the terminology, principles and guidance to provide a common understanding of the circular economy. After an analysis of its structure, based on a case study conducted in a pioneering company, the study provides an innovative contribution to the understanding of the adoption of Circular Economy Project Management Systems by companies to move towards CE through XP X30‐901, explaining the main drivers and barriers, the standard's adoption process and the effects in the results. The main enabler is considered its experience working with an integrated management system. The adoption has helped to integrate actions to improve the indicators of the seven areas considered by the standard: Sustainable Sourcing, Eco‐design, Industrial Symbiosis, Functional Economy, Responsible Consumption, Extending Lifetime and Efficient Management of Materials at the end of life. Overall, the company appears to be satisfied with the adoption, mainly, because it has helped it to structure actions to improve its circularity indicators. However, the need for capital to develop the investments has been the most important barrier.
There is a growing attention in circular economy through researchers, enterprises and goverments. The idea of circular economy is not to give any harm to enviroment while using material till end of its life and keeping it as much as possible in the cycle. From this point of view, to keep the material in cycle might be possible with a well-designed logistics infrastructure. In this study, the small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) that make sales through e-commerce and the way of handling e-commerce returns are brought forward. The case study created for footware industry in Istanbul and a network design is proposed. Afterwards, a linear programming is used to calculated to minimize cost. This study gives a clear and simple solution for SMEs to minimize the cost for handling return products while keeping the returns in the cycle.
Reverse logistics can be defined as the processes of correct collection, sorting, classification, and processing of products that are at the end of their useful life for re-evaluation, inclusion in production, or disposal from the consumer to the manufacturer, the retailer, or their legal counterparts. Reverse logistics has an important place in the concept of sustainability. Reverse logistics is an indispensable partner for sustainability, which expresses the efforts to leave a more livable environment for future generations. The primary purpose of medical waste logistics, which has a special place among reverse logistics activities, is to collect, transport, and dispose of waste safely and economically without harming the environment and public health. Medical wastes pose a severe risk to the hospital and hospital environment and threaten public health and the entire environment. All medical wastes that are not properly collected and subjected to process control affect the rate of spread of diseases. Reverse logistics has an important place in the concept of sustainability. Reverse logistics is an indispensable partner for sustainability, which expresses the efforts to leave a more livable environment for future generations. The primary purpose of medical waste logistics, which has a special place among reverse logistics activities, is to collect, transport, and dispose of waste safely and economically without harming the environment and public health. Medical wastes pose a severe risk to the hospital and hospital environment and threaten public health and the entire environment.
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) possesses unique characteristics such as its growing production and the potential for resource extraction due to its composition. The implementation and operationalization of a reverse logistics system (RLS) for WEEE is a challenge, particularly concerning the micro level. The implementation of such systems often prioritizes urban centers and their higher population densities, generally overlooking the micro level. The latter refers to ward- or village-level divisions, which can be regarded as the smallest administrative divisions of both urban and rural areas. Furthermore, it encompasses any area facing logistical challenges regarding RLS operationalization due to factors such as geographical isolation, budgetary constraints, imbalances, social isolation, environmental aspects, and even geopolitical conflicts. This study is aimed at addressing this literature gap by discussing the challenges to implement and operationalize a WEEE RLS at the micro level. A systematic literature review was employed as our methodology. We found 13 challenges for developed and developing countries without distinction between macro and micro levels. An additional approach highlighted the significance of monitoring and controlling WEEE RLS. The challenge The population and LRS entities’ lack or insufficient training and awareness received the most citations in the conducted search. These challenges were organized by operational phase and discussed from the perspective of the micro level to comprehend multifactorial local challenges involving all stakeholders in the reverse logistics of WEEE in emerging nations. This can assist local administrators and constitutes the primary contribution of this study.
The hospitality industry has been highlighted as an important economic sector that is vulnerable to climate change. However, this industry is also considered to have a substantial contribution to the degradation of the environment by consuming excessive quantities of energy, producing approximately 8% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Previous studies have proposed the circular economy as an optimal concept to address this issue by eliminating waste and maximizing resource utilization. In light of that, many hotels are striving to shift the traditional linear economy into a circular economy by adopting green marketing into their business operations. However, they still face many obstacles in making an effective transition to a circular‐style economy due to the lack of an appropriate approach. To fill this gap, this study aims to develop a framework to give insights on which aspects can foster the circular economy transition process through green marketing implementation. Therefore, this study proposes a hybrid method that integrates an exploratory factor analysis with a fuzzy synthetic method and a decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory to structure the hierarchical model and provide guidance to decision‐makers for future improvements under resource constraints. The results reveal that advantage acquisition and behavior transition are the most influential aspects in accelerating the transition to the circular economy in the hospitality industry. The crucial theoretical and managerial implications are also discussed.
Improving waste and resource management (WaRM) around the world can halve the weight of plastics entering the oceans, significantly mitigate global heating and contribute directly to 12 of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs). Achieving such results demands understanding and learning from historical evolution of WaRM. The baseline is 1970, prior to environmental legislation. Early steps in the Global North focused on the ‘technical fix’ within strictly enforced legal frameworks, first bringing hazardous wastes and municipal solid wastes (MSW) under control, then gradually ramping up environmental standards. Using modern technologies to the Global South often failed due to institutional and financial constraints. From 1990, focus switched to integrating technical and governance aspects: local institutional coherence, financial sustainability, provider inclusivity, user inclusivity, national legislative and policy framework. The Global North rediscovered recycling, using policy measures to promote segregation at source; this relied on new markets in emerging economies, which had largely disappeared by 2020. The Global South is making progress on bringing wastes under control, but around 2.7 billion people lack access to waste collection, while ~40% of collected MSW is open dumped or burned – a continuing global waste emergency. So, much remains to be done to move further towards a circular economy. Three policy priorities are critical for all countries: access to sustainable financing, rethinking sustainable recycling and worldwide extended producer responsibility with teeth. Extending services to unserved communities (SDG11.6.1) requires a people-centred approach, working with communities to provide both quality services and decent livelihoods for collection and recycling workers.
There are widely differing experiences and practices in the development of indicators to monitor, report and communicate progress towards the implementation of the circular economy (CE). We present a framework for developing CE indicators which link to the core goals, principles and building blocks of a CE. To do this we utilise the Ellen MacArthur Foundation butterfly model as a coherent systems overview of key material stocks and flows, and representation of relationships between inputs, outputs, recovery processes, emissions, energy and value loops in physical and financial measures which constitute the CE supply chain. Based on nine multinational organisations and four cases of leading companies engaged with CE activity, we address the types of indicators being used and make recommendations for indicators to reflect key goals and principles of CE. Our research on the development and expansion of circular practices leads to the question of what new opportunities and challenges CE raises for such companies in terms of competitive business advantage and resultant requirements for supply chain redesign and indicator development, over and above pre-existing closed-loop production.
Bio-based plastics are increasingly appearing in a range of consumption products, and after use they often end up in technical recycling chains. Bio-based plastics are different from fossil-based ones and could disturb the current recycling of plastics and hence inhibit the closure of plastic cycles, which is undesirable given the current focus on a transition towards a circular economy. In this paper, this risk has been assessed via three elaborated case studies using data and information retrieved through an extended literature search. No overall risks were revealed for bio-based plastics as a group; rather, every bio-based plastic is to be considered as a potential separate source of contamination in current recycling practices. For PLA (polylactic acid), a severe incompatibility with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) recycling is known; hence, future risks are assessed by measuring amounts of PLA ending up in PET waste streams. For PHA (polyhydroxy alkanoate) there is no risk currently, but it will be crucial to monitor future application development. For PEF (polyethylene furanoate), a particular approach for contamination-related issues has been included in the upcoming market introduction. With respect to developing policy, it is important that any introduction of novel plastics is well guided from a system perspective and with a particular eye on incompatibilities with current and upcoming practices in the recycling of plastics.
The paper provides an overview of the literature on Circular Economy (CE) theoretical approaches, strategies and implementation cases. After analyzing different CE approaches and the underlying principles the paper then proceeds with the main goal of developing tools for CE implementation. Two tools are presented. The first is a CE Strategies Database, which includes 45 CE strategies that are applicable to different parts of the value chain. The second is a CE Implementation Database, which includes over 100 case studies categorized by Scope, Parts of the Value Chain that are involved, as well as by the used Strategy and Implementation Level. An analysis of the state of the art in CE implementation is also included in the paper. One of the observations from the analysis is that while such Parts of the Value Chain as Recovery/Recycling and Consumption/Use are prominently featured, others, including Manufacturing and Distribution, are rarely involved in CE. On the other hand, the Implementation Levels of the used Strategies indicate that many market-ready solutions exist already. The Scope of current CE implementation considers selected products, materials and sectors, while system changes to economy are rarely suggested. Finally, the CE monitoring methods and suggestions for future development are also discussed in this paper. The analysis of the theoretical approaches can serve as an introduction to CE concept, while the developed tools can be instrumental for designing new CE cases.
Over the last decade, the concept of the circular economy has regained attention, especially related to efforts to achieve a more sustainable society. The ‘revival’ of the circular economy has been accompanied by controversies and confusions across different actors in science and practice. With this article we attempt at contributing to advanced clarity in the field and providing a heuristic that is useful in practice. Initially, we take a focus on the historical development of the concept of circular economy and value retention options (ROs) for products and materials aiming for increased circularity. We propose to distinguish three phases in the evolution of the circular economy and argue that the concept – in its dominant framing – is not as new as frequently claimed. Having established this background knowledge, we give insights into ‘how far we are’ globally, with respect to the implementation of circularity, arguing that high levels of circularity have already been reached in different parts of the globe with regard to longer loop value retention options, such as energy recovery and recycling. Subsequently, we show that the confusion surrounding the circular economy is more far-reaching the divergent scholarly perspectives on retention options and unite the most common views a 10Rtypology. e conclude that policymakers and businesses should focus their efforts on realization of the more desirable, shorter loop retention options, like remanufacturing, refurbishing and repurposing – yet with a view on feasibility and overall system effects. Scholars, on the other hand, should assist the parties contributing to an increased circular economy in practice by taking up a more active role in attaining consensus in conceptualizing the circular economy.
Sustainable development requires disruptive changes and radical innovations, and the capability to deliver this in relation to adapt to a sustainable development is needed in mature large industrial companies. Integration between sustainability and business development is needed, which the Circular Economy model offers. Circular Economy is little implemented in practice, and in the present paper barriers to a transition to Circular Economy is identified. Barriers are financial, structural, operational, attitudinal and technological. They are also, as analyzed in relation to innovation management, characterized by a need to increase integration between a number of different perspectives and domains in industry.
Circular modes of production, known as the circular economy, are welcomed in political and business circles to overcome the shortcomings of traditional linear operating models. Academic literature on the circular economy is nascent however and little attention is given to supply chain management implications, regardless of the relevance of supply chain innovation towards a more resource efficient and circular economy. Based on a review of the literature, this article presents preliminary propositions concerning implications for the development of what we term 'circular supply chains', defined here as the embodiment of circular economy principles within supply chain management. Our propositions are based on the following arguments: a) a shift from product ownership to leasing and access in supply chain relationships; b) the relevance of structural flexibility and start-ups in regional/local loops; c) open and closed material loops in technical and biological cycles; d) closer collaboration within and beyond immediate industry boundaries; and e) public and private procurement in the service industry as a lever for the scaling up of circular business models. We discuss what these circular economy principles mean in terms of supply chain challenges and conclude with limitations and future research agenda.
With the enaction of the Brazilian Policy of Solid Waste, the waste pickers of recyclable materials were recognized as important agents in the area of reverse logistics. The CATAFORTE Program was launched with the objective of strengthening waste picker cooperatives across the country. The purpose of this paper is to describe the relationships between waste pickers that are part of the CATAFORTE I training project and partner companies in the reverse logistics process in Distrito Federal, Brazil. It was conducted an applied, descriptive and qualitative research, whose the main technical procedure was the case study. To collect data we use documentary analysis, focus group, direct observation and semi-structured interviews. It was found that the relationship between waste pickers and institutions is a partnership. Furthermore, it was noticeable that the main motivation for the relationship on the part of companies is political and socioeconomic. In addition, it was also found that currently, the esate picker of the cooperatives from Distrito Federal do not yet have a physical structure and adequate income to perform their work.
There have long been calls from industry for guidance in implementing strategies for sustainable development. The Circular Economy represents the most recent attempt to conceptualize the integration of economic activity and environmental wellbeing in a sustainable way. This set of ideas has been adopted by China as the basis of their economic development (included in both the 11th and the 12th ‘Five Year Plan’), escalating the concept in minds of western policymakers and NGOs. This paper traces the conceptualisations and origins of the Circular Economy, tracing its meanings, and exploring its antecedents in economics and ecology, and discusses how the Circular Economy has been operationalized in business and policy. The paper finds that while the Circular Economy places emphasis on the redesign of processes and cycling of materials, which may contribute to more sustainable business models, it also encapsulates tensions and limitations. These include an absence of the social dimension inherent in sustainable development that limits its ethical dimensions, and some unintended consequences. This leads us to propose a revised definition of the Circular Economy as “an economic model wherein planning, resourcing, procurement, production and reprocessing are designed and managed, as both process and output, to maximize ecosystem functioning and human well-being”.
Numbers apparently talk. With few numbers, qualitative researchers appear to rely on examples or instances to support their analysis. Hence research reports routinely display data extracts which serve as telling instances of some claimed phenomenon. However, the use of such an evidential base rightly provokes the charge of (possible) anecdotalism, i.e. choosing just those extracts which support your argument. I suggest that this methodological problem is best addressed by returning to those features of our theoretical roots which tend to distinguish what we do from the work of quantitative social scientists. Although SAUSSURE is most cited in linguistics and structural anthropology, he provides a simple rule that applies to us all. In a rebuke to our reliance on instances, SAUSSURE tells us "no meaning exists in a single item". Everything depends upon how single items (elements) are articulated. One everyday activity in which the social world is articulated is through the construction of sequences. Just as participants attend to the sequential placing of interactional "events", so should social scientists. Using examples drawn from focus groups, fieldnotes and audiotapes, I argue that the identification of such sequences rather than the citing of instances should constitute a prime test for the adequacy of any claim about qualitative data.
URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0503301
Abstract: This article discusses the implications for waste pickers of Distrito Federal, Brazil arising from the obligation of reverse logistics by the National Policy of Solid Waste – NPSW. In order to reach this objective, a qualitative study was conducted, in which the leaders of 23 waste pickers’ cooperatives, located in Distrito Federal were interviewed. The human capital in reverse logistics should be considered taking into account that most recycling activities in developing countries as Brazil, are manual, labour intensive and low-skilled. Therefore, the proper application of legislation favours the generation of jobs, and income for thousands of Brazilians, who act as waste pickers, also enabling better working conditions. Furthermore, the Brazilian experience can serve as an incentive to the creation of policies by the governments of other countries in Latin America.
To provide evidence-based strategies for ensuring rigor of case studies, the authors examine what rigor types authors report and how they report them by content analyzing all case studies published 1995—2000 in 10 management journals. Comparing practices in articles addressing rigor extensively and less extensively, the authors reveal three strategies for insuring rigor. First, very few case study authors explicitly label the rigor criteria in terms of the concepts commonly used in the positivist tradition (construct, internal, and external validity, as well as reliability). Despite this, papers addressing rigor extensively do report concrete research actions taken to ensure methodological rigor. Second, papers addressing rigor extensively prioritized rigor types: more, and more detailed, strategies were reported for ensuring internal and construct validity than for external validity. Third, emergent strategies used in the field were reported, such as setbacks and serendipities, that necessitated changes to the originally planned research procedures. Authors focus squarely on the concrete research actions taken, carefully relaying them to the reader so that the reader may appreciate the logic and purpose of trade-off decisions in the context of the specific case study.
In content analysis and similar methods, data are typically generated by trained human observers who record or transcribe textual, pictorial, or audible matter in terms suitable for analysis. Conclusions from such data can be trusted only after demonstrating their reliability. Unfortunately, the content analysis literature is full of proposals for so-called reliability coefficients, leaving investigators easily confused, not knowing which to choose. After describing the criteria for a good measure of reliability, we propose Krippendorff's alpha as the standard reliability measure. It is general in that it can be used regardless of the number of observers, levels of measurement, sample sizes, and presence or absence of missing data. To facilitate the adoption of this recommendation, we describe a freely available macro written for SPSS and SAS to calculate Krippendorff's alpha and illustrate its use with a simple example.
This paper provides an introduction to some of the fundamental principles and approaches in environmental economics which are of significance to achieving an integrated sustainability science. The concept of a circular economy, introduced by the late David Pearce in 1990, addresses the interlinkages of the four economic functions of the environment. The environment not only provides amenity values, in addition to being a resource base and a sink for economic activities, it is also a fundamental life-support system. Environmental economists have suggested that, taking these four functions as an analytical starting point,
unpriced or underpriced services should be internalised in the economy. In Europe significant advances have been achieved in the pricing of externalities by means of truly interdisciplinary analysis which accounts in detail for the environmental consequences. The monetary estimates reached as a result of such interdisciplinary research are gradually being applied to the economic analysis of environmental policy priorities. Although such figures provide only a partial and incomplete picture of the environmental costs at stake, they support and inform the analysis of the virtues of a circular economy for individual resources as well as for sustainability as a future trajectory.
http://pure.au.dk/portal/da/persons/mikael-skou-andersen(d6eb07fd-3020-4801-9beb-04c0cc0f0914)/publications/an-introductory-note-on-the-environmental-economics-of-the-circular-economy(3ff4e710-7e9e-11dd-a5a8-000ea68e967b).html
This article investigates the methodological sophistication of case studies as a tool for generating and testing theory by analyzing case studies published during the period 1995–2000 in 10 influential management journals. We find that case studies emphasized external validity at the expense of the two more fundamental quality measures, internal and construct validity. Comparing case studies published in the three highest-ranking journals with the other seven, we reveal strategies that may be useful for authors wishing to conduct methodologically rigorous case study research. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
With the increasing focus on marine plastic pollution, quantification of the environmental losses of plastics in the world, with differentiation into geographic regions, polymers and loss occurrences along the plastics value chains, is required. In this study, we make a global estimation of the losses of plastics to the environment across the entire plastic value chain, using existing literature and databases coupled with improved and additional methodological modelling of the losses. The resulting loss estimates are unprecedented in their detailed differentiations between polymers (23), plastic applications (13), geographical regions (11), and plastic value chain stages. Comprehensive sensitivity and uncertainty analyses were also conducted to identify key drivers in terms of plastic losses. We overall found that approximately 6.2 Mt (95% confidence interval, CI: 2.0–20.4 Mt) of macroplastics and 3.0 Mt (CI: 1.5–5.2 Mt) of microplastics were lost to the environment in 2015. The major macroplastic loss source was identified as the mismanaged municipal solid waste (MSW) management in low-income and lower-middle income countries (4.1 Mt). For microplastics, the major sources were abrasion of tyre rubbers, abrasion of road markings and plastics contributing to city dust generation. To curb marine plastic pollution, such quantified mapping as ours are needed to evaluate the magnitude of the plastics losses to environment from different sources and locations, and enable a further assessment of their environmental damage. Through our uncertainty and sensitivity analyses, we highlight plastics sources that should be prioritized in further research works to obtain a more comprehensive and accurate representation of global plastics losses.
This paper provides a circular supply chain perspective of packaging recovery ecosystems being implemented by Tetra Pak, a prime global player in the food packaging industry, in two major emerging economies: China and Brazil. The circular supply chain archetype considered in the research allowed a consistent comparative analysis of Tetra Pak's circular supply chains in both countries. Through a case study approach, the research provides theoretical propositions and learning points that are valuable for academics and practitioners interested in the Chinese and Brazilian markets as well as in the supply chains supporting recovery ecosystems in the packaging industry. In particular, the distinct environments in the Chinese and Brazilian markets render Tetra Pak opportunities to design circular supply chains in different ways showing adaptation and learning to local market characteristics. The industrial perspectives from these emerging economies add to the contributions offered in the paper. Overall, the conceptual considerations and practical recommendations presented in the paper provide useful insights for the development of further studies and implementation of industrial practices advocated by the circular economy.
Last years have seen a surge of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) development in association with ad-hoc widespread policies to encourage more circular and sustainable practices in the manufacturing sector. Developments in Europe, despite having attracted less attention in the literature, have been significant, driven both by public and private initiative. This paper provides an updated overview of IS activity in Europe, with a mapping of key networks, and a study of prevailing typologies of networks, size, geographical distribution and main streams/ resources traded. The analysis is based on a combination of desk research, gathering of primary data from case studies, a survey to IS network facilitators (n = 22) and in-depth interviews and focus groups (3) with IS practitioners, policy officers and industry representatives (n = 25). The analysis identified pockets of IS activity across all Europe, although varying in nature, resources exchanged and scale and scope of the initiatives. The average size of the mapped networks is approx. 473 members, but the median is approx. 100 members, which indicates high variability of sizes. The geographical scope of the synergies also seems to be dependent upon the following factors: 1) the type of waste stream/by-product; 2) transport costs and 3) market value of secondary materials. Types of waste streams exchanged common to most networks, are chemicals (e.g. chemical base products), biomass and agriculture by-products, wood and wood pellets, plastics, reusable construction materials , equipment, inert waste and water (different qualities including industrial water), residual heat and steam. The paper also discusses key obstacles facing IS development in Europe highlighting: 1) weakness of economic incentives given the low margin of IS projects associated to undeveloped secondary markets; 2) geographical variation of incentives and drivers, given differences in policy frameworks and support mechanisms (e.g. landfill tax levels) and 3) legislative issues that make transport over geographic boundaries extremely complex and administratively burdensome. Finally, the paper concludes with a general discussion of the potential of IS to contribute to the transition to the circular economy (CE) in Europe and identifies some key areas of future research.
This paper addresses questions of how extant research discourses concerning the sustainability of supply chains contribute to understanding about circularity in supply chain configurations that support restorative and regenerative processes, as espoused by the Circular Economy ideal. In response to these questions, we develop a content-based literature analysis to progress theoretical body of knowledge and conceptualise the notion of a circular supply chain. We derive an archetypal form from four antecedent sustainable supply chain narratives – ‘reverse logistics’, ‘green supply chains’, ‘sustainable supply chain management’ and ‘closed-loop supply chains’. This paper offers five propositions about what the circular supply chain archetype represents in terms of its scope, focus and impact. Novel insights lead to a definition of circular supply chain and a more coherent foundation for future inquiry and practice.
This paper provides a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of Serbia’s packaging waste management system, which is based on the Extended Producer Responsibility scheme (EPR). Additionally, it identifies and discusses the major challenges faced by the system. This paper strives to shed some light on the challenges posed by the implementation of an advanced and highly institutionalized approach to packaging waste management in the context of a European Union candidate country. The analysis indicates that Serbia is a country with an evolving administrative and institutional approach to packaging waste management, which can reach national recovery targets through its EPR system. The main challenges that must be addressed for the system to continue progressing in order to meet European Union’s recovery targets are: (i) increase the low supply of recovered recyclables from the municipal solid waste stream, (ii) close loopholes affecting recycling industry and work of National Recovery Organisations, and (iii) formalization of informal recycling sector’s role within the formal packaging recovery framework.
Reverse logistics implementation of electrical and electronic equipment waste (WEEE) and its components has been a major concern for the Brazilian government and the private sector in the last decades. This paper proposes a description of the Brazilian WEEE proper disposal or reverse logistics credits (RLC) market and also an analogy with the carbon credit market. In order to reach this purpose a descriptive research was carried out, focusing on the study of the RLC market of WEEE in Brazil. Some specialists involved in this context were consulted regarding their perspectives for this market and the main motivations for environmental appropriate disposal of WEEE. It was discovered that the majority of the stakeholders agree that the reverse logistics credit market is a possibility, but currently there are multiple obstacles to its implementation. Regarding the comparison of RLC with the carbon credit market, there are still many aspects to be developed before the RLC market becomes a reality. The Brazilian RLC market still does not have any legal support to work on, no organization to control and audit the market, and no support from the government.
The National Policy of Solid Waste, recently approved in Brazil, establishes the implementation of reverse logistics networks for several residues, such as electronic waste. One of the primary points of the legislation is the principle of ‘shared responsibility’, which establishes that all actors in a supply chain are responsible for the reverse logistics, such as manufacturers, distributors, importers, retailers, the government and the final consumer. This situation characterizes a group decision context and, emphasises the need of aggregate different and often conflicting viewpoints. Thus, this paper proposes the use of a specific Problem Structuring Method, the Strategic Options Development Analysis, which is based on the construction of cognitive mapping techniques, for developing strategic analysis based on the decision-makers' viewpoints. In order to apply the methodology, we conducted online workshops with 8 representatives of the stakeholders involved in this decision context. At the end of the process, four categories of actions to be implemented were found and developed: strategic, environmental, economic and social. These categories are based not only to technically assessment, but also on stakeholder's perspectives. The contribution of this paper is mainly related to the analysis and structuration of the problem of reverse logistics of electronic waste under a problem structuing methodology, which is few explored in the literature. This paper also contributes to researchers estudying reverse logistics of electronic waste, mainly in developing countries.
This editorial piece introduces the aim and content of the special issue on Supply Chain Operations for a Circular Economy. We initially provide an overview of the special issue themes and related inter-disciplinary topics. A summary of the accepted papers is presented in terms of the specific topics they address and their main contributions to the domain of supply chain operations. The discussions illustrate a breadth of theoretical perspectives and practical approaches considered by the academic community in addressing real world phenomena related to this special issue. The editorial piece concludes by identifying future research directions that seek to develop knowledge and understanding about circular economy operations, principles, praxis and theoretical advances.
Mass consumption and shortening product lifecycles have increased worldwide production. Consequently, more raw materials such as minerals are used, and available landfills are filling up. Companies are urged to effectively incorporate sustainability issues such as End-of-life (EOL) management and Reverse Logistics (RL) practices to close the loop and diminish the amount of raw materials used in their production systems. However, implementing RL implies dealing with its barriers. The purpose of this article is to focus on the recovery of EOL products that use mostly raw materials from the mining and minerals industry by identifying and analyzing the interactions among the barriers that hinder RL development in Brazil. First, international peer-reviewed publications were considered to select the barriers and classify them into categories. In a second moment, an empirical research was conducted using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) tool named Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) to evaluate the relationship between the barrier categories. Logistics experts from machinery manufacturing industry sector in Brazil were consulted. The greater influence on all barrier categories is Policy related issues barrier category, which means that the lack of specific laws and lack of motivational legislation are still significant impediments to RL implementation in Brazil.
This study proposes a reverse logistics network involved in the management of municipal solid waste (MSW) to solve the challenge of economically managing these wastes considering the recent legal requirements of the Brazilian Waste Management Policy. The feasibility of the allocation of MSW material recovery facilities (MRF) as intermediate points between the generators of these wastes and the options for reuse and disposal was evaluated, as well as the participation of associations and cooperatives of waste pickers. This network was mathematically modelled and validated through a scenario analysis of the municipality of São Mateus, which makes the location model more complete and applicable in practice. The mathematical model allows the determination of the number of facilities required for the reverse logistics network, their location, capacities, and product flows between these facilities. The fixed costs of installation and operation of the proposed MRF were balanced with the reduction of transport costs, allowing the inclusion of waste pickers to the reverse logistics network. The main contribution of this study lies in the proposition of a reverse logistics network for MSW simultaneously involving legal, environmental, economic and social criteria, which is a very complex goal. This study can guide practices in other countries that have realities similar to those in Brazil of accelerated urbanisation without adequate planning for solid waste management, added to the strong presence of waste pickers that, through the characteristic of social vulnerability, must be included in the system. In addition to the theoretical contribution to the reverse logistics network problem, this study aids in decision-making for public managers who have limited technical and administrative capacities for the management of solid wastes.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Brazil, one of the world’s largest developing countries, has recently introduced a new solid waste management regulatory policy. This new regulatory policy will have implications for a wide variety of stakeholders and sets the stage for opportunities and lessons to be learned. These issues are discussed in this article.
E-waste recycling has become a hotly debated global issue. This study, using China as a case study, analyzes the environmental, economic, and social implications of e-waste recycling in the developing world. More practical approaches, taking into account local economic and social conditions and the principles of Extended Producer Responsibility, are recommended to alleviate the increasing environmental disruption from improper e-waste disposal.
The triple bottom line has been, and remains, a useful tool for integrating sustainability into the business agenda. Balancing traditional economic goals with social and environmental concerns, it has created a new measure of corporate performance. A business strategy focused solely on the bottom line, however, can obscure opportunities to pursue innovation and create value in the design process. New tools for sustainable design can refocus product development from a process aimed at limiting end of pipe liabilities to one geared to creating safe, quality products right from the start.This new design perspective creates triple top line growth: products that enhance the well being of nature and culture while generating economic value. Design for the triple top line follows the laws of nature to give industry the tools to develop systems that safely generate prosperity. In these new human systems, materials become food for the soil or flow back to industry forever. Value and quality are embodied in products, processes and facilities so ecologically intelligently designed, they leave footprints to delight in rather than lament. When the principles of ecologically intelligent design are widely applied both nature and commerce can thrive and grow.
Eco-effectiveness and cradle-to-cradle design present an alternative design and production concept to the strategies of zero emission and eco-efficiency. Where eco-efficiency and zero emission seek to reduce the unintended negative consequences of processes of production and consumption, eco-effectiveness is a positive agenda for the conception and production of goods and services that incorporate social, economic, and environmental benefit, enabling triple top line growth.Eco-effectiveness moves beyond zero emission approaches by focusing on the development of products and industrial systems that maintain or enhance the quality and productivity of materials through subsequent life cycles. The concept of eco-effectiveness also addresses the major shortcomings of eco-efficiency approaches: their inability to address the necessity for fundamental redesign of material flows, their inherent antagonism towards long-term economic growth and innovation, and their insufficiency in addressing toxicity issues.A central component of the eco-effectiveness concept, cradle-to-cradle design provides a practical design framework for creating products and industrial systems in a positive relationship with ecological health and abundance, and long-term economic growth. Against this background, the transition to eco-effective industrial systems is a five-step process beginning with an elimination of undesirable substances and ultimately calling for a reinvention of products by reconsidering how they may optimally fulfill the need or needs for which they are actually intended while simultaneously being supportive of ecological and social systems.This process necessitates the creation of an eco-effective system of “nutrient” management to coordinate the material flows amongst actors in the product system. The concept of intelligent materials pooling illustrates how such a system might take shape, in reality.
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