No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
THE INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE TRANSITION TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A COMPARISON BETWEEN ITALY AND BRAZIL
Abstract
In the last decades new models of development considering the integration between the economic and ecological systems have appeared as in response to the scarcity of resources and environmental impacts, the circular economy is one of these models. The decision-making in this context is affected by the obligations arising from related legislation and, it is characterized as multifaceted. This problem involves multiple stakeholders, such as: manufacturing companies, suppliers, retailers, consumers, public authorities, suppliers’ services, non-governmental organizations, research organizations and, consequently, several conflicting interests. In this way, analyzing the existent policies and legislations related to CE and the respective interests related to stakeholders becomes essential to define strategies to fully implement CE. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyse the current policies, strategies and initiatives related to circular economy transition, comparing the realities in Brazil and Italy. To achieve this objective, it was conducted a literature review and a documental analysis to identify the level of institutionalization of the transition of the circular economy. As main results we can highlight that Italy presents a superior stage of development when compared with Brazil, which was already expected, considering that besides to be considered a developed country, Italy is in European Community which institutionalize for the members-countries some rules to be followed. Although Brazil presents the lowest level of institutionalization, it is possible to observe several advances. This research may be useful for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in decision-making related to the context of transition towards a circular economy.
... The circular economy is high on the developed countries political, intellectual and managerial agendas, particularly those in the European Union, Japan and the United Kingdom [13,14]. Otherwise, in developing countries, practices and policies related to waste management are still in their infancy [23][24][25][26]98]. These economies are still debating the circular economy and face different realities regarding resource availability, varying government policies and consumer behaviour from developed economies [103]. ...
... These economies are still debating the circular economy and face different realities regarding resource availability, varying government policies and consumer behaviour from developed economies [103]. The transition to a new economic model is not a quick and easy process; instead, it requires a systemic and cross-sectional approach involving several stakeholders and strategies from a sustainability perspective [98,104]. ...
... The Clean Green Pakistan Movement (CGPM), which was launched in 2018, addresses solid waste management, liquid waste management, total sanitation and safe drinking water and plantation. Clean Green Index: A "Clean-Green Cities Index" has been initiated in 20 cities to trigger a shift towards improved waste management and sanitation.Source: Adapted with permission from[98]. ...
This paper aims to develop and validate a questionnaire to measure the prioritization of strategies to transitioning towards a circular economy and to compare different countries. We proposed a questionnaire based on a five-level ordinal scale to evaluate the 24 strategies of the circular economy under a set of ten criteria given technical issues, as well as social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability. Each strategy was defined and evaluated by the participants on the same scale, who are stakeholders involved in the transition towards a circular economy. The validation was conducted by two main procedures, including semantic validation through 17 experts from five countries and statistical validation by 347 survey respondents from 25 countries. The results show that the questionnaire seems a reliable and valid tool to analyze which circular economy strategies countries, regions and cities prioritize. Few studies have been conducted to validate instruments about the circular economy; they are focused at the micro level, (industry). Studies that validate measurement instruments regarding the circular economy at the macro level are lacking. This study is the first one to validate the circular economy instrument at the macro level. It can help researchers and practitioners from public and private sectors from a variety of organizations in proposing actions to enable the transition and create performance indicators.
... A Confederação Nacional da Indústria reconhece a importância do princípio da responsabilidade compartilhada pelo ciclo de vida do produto e da logística reversa como instrumento para o maior aproveitamento de resíduos que iriam para lixões e aterros do país (CNI, 2019). Assim como a CNI, diversos autores afirmam a existência de alinhamento entre os princípios da PNRS e da EC e por isso, o Brasil deve se empenhar no cumprimento desta política pública para obter benefícios sociais, ambientais e econômicos (CNI, 2019;Guarnieri et al., 2020;Pereira et al., 2020). ...
... A primeira fase, encerrada em 2017, apresentou resultados positivos, principalmente no sentido de instalação de PEV's (Pontos de Entrega Voluntárias) e apoio às cooperativas de catadores de materiais recicláveis. Entretanto, os autores demonstram preocupação com as próximas fases da implementação do acordo setorial de embalagens, diante da crise econômica que assola o país e por isso, sugerem que pesquisas futuras prossigam a investigar, inclusive com outros atores, as oportunidades e barreiras para a transição brasileira para uma EC de embalagens (Guarnieri et al., 2020). ...
Resumo: A pandemia da COVID-19 acelerou a urgência de transição para um modelo restaurativo e regenerativo, como a Economia Circular (EC) propõe a ser. Este trabalho buscou identificar o estado da arte da gestão de resíduos de embalagens no contexto da EC a partir de uma Revisão Integrativa da Literatura utilizando as bases científicas Scopus e a Web of Science. Com o auxílio do pacote Bibliometrix, 162 artigos foram analisados e o panorama geral bibliométrico foi apresentado. Os resultados apontam os principais autores, journals e papers mais citados, principais técnicas e métodos de pesquisa utilizados. A partir do conteúdo destes artigos, discutiu-se a contribuição da gestão de resíduos para a mudança rumo à EC e foi elaborada uma agenda de pesquisa com as principais lacunas identificadas. Implicações teóricas e gerenciais podem ser observadas à medida que aumenta a robustez científica e traz insights sobre as práticas de EC.
... Although the concept of CE has been intensively studied in recent times, it still requires further studies (Homrich et al., 2018), especially considering the issues related to the transition to CE and its economic and social implications in countries like Brazil (Guarnieri, Bianchini, & Rossi, 2020). In this sense, Pieroni et al. (2018) suggest that interviews with organisations that put circular principles into practice might be a good strategy to comprehend their business models and the existing trade-offs. ...
Despite the potential economic, social, and environmental gains that the Circular Economy (CE) can enable, the path toward implementing this logic demands systemic and challenging business models and value chain changes. The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated the fragility of the Brazilian supply chain and the dependency on the importation of items made from plastic, aluminium, and other metals. Even before the pandemic, the Sectoral Agreement pertaining to the packaging industry still presented modest results in Brazil. In this context, the Institutional Theory presents at least three contrasting mechanisms for isomorphic changes that support the legitimation and institutionalisation of certain practices. The objective of this article was to analyse one of its mechanisms of change: the coercive isomorphism as an opportunity for the institutionalisation of CE in the Brazilian packaging sector. For this purpose, qualitative research was conducted, involving the documental analysis and in-depth interviews with 53 (fifty-three) stakeholders of the packaging sector from twenty different Brazilian states, which were analysed using the NVivo® software. From the perspective of coercive isomorphism, we could observe strategic, legal, and structural issues difficulting the transition to CE in Brazil. Moreover, among the main results, it is possible to highlight the relevance of providing tax benefits, including the I waste pickers in the formal reverse logistics system, and the role of Non-governmental organisations-NGOs and government agencies in supporting the monitoring of this process. This study has limitations, one of which is not presenting and discussing new tools and legislations that can alter the operation of the Brazilian packaging chain (launched at the end of 2021 or 2022). Academic and managerial contributions can be obtained from this study. To researchers, it is shown how an instrument of institutional theory (coercive isomorphism) can be useful for the development of a case study. For managers, it is expected that the analysis of the participant's perception of the Brazilian environmental legislation can contribute to the decision-making process of public and private managers and stimulate awareness.
There is a huge gap between the broad concept of circular economy (CE) and its practical implementation in the industrial sector due to several types of barriers, which shall be led back to the lack of consistent and precise information about resources, products, and processes. Without a proper information flow, it is impossible to quantify circular initiatives, both in comparison with the actual linear situation or with circular alternative opportunities. A proper quantification of circular initiatives allows the assessment of economic, environmental and social benefits and the preventative identification of potential barriers and relative solutions, monitoring the risk associated with circular investments and supporting the decision-making process. This paper describes a new tool to ensure the quantification of circular initiatives and the method to define it. It is a new Circular Business Model (CBM) visualization tool, which overcomes the main limitations of the existing models able to explain CE concepts but not to boost its practical implementation in industry. The new CBM visualization tool can be adopted in every industrial sector to highlight circular opportunities that are still hidden or unexploited or to select the best CE strategy. The proposed CBM visualization tool differs from the previous diagrams in two main characteristics: (i) the possibility to quantify resource flows and important indicators representing energy consumption, environmental and social impact, and (ii) the focus, which is not only on the product, but on the whole system, involving also the process, the company and the entire supply chain. The methodology to adopt and adapt the proposed model to different scales is described in detail. To provide a practical example, the model was qualitatively applied to a generic technical product to highlight its potential in the identification and quantification of circular activities.
The circular economy concept has gained momentum both among scholars and practitioners. However, critics claim that it means many different things to different people. This paper provides further evidence for these critics. The aim of this paper is to create transparency regarding the current understandings of the circular economy concept. For this purpose, we have gathered 114 circular economy definitions which were coded on 17 dimensions. Our findings indicate that the circular economy is most frequently depicted as a combination of reduce, reuse and recycle activities, whereas it is oftentimes not highlighted that CE necessitates a systemic shift. We further find that the definitions show few explicit linkages of the circular economy concept to sustainable development. The main aim of the circular economy is considered to be economic prosperity, followed by environmental quality; its impact on social equity and future generations is barely mentioned. Furthermore, neither business models nor consumers are frequently outlined as enablers of the circular economy. We critically discuss the various circular economy conceptualizations throughout this paper. Overall, we hope to contribute via this study towards the coherence of the circular economy concept; we presume that significantly varying circular economy definitions may eventually result in the collapse of the concept.
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.
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”.
This paper presents an informal recycling system managed by scavengers in Bantar Gebang final disposal site for municipal solid waste generated in Jakarta. Data were obtained through daily conversations with scavengers who deal with recyclables in the site. Seven processing steps of informal recycling were observed at the site. Scavengers at the site were referred to as their managerial names in their community, and then at least 8 types of recycling actors were identified: 1) big boss, 2) small boss, 3) big middleman, 4) small middleman, 5) live-in waste picker, 6) live-out waste picker, 7) independent waste picker, and 8) daily worker. Live-in and live-out waste pickers were continuously employed by their bosses, while independent waste pickers and daily workers depended on temporary employer-employee relationships. The positions of the recycling actors were not always fixed and there were many paths of career tracks and setbacks mainly due to individual economic status. All big bosses and big middlemen have built direct connections with recycling factories, and the community of scavengers in the site recognized them as big bosses and big middlemen due to the connections. A big boss of waste pickers, mainly dealing with plastic recyclables, was intensively investigated to clarify the buyer-seller relationship between the boss and other recycling actors. Common ground between formal and informal sectors should be built for making new waste management policies in the way that the existing informal recycling system is successfully integrated into the formal recycling system.
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
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.
The circular economy requires companies to rethink their supply chains and business models. Several frameworks found in the academic and practitioner literature propose circular economy business models (CEBMs) to redefine how companies create value while adhering to circular economy principles. A review of these frameworks shows that some models are frequently discussed, some are framework-specific, and some use a different wording to refer to similar CEBMs, pointing to the need to consolidate the current state of the art. We conduct a morphological analysis of 26 current CEBMs from the literature, which includes defining their major business model dimensions and identifying the specific characteristics of these dimensions. Based on this analysis, we identify a broad range of business model design options and propose six major CEBM patterns with the potential to support the closing of resource flows: repair and maintenance, reuse and redistribution, refurbishment and remanufacturing, recycling, cascading and repurposing, and organic feedstock business model patterns. We also discuss different design strategies to support the development of these CEBMs.
The assessment of waste management systems for electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from
developed economies (Germany, Sweden and Italy) and developing countries (Romania and Bulgaria),
is discussed covering the period 2007–2014. The WEEE management systems profiles are depicted by
indicators correlated to WEEE life cycle stages: collection, transportation and treatment. The sustainability
of national WEEE management systems in terms of greenhouse gas emissions is presented, together
with the greenhouse gas efficiency indicator that underlines the efficiency of WEEE treatment options. In
the countries comparisons, the key elements are: robust versus fragile economies, the overall waste management
performance and the existence/development of suitable management practices on WEEE.
Over the life cycle perspective, developed economies (Germany, Sweden and Italy) manage one order of
magnitude higher quantities of WEEE compared to developing countries (Romania and Bulgaria).
Although prevention and reduction measures are encouraged, all WEEE quantities were larger in 2013,
than in 2007. In 2007–2014, developed economies exceed the annual European collection target of 4
kg WEEE/capita, while collection is still difficult in developing countries. If collection rates are estimated
in relationship with products placed on market, than similar values are registered in Sweden and
Bulgaria, followed by Germany and Italy and lastly Romania. WEEE transportation shows different patterns
among countries, with Italy as the greatest exporter (in 2014), while Sweden treats the WEEE
nationally. WEEE reuse is a common practice in Germany, Sweden (from 2009) and Bulgaria (from
2011). By 2014, recycling was the most preferred WEEE treatment option, with the same kind of rates
performance, over 80%, irrespective of the country, with efforts in each of the countries in developing special
collection points, recycling facilities and support instruments. The national total and the recycling
carbon footprints of WEEE are lower in 2013 than in 2007 for each country, the order in reducing the
environmental impacts being: Germany, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria and Romania. The negative values indicate
savings in greenhouse gas emissions. In 2013, the GHG efficiency shows no differences of the WEEE
management in the developed and developing countries.
Circular Economy (CE) currently represents a viable option for countries, governments, academia and society to transform the linear and semi-circular materials and energy flows into circular flows and obtain better sustainable benefits. In this sense, Industrial Ecology (IE) with its tools can assist in the transition to CE. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to present the theoretical contribution of IE to CE. The methodology used was based on bibliometric analysis in the international context. With regard to the bibliometric analyses, we have identified that the evolution of CE would not be possible without the existence of IE concepts and tools, especially with tools such as Industrial Symbiosis (IS) and Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs). Furthermore, three levels of IE contribution to CE were identified, such as: conceptual, technical and policy aspects. Finally, new CE based researches from an IE perspective with bibliometric analysis and with co-citation networks are possible, including, solid waste management and policies.
Approximately one-fourth population across the world rely on traditional fuels (kerosene, natural gas, biomass residue, firewood, coal, animal dung, etc.) for domestic use despite significant socioeconomic and technological development. Fossil fuel reserves are being exploited at a very fast rate to meet the increasing energy demands, so there is a need to find alternative sources of energy before all the fossil fuel reserves are depleted. Waste to energy (WTE) can be considered as a potential alternative source of energy, which is economically viable and environmentally sustainable. The present study reviewed the current global scenario of WTE technological options (incineration, pyrolysis, gasification, anaerobic digestion, and landfilling with gas recovery) for effective energy recovery and the challenges faced by developed and developing countries. This review will provide a framework for evaluating WTE technological options based on case studies of developed and developing countries. Unsanitary landfilling is the most commonly practiced waste disposal option in the developing countries. However, developed countries have realised the potential of WTE technologies for effective municipal solid waste management (MSWM). This review will help the policy makers and the implementing authorities involved in MSWM to understand the current status, challenges and barriers for effective management of municipal solid waste. This review concluded WTE as a potential renewable source of energy, which will partly meet the energy demand and ensure effective MSWM.
Circular economy (CE) is currently a popular concept promoted by the EU, by several national governments and by many businesses around the world. However, the scientific and research content of the CE concept is superficial and unorganized. CE seems to be a collection of vague and separate ideas from several fields and semi-scientific concepts. The objective of this article is to contribute to the scientific research on CE. First, we will define the concept of CE from the perspective of WCED sustainable development and sustainability science. Second, we will conduct a critical analysis of the concept from the perspective of environmental sustainability. The analysis identifies six challenges, for example those of thermodynamics and system boundaries, that need to be resolved for CE to be able to contribute to global net sustainability. These six challenges also serve as research themes and objectives for scholars interested in making progress in sustainable development through the usage of circular economy. CE is important for its power to attract both the business community and policy-making community to sustainability work, but it needs scientific research to secure that the actual environmental impacts of CE work toward sustainability.
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.
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.
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.
Reverse logistics (RL) is gaining momentum worldwide due to global awareness and as a consequence of resource depletion and environmental degradation. Firms encounter RL implementation challenges from different stakeholders, both internally and externally. On the one hand, various governmental agencies are coming out with different environmental regulations while on the other hand academics and researchers are contributing solutions and suggestions in different country contexts. In a real sense however, the benefits of RL implementation is not yet fully realized in the emerging economies. This paper proposes a theoretical RL implementation model and empirically identifies significant RL barriers with respect to management, financial, policy and infrastructure in the Chinese manufacturing industries such as automotive, electrical and electronic, plastics, steel/construction, textiles and paper and paper based products. Key barriers from our study, with respect to these four categories, are: within management category a lack of reverse logistics experts and low commitment, within financial category a lack of initial capital and funds for return monitoring systems, within policy category a lack of enforceable laws and government supportive economic policies and, finally, within infrastructure category a the lack of systems for return monitoring. Contingency effect of ownership was carried out to understand the similarities and differences in RL barriers among the multinational firms and domestic firms investigated.
This paper analyses the way numerical data on Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) quantities are recorded, processed and then reported for six of the most meaningful Italian Districts and shows the difficulties found during the comparison of these Districts, starting from the lack of homogeneity and the fragmentation of the data indispensable to make this critical analysis. These aspects are often ignored, but data certainty are the basis for serious MSW planning. In particular, the paper focuses on overall Source Separation Level (SSL) definition and on the influence that Special Waste (SW) assimilated to MSW has on it. An investigation was then necessary to identify new parameters in place of overall SSL. Moreover, these parameters are not only important for a waste management system performance measure, but are fundamental in order to design and check management plan and to identify possible actions to improve it.
Law 12,305 -Brazilian Policy of Solid Waste (Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos
- Brazil
Brazil (2010). Law 12,305 -Brazilian Policy of Solid Waste (Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos), enacted on
August
2 nd
2010.
Available
at:
<
http://legislacao.planalto.gov.br/legisla/legislacao.nsf/Viw_Identificacao/lei%2012.305-2010?OpenDocument>
[Accessed on December 10 th 2019].
Circular Economy for Plastics in Canada Policy
Canadian Circular Economy Leadership Coalition (2019). Circular Economy for Plastics in Canada Policy.
Available at: < http://circulareconomyleaders.ca/downloads/A_Circular_Economy_for_Plastics_in_Canada.pdf>
[Accessed on January 24 th 2020].
Pesquisa sobre Economia Circular na Indústria Brasileira (Research on circular economy in Brazilian Industry
Confederation of Brazilian Industries -CNI (2019). Pesquisa sobre Economia Circular na Indústria Brasileira
(Research on circular economy in Brazilian Industry. Brasília, CNI. Available at: < https://bucket-gw-cni-static-cmssi.s3.amazonaws.com/media/filer_public/a5/ab/a5abebbb-3bc9-4aed-9f2f-8914358d2f00/economia_circular__-_pesquisa_cni_2.pdf> [Accessed on December 19 th 2019].
Strategy for Circular Economy
Danish Government (2018). Strategy for Circular Economy. Available at: <https://en.mfvm.dk/focus-on/circulareconomy/strategy-for-circular-economy/> [Accessed on January 5 th 2020].
Uma economia circular no Brasil: Uma abordagem exploratória inicial (A circular economy in Brazil: An exploratory initial approach. Rede CE100 Brazil
- Ellen Macarthur Foundation
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017). Uma economia circular no Brasil: Uma abordagem exploratória inicial (A
circular economy in Brazil: An exploratory initial approach.
Rede CE100 Brazil. Available at:
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/languages/Uma-Economia-Circular-no-Brasil_Uma-Exploracao-Inicial.pdf [Accessed in June 2019].
European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform
- European Union
European Union (2019). European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. Available at: <
https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/> [Accessed on December 15 th 2019].
The European Green Deal: COM(2019) 640 final
European Comission (2019). The European Green Deal: COM(2019) 640 final. Available at:
<https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/european-green-deal-communication_en.pdf> [Accessed on December
15 th 2019].
Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European economic and social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A new Circular Economy Action Plan For a cleaner and more competitive Europe
European Commission (2020). Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, the Council,
the European economic and social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. A new Circular Economy Action
Plan For a cleaner and more competitive Europe. COM/2020/98 final Available at: <https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2020%3A98%3AFIN> [Accessed in March 2020].
Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform
- Icesp -Italian
ICESP -Italian Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. Chi siamo? Available at: https://www.icesp.it/ [Accessed
on February 15th 2020].
Circular economy indicators: What do they measure? Resources, Conservation and Recycling
- G Moraga
- S Huysveld
- F Mathieux
- G A Blengini
- L Alaerts
- K Van Acker
- . . Dewulf
Moraga, G., Huysveld, S., Mathieux, F., Blengini, G. A., Alaerts, L., Van Acker, K.,... & Dewulf, J. (2019). Circular
economy indicators: What do they measure? Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 146, 452-461.
Liderar a transição: Plano de Açãopara a Economia Circular em Portugal
- República Portuguesa
República Portuguesa (2017). Liderar a transição: Plano de Açãopara a Economia Circular em Portugal 2017-2020. Available at: <https://www.portugal.gov.pt/download-ficheiros/ficheiro.aspx?v=71fc795e-90a7-48ab-acd8-e49cbbb83d1f> [Accessed on February 28 th 2020]
España Circular 2030: Spanish Circular Economy Strategy
- Spanish Government
Spanish Government (2018). España Circular 2030: Spanish Circular Economy Strategy. Available at: <
https://www.miteco.gob.es/images/es/180206economiacircular_tcm30-440922.pdf> [Accessed on January 5 th
2020].
Brussels, Belgium Capital Region: Circular Economy Transition
United Nations Environment Programme (2019). Brussels, Belgium Capital Region: Circular Economy Transition.
Available at: <https://resourceefficientcities.org/cities/brussels/> [Accessed at December 14 th 2019].