Submitted Successfully!
To reward your contribution, here is a gift for you: A free trial for our video production service.
Thank you for your contribution! You can also upload a video entry or images related to this topic.
Version Summary Created by Modification Content Size Created at Operation
1
Lukasz Nazarko
 -- 2016 2022-06-24 12:37:07 |
2 format
Jason Zhu
 Meta information modification 2016 2022-06-27 03:36:33 |

Video Upload Options

We provide professional Video Production Services to translate complex research into visually appealing presentations. Would you like to try it?
No, upload directly Yes

Confirm

Are you sure to Delete?
Yes No
Cite
If you have any further questions, please contact Encyclopedia Editorial Office.
Nazarko, J.;  Chodakowska, E.;  Nazarko, �. Evaluating Transition towards Circular Economy in European Union. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24445 (accessed on 16 November 2024).
Nazarko J,  Chodakowska E,  Nazarko �. Evaluating Transition towards Circular Economy in European Union. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24445. Accessed November 16, 2024.
Nazarko, Joanicjusz, Ewa Chodakowska, Łukasz Nazarko. "Evaluating Transition towards Circular Economy in European Union" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24445 (accessed November 16, 2024).
Nazarko, J.,  Chodakowska, E., & Nazarko, �. (2022, June 24). Evaluating Transition towards Circular Economy in European Union. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/24445
Nazarko, Joanicjusz, et al. "Evaluating Transition towards Circular Economy in European Union." Encyclopedia. Web. 24 June, 2022.
Evaluating Transition towards Circular Economy in European Union
Edit
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/en15113924

The term circular economy (CE) has existed in the literature since the 1960s. In recent years, it gained significant notability in Europe with the introduction of the circular economy concept into the policy and strategy of the European Union (EU) in 2014 (COM/2014/0398) and the launch of the first Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Commission (COM/2015/0614 Final) in 2015 continued by a new Circular Economy Action Plan: For a cleaner and more competitive Europe (COM(2020)0098). One important step towards CE mainstreaming is the development of suitable indicators that would help measure the state of transition in both absolute and relative/comparative terms. Assessing countries’ performance in achieving the goals of the circular economy is a challenge due to the lack of a generally accepted methodology, the multitude of indicators, and the insufficient data. Countries may be compared in a narrow way, according to single indicators, but a more holistic synthetic assessment of countries is also needed to determine their position against each other.

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) circular economy (CE) sustainability

1. Introduction

The growing impact of human activities on the environment makes the search for viable modes of sustainable development especially urgent [1]. The term circular economy (CE) has existed in the literature since the 1960s [2]. In recent years, it gained significant notability in Europe with the introduction of the circular economy concept into the policy and strategy of the European Union (EU) in 2014 (COM/2014/0398) [3] and the launch of the first Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Commission (COM/2015/0614 Final) in 2015 [4] continued by a new Circular Economy Action Plan: For a cleaner and more competitive Europe (COM(2020)0098) [5]. The growing interest in CE is also reflected by the rapid increase in the number of scientific research and reports [6].
Transition towards the circular economy demands a whole new logic of designing economic processes and running businesses. In the traditional linear model of production and consumption, resources are mined or grown, then transformed into goods which are then used and finally turned into waste (the so called ‘produce-use-dispose’, ‘make-take-dispose’, or ‘take-make-waste’ paradigms). In the circular economy, materials are repeatedly recovered and recycled—they remain in circulation for as long as possible.
Despite a noticeable change in the political discourse, academic discussion, and the public awareness, the current globally dominant economic model essentially remains focused on the efforts to increase consumption constantly, which until now was always related to the increase in production and further depletion of Earth’s resources. Improvement in welfare is typically associated with an increased production and consumption. Especially now, as the world is trying to cope with the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and with the unfolding geopolitical crisis, it is not easy to win the public’s heart by calling for the fundamental rethinking of lifestyles, and for efforts to reconcile profitability with sustainability [7][8]. As Kirchherr notes, discussions between business practitioners, policy makers, and scholars rest upon the CE’s promise to reconcile sustainability and growth [9]. At the same time, there is no consensus, neither among scholars nor among practitioners, that the CE paradigm guarantees social well-being for this generation and the future ones [10][11]. The European Union would need to cut off its ideological roots in the trade union for coal and steel and to prioritise long-term environmental sustainability [12].
Even though a completely circular economy is not possible in complex advanced economies [13][14], some researchers view the CE as the most comprehensive and mature model capable of reconciling economic growth with sustainability and even boost the competitiveness of countries and enterprises by protecting businesses against scarcity of resources [15]. It remains to be seen, however, to what extent the paradigm shift actually occurs. As long as the old linear paradigm shapes the national economic policies (in real terms, not in rhetoric figures), there will be no single country that could come close to the ideal of a truly circular economy. Transition towards a CE must go hand in hand with the shift of the innovation paradigm [16][17] towards models such as Responsible Research and Innovation [18][19][20][21][22], Restorative Innovation [23], or Future-Oriented Technology Analysis [24][25], focusing not only on what is marketable but what is socially desirable and environmentally viable.
A common and widely accepted framework and the standard set of indicators measuring the CE maturity are not established yet. Assessment of the transition towards a CE based on selected indicators is the content of numerous publications that include simple and complex comparisons, qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches [26]. One of the most exploited methods to assess sustainability, comparing the ability to transform labour, capital, and energy (including from renewable energy sources) and taking into account pollutants (e.g., greenhouse gas emissions) into the GDP, is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) [27]. Assessment of the state of development of the circular economy is also carried out using DEA.

2. Circular Economy and Multitude of Related Concepts

Circular economy is a concept that has not been clearly defined in the literature so far. However, different propositions share much in common and converge towards the same paradigm [28]. Kirchherr et al. (2017) [29] view the CE as a market-based economic system that supports business models implementing the ideas of reducing, alternatively reusing, recycling, and recovering materials in the production, distribution, and consumption processes. Such reorientation of the economic system at all levels (products, companies, consumers, cities, regions, countries) shall lead to the environmental viability, welfare, and social equity for the current and future generations. The circular economy is defined in opposition to the linear ‘make-take-waste’ model and is understood as an extension of the concept of green economy or bioeconomy [30][31][32][33] and linked to a cleaner economy, a low emission economy, industrial symbiosis [34], industrial ecology, eco-industry [35][36], cradle-to-cradle economy [37], Tech-Ökonomie [38], zero-waste economy, ‘regenerative by design’ economy [39], natural capitalism [40], green engineering, ecological modernisation [41], or sustainable development in general [42][43][44][45][46].
The bio-based CE is an economy where materials and energy are produced and derived from renewable biological sources [47][48]. Moreover, biological resources are managed in a way that their value is maintained at the highest level as long as possible [49]. Bioeconomic orientation of the CE is particularly suitable in sectors such agriculture [50], fertilizers [51], forestry [52], marine economy, pulp and paper, food production and retail [53], feedstock [54], cosmetics, biofuels, bioplastics [55], construction, furniture as well as bio-waste management [56][57], and wastewater treatment [58]. Metic et al. propose a concept of dual circularity, noting the existence of distinct, yet overlapping, thematic areas of a technology-focused CE and bio-based CE [59]. The area where ‘bio’ fuses with ‘tech’ includes, among others, such topics as microbial production, enzyme technology, and Green Chemistry [60].
Regardless of the definition, the implementation of the principles of a circular economy and the transformation towards less wasteful systems, a more effective and sustainable use of natural resources, and the reduction of pollutant emissions, including greenhouse gases, is becoming one of the key challenges worldwide [61]. Institutional, economic, environmental, organisational, social, technological, supply chain related drivers, barriers, and critical success factors determining the transition to a CE are discussed from different perspectives and at different levels of analysis [62]. Changing the economic systems is not possible in the short term horizon, and the practices that lead to the implementation of the circular economy postulates are introduced gradually [63]. Monitoring the progress of the performance at micro, meso, and macro levels [64] towards the circular economy is a complex and demanding task, mainly because of the multidimensionality and vagueness of the concept [65][66].

3. Macro and Meso Levels of CE Analysis

At the macro and meso levels, researchers study sectoral or spatial (national, regional [67], municipal/urban [68][69]) aspects of CE. Those aspects were divided by Martinho and Mourão [70] into the following categories: (1) efficiency and sustainability [71][72][73], (2) policies, governance, and management [41][74][75][76][77][78], (3) product life-cycle [79][80], (4) resources and waste [81][82], (5) innovation and opportunities [83], (6) sectoral topics, (7) bioeconomy. Mhatre et al. [84] offer an exhaustive list of CE-oriented activities characteristic to different sectors of national economies. Those activities are, among others, related to: bio-based materials, by-products’ utilisation, cascading materials, community involvement, design for disassembly, design for modularity, down-cycling, eco-design, eco-labelling, element recovery, energy recovery, extended producer responsibility, bio-chemicals’ extraction, functional recycling, green procurement, high-quality recycling, incentivised recycling, material substitution, optimising packaging, product as a service, refurbishment, adaptable manufacturing, restoration, reuse, redistribution and resell, sharing, take back and trade-in, upcycling, maintenance and repair, virtualisation.

4. Micro Level of CE Analysis

At the micro level, forward-looking enterprises and organisations anticipate the emerging shift towards the CE and try to transform their operations with the aim at boosting innovation, penetrating new markets, and securing customer loyalty. Interface of entrepreneurship and the CE is an extensively explored topic [85]. Incentivising adoption of CE activities by companies (with a special focus on small and medium enterprises [86]) is also a priority of the European Union [87]. Public sector entities are also evaluated against the circularity criteria, especially with regards to public procurement procedures, internal process and operations, and public service delivery [88]. Eco-innovations [89] and new business models are proposed and validated in various sectors [90][91][92][93]. Discussion on incorporating digital technologies (Industry 4.0, Big Data, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain) into CE frameworks is currently a dynamic field [94]. Interaction between governmental policies and different business models conducive to the CE is also analysed [95].
Four macro-categories of business models aligned with the CE paradigm are distinguished: net-zero emission innovation, servitisation, sharing, product life extension, product residual value recovery [96][97]. In the CE assessment of single organisational entities, such aspects as greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, nitrogen release, phosphorus release, water pollution, release of harmful substances, biodiversity loss, real estate maintenance, transport, space/land usage, and the procurement of electricity, energy, food, and other materials, are considered [37]. Intangible aspects of business alignment to CE principles labelled as values, mission, culture, or mindset are also studied [98].
Several frameworks of CE assessment applied at the macro level may also be used at the micro level, in single businesses and non-profit organisations: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), social life cycle assessment (S-LCA), BS 8001:2017 Standard [99] material flow analysis (MFA), Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), Ecological Footprint (EC), Product Circularity Data Sheet [100]. Accounting and accountability reporting models are also indicated as important mechanisms through which enterprises and stakeholders can measure the progress, costs, and gains from the transition towards a CE [101][102]. The focus here is clearly on fulfilling certain requirements rather than benchmarking (understood as a specific management practice oriented at achieving excellence described in [103]) and comparison with other entities [104]. Depending on the chosen CE assessment approach, different groups of intended end-users may be identified: specific organisations, entities from a particular sector, managers, designers, customers, policy makers [105].

5. CE Metrics and Indicators

One important step towards CE mainstreaming is the development of suitable indicators that would help measure the state of transition in both absolute and relative/comparative terms [26][65][106][107][108]. Research on CE metrics and indicators is ongoing at all levels of analysis (micro, meso, macro), with different indicators trying to capture different dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, social) and core principles of the CE (‘reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, remanufacture, redesign’) [109]. Examples of a quantitative analysis of the CE in the European Union concern individual member states [110][111], groups of member states [112][113], regions [114][115], economic sectors [116][117], or all EU member states [118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125].
The recommended indicators measure different aspects of the CE at the company, regional, and national level [126]. Measures proposed by the EU to progress towards a circular economy at the EU and national level are composed of a set of key indicators that cover production and consumption, waste management, secondary raw materials, and competitiveness and innovation [127]. In the typology of the European Environment Agency (EEA), the indicators are divided into five groups: descriptive indicators, performance indicators, efficiency indicators, policy effectiveness indicators, and total welfare indicators [128]. Different methodologies of clustering and classification are proposed, both conceptual and empirical, to deal with the humongous number of available sustainable development indicators (SDI) [65][129][130][131][132][133][134].

6. DEA Method in the Evaluation of CE Goals Achievement

The DEA method plays an important role in comparative performance assessment. It allows the comparison of the efficiency of countries, regions, organisations, enterprises, and other entities characterised by the same set of inputs and outputs. DEA is broadly applied in various fields of public policy and business endeavours. It is recognised as a useful instrument of efficiency improvement and competitiveness increase [135]. In the case of CE transition evaluation, DEA may be successfully used.

References

  1. Nazarko, Ł.; Žemaitis, E.; Wróblewski, Ł.K.; Šuhajda, K.; Zajączkowska, M. The Impact of Energy Development of the European Union Euro Area Countries on CO2 Emissions Level. Energies 2022, 15, 1425.
  2. Reike, D.; Vermeulen, W.J.V.; Witjes, S. The Circular Economy: New or Refurbished as CE 3.0?—Exploring Controversies in the Conceptualization of the Circular Economy through a Focus on History and Resource Value Retention Options. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2018, 135, 246–264.
  3. European Commission. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions—Towards a Circular Economy: A Zero Waste Programme for Europe (COM/2014/0398 Final); European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2014.
  4. European Commission. Communication from the Commission to the Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee of the Regions. Closing the Loop—An EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy (COM/2015/0614 Final); European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2015.
  5. European Commission. A New Circular Economy Action Plan: For a Cleaner and More Competitive Europe (COM(2020)0098); European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2020.
  6. Alhawari, O.; Awan, U.; Bhutta, M.K.S.; Ülkü, M.A. Insights from Circular Economy Literature: A Review of Extant Definitions and Unravelling Paths to Future Research. Sustainability 2021, 13, 859.
  7. Sillanpää, M.; Ncibi, C. A “circular” world: Reconciling profitability with sustainability. In The Circular Economy; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019; pp. 207–279.
  8. Lohan, C. Money makes the world go ′round? In The Circular Economy in the European Union; Eisenriegler, S., Ed.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2020; pp. 31–42.
  9. Kirchherr, J. Circular Economy and Growth: A Critical Review of “Post-Growth” Circularity and a Plea for a Circular Economy That Grows. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2022, 179, 106033.
  10. Padilla-Rivera, A.; Russo-Garrido, S.; Merveille, N. Addressing the Social Aspects of a Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7912.
  11. Rask, N. An Intersectional Reading of Circular Economy Policies: Towards Just and Sufficiency-Driven Sustainabilities. Local Environ. 2022, 1–17.
  12. Kovacic, Z.; Strand, R.; Völker, T. The Circular Economy in Europe: Critical Perspectives on Policies and Imaginaries, 1st ed.; Routledge Explorations in Sustainability and Governance; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2019.
  13. Holzinger, H. More efficiency is not enough. Capabilities and limits of the circular economy. In The Circular Economy in the European Union; Eisenriegler, S., Ed.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2020; pp. 187–206.
  14. Kirchherr, J.; Piscicelli, L.; Bour, R.; Kostense-Smit, E.; Muller, J.; Huibrechtse-Truijens, A.; Hekkert, M. Barriers to the Circular Economy: Evidence from the European Union (EU). Ecol. Econ. 2018, 150, 264–272.
  15. Sillanpää, M.; Ncibi, C. Preface. In The Circular Economy; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019; pp. vii–ix.
  16. Suchek, N.; Fernandes, C.I.; Kraus, S.; Filser, M.; Sjögrén, H. Innovation and the Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review. Bus. Strategy Environ. 2021, 30, 3686–3702.
  17. Herrero-Luna, S.; Ferrer-Serrano, M.; Pilar Latorre-Martínez, M. Circular Economy and Innovation: A Systematic Literature Review. CEBR 2022, 11, 65–84.
  18. Nazarko, L.; Melnikas, B. Operationalising Responsible Research and Innovation—Tools for Enterprises. Eng. Manag. Prod. Serv. 2019, 11, 21–28.
  19. Nazarko, L.; Melnikas, B. Responsible Research and Innovation in Engineering and Technology Management: Concept, Metrics and Assessment. In Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Conference (TEMSCON), Atlanta, GA, USA, 12–14 June 2019; IEEE: Piscataway, NJ, USA, 2019; pp. 1–5.
  20. Bernstein, M.J.; Nielsen, M.W.; Alnor, E.; Brasil, A.; Birkving, A.L.; Chan, T.T.; Griessler, E.; de Jong, S.; van de Klippe, W.; Meijer, I.; et al. The Societal Readiness Thinking Tool: A Practical Resource for Maturing the Societal Readiness of Research Projects. Sci. Eng. Ethics 2022, 28, 6.
  21. Wiarda, M.; van de Kaa, G.; Yaghmaei, E.; Doorn, N. A Comprehensive Appraisal of Responsible Research and Innovation: From Roots to Leaves. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang. 2021, 172, 121053.
  22. Pansera, M.; Genovese, A.; Ripa, M. Politicising Circular Economy: What Can We Learn from Responsible Innovation? J. Responsible Innov. 2021, 8, 471–477.
  23. Tan, J.; Tan, F.J.; Ramakrishna, S. Transitioning to a Circular Economy: A Systematic Review of Its Drivers and Barriers. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1757.
  24. Cagnin, C.; Havas, A.; Saritas, O. Future-Oriented Technology Analysis: Its Potential to Address Disruptive Transformations. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Chang. 2013, 80, 379–385.
  25. Nazarko, Ł. Future-Oriented Technology Assessment. Procedia Eng. 2017, 182, 504–509.
  26. Elia, V.; Gnoni, M.G.; Tornese, F. Measuring Circular Economy Strategies through Index Methods: A Critical Analysis. J. Clean. Prod. 2017, 142, 2741–2751.
  27. Chodakowska, E.; Nazarko, J. Assessing the Performance of Sustainable Development Goals of EU Countries: Hard and Soft Data Integration. Energies 2020, 13, 3439.
  28. Saidani, M.; Yannou, B.; Leroy, Y.; Cluzel, F. How to Assess Product Performance in the Circular Economy? Proposed Requirements for the Design of a Circularity Measurement Framework. Recycling 2017, 2, 6.
  29. Kirchherr, J.; Reike, D.; Hekkert, M. Conceptualizing the Circular Economy: An Analysis of 114 Definitions. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2017, 127, 221–232.
  30. D’Amato, D.; Droste, N.; Allen, B.; Kettunen, M.; Lähtinen, K.; Korhonen, J.; Leskinen, P.; Matthies, B.D.; Toppinen, A. Green, Circular, Bio Economy: A Comparative Analysis of Sustainability Avenues. J. Clean. Prod. 2017, 168, 716–734.
  31. Bijon, N.; Wassenaar, T.; Junqua, G.; Dechesne, M. Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy through Industrial Symbiosis: Current Situation and Perspectives. Sustainability 2022, 14, 1605.
  32. Abad-Segura, E.; Batlles-delaFuente, A.; González-Zamar, M.-D.; Belmonte-Ureña, L.J. Implications for Sustainability of the Joint Application of Bioeconomy and Circular Economy: A Worldwide Trend Study. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7182.
  33. D’Amato, D.; Korhonen, J. Integrating the Green Economy, Circular Economy and Bioeconomy in a Strategic Sustainability Framework. Ecol. Econ. 2021, 188, 107143.
  34. Wen, Z.; Meng, X. Quantitative Assessment of Industrial Symbiosis for the Promotion of Circular Economy: A Case Study of the Printed Circuit Boards Industry in China’s Suzhou New District. J. Clean. Prod. 2015, 90, 211–219.
  35. Shi, L.; Yu, B. Eco-Industrial Parks from Strategic Niches to Development Mainstream: The Cases of China. Sustainability 2014, 6, 6325–6331.
  36. Wenbo, L. Comprehensive Evaluation Research on Circular Economic Performance of Eco-Industrial Parks. Energy Procedia 2011, 5, 1682–1688.
  37. Droege, H.; Raggi, A.; Ramos, T.B. A systematic literature review on circular economy performance assessment in public sector organizations. In The Role of Law in Governing Sustainability; Routledge: London, UK, 2021.
  38. Bhardwaj, A. Principles of Tech-Ökonomie: Future of economics for 2050. In The Circular Economy in the European Union; Eisenriegler, S., Ed.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2020; pp. 207–221.
  39. Webster, K. Economic futures. The circular economy surfs a wave of change. But can it be part of changing the wave? What is implied by the slogan ‘regenerative by design’? In The Circular Economy in the European Union; Eisenriegler, S., Ed.; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2020; pp. 21–29.
  40. Ogunmakinde, O.E.; Sher, W.; Egbelakin, T. Circular Economy Pillars: A Semi-Systematic Review. Clean Technol. Environ. Policy 2021, 23, 899–914.
  41. Leipold, S. Transforming Ecological Modernization ‘from within’ or Perpetuating It? The Circular Economy as EU Environmental Policy Narrative. Environ. Politics 2021, 30, 1045–1067.
  42. Merli, R.; Preziosi, M.; Acampora, A. How Do Scholars Approach the Circular Economy? A Systematic Literature Review. J. Clean. Prod. 2018, 178, 703–722.
  43. Andrews, D. The Circular Economy, Design Thinking and Education for Sustainability. Local Econ. 2015, 30, 305–315.
  44. Geissdoerfer, M.; Savaget, P.; Bocken, N.M.P.; Hultink, E.J. The Circular Economy—A New Sustainability Paradigm? J. Clean. Prod. 2017, 143, 757–768.
  45. D’Adamo, I. Adopting a Circular Economy: Current Practices and Future Perspectives. Soc. Sci. 2019, 8, 328.
  46. Panchal, R.; Singh, A.; Diwan, H. Does Circular Economy Performance Lead to Sustainable Development?—A Systematic Literature Review. J. Environ. Manag. 2021, 293, 112811.
  47. McCormick, K.; Kautto, N. The Bioeconomy in Europe: An Overview. Sustainability 2013, 5, 2589–2608.
  48. Yang, L.; Wang, X.-C.; Dai, M.; Chen, B.; Qiao, Y.; Deng, H.; Zhang, D.; Zhang, Y.; Villas Bôas de Almeida, C.M.; Chiu, A.S.F.; et al. Shifting from Fossil-Based Economy to Bio-Based Economy: Status Quo, Challenges, and Prospects. Energy 2021, 228, 120533.
  49. Vanhamaki, S.; Medkova, K.; Malamakis, A.; Kontogianni, S.; Marisova, E.; Huisman Dellago, D.; Moussiopoulos, N. Bio-Based Circular Economy in European National and Regional Strategies. Int. J. SDP 2019, 14, 31–43.
  50. Patil, S.; Konde, K.; Behera, S. Bio-Circular Economy: An Opportunity for Diversification for Sugar Industries in Compressed Biogas (CBG) and Organic Fertilizer Production. Sugar Tech 2022, 1–14.
  51. Vanhamäki, S.; Virtanen, M.; Luste, S.; Manskinen, K. Transition towards a Circular Economy at a Regional Level: A Case Study on Closing Biological Loops. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2020, 156, 104716.
  52. Jarre, M.; Petit-Boix, A.; Priefer, C.; Meyer, R.; Leipold, S. Transforming the bio-based sector towards a circular economy—What can we learn from wood cascading? For. Policy Econ. 2020, 110, 101872.
  53. Istudor, L.-G.; Suciu, M.-C. Bioeconomy and Circular Economy in the European Food Retail Sector. EJSD 2020, 9, 501–511.
  54. Sherwood, J. The Significance of Biomass in a Circular Economy. Bioresour. Technol. 2020, 300, 122755.
  55. Imbert, E.; Ladu, L.; Tani, A.; Morone, P. The transition towards a bio-based economy: A comparative study based on social network analysis. J. Environ. Manag. 2019, 230, 255–265.
  56. Jain, A.; Sarsaiya, S.; Kumar Awasthi, M.; Singh, R.; Rajput, R.; Mishra, U.C.; Chen, J.; Shi, J. Bioenergy and Bio-Products from Bio-Waste and Its Associated Modern Circular Economy: Current Research Trends, Challenges, and Future Outlooks. Fuel 2022, 307, 121859.
  57. Cong, R.-G.; Thomsen, M. Review of Ecosystem Services in a Bio-Based Circular Economy and Governance Mechanisms. Ecosyst. Serv. 2021, 50, 101298.
  58. Furness, M.; Bello-Mendoza, R.; Dassonvalle, J.; Chamy-Maggi, R. Building the ‘Bio-Factory’: A Bibliometric Analysis of Circular Economies and Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment in Wastewater Treatment. J. Clean. Prod. 2021, 323, 129127.
  59. Metic, J.; McAloone, T.C.; Pigosso, D.C.A. A Look into Circular Economy Research: Exploring the Bio and Techno Cycles and the Need for Dual Circularity. Proc. Des. Soc. 2021, 1, 121–130.
  60. Lange, L.; Connor, K.O.; Arason, S.; Bundgård-Jørgensen, U.; Canalis, A.; Carrez, D.; Gallagher, J.; Gøtke, N.; Huyghe, C.; Jarry, B.; et al. Developing a Sustainable and Circular Bio-Based Economy in EU: By Partnering Across Sectors, Upscaling and Using New Knowledge Faster, and For the Benefit of Climate, Environment & Biodiversity, and People & Business. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 2021, 8, 619066.
  61. International Resource Panel (IRP) of the United Nations Environmental Programme. Assessing Global Resource Use: A Systems Approach to Resource Efficiency and Pollution Reduction; UNESCO: Paris, France, 2017.
  62. Aloini, D.; Dulmin, R.; Mininno, V.; Stefanini, A.; Zerbino, P. Driving the Transition to a Circular Economic Model: A Systematic Review on Drivers and Critical Success Factors in Circular Economy. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10672.
  63. Kulczycka, J. (Ed.) Gospodarka o Obiegu Zamkniętym w Polityce i Badaniach Naukowych; Wydawnictwo IGSMiE PAN: Kraków, Poland, 2019.
  64. Harris, S.; Martin, M.; Diener, D. Circularity for Circularity’s Sake? Scoping Review of Assessment Methods for Environmental Performance in the Circular Economy. Sustain. Prod. Consum. 2021, 26, 172–186.
  65. Saidani, M.; Yannou, B.; Leroy, Y.; Cluzel, F.; Kendall, A. A Taxonomy of Circular Economy Indicators. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 207, 542–559.
  66. Camón Luis, E.; Celma, D. Circular Economy. A Review and Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability 2020, 12, 6381.
  67. Van Bueren, B.J.A.; Iyer-Raniga, U.; Leenders, M.A.A.M.; Argus, K. Comprehensiveness of Circular Economy Assessments of Regions: A Systematic Review at the Macro-Level. Environ. Res. Lett. 2021, 16, 103001.
  68. Vanhuyse, F.; Fejzić, E.; Ddiba, D.; Henrysson, M. The Lack of Social Impact Considerations in Transitioning towards Urban Circular Economies: A Scoping Review. Sustain. Cities Soc. 2021, 75, 103394.
  69. Kębłowski, W.; Lambert, D.; Bassens, D. Circular Economy and the City: An Urban Political Economy Agenda. Cult. Organ. 2020, 26, 142–158.
  70. Martinho, V.D.; Mourão, P.R. Circular Economy and Economic Development in the European Union: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7767.
  71. Naydenov, K.; Atanasov, D. Circular Economy and Sustainable Development in the EU—Some Aspects and Trends. ICIGIS 2020, 26, 5–11.
  72. Kryshtanovych, M.; Filippova, V.; Huba, M.; Kartashova, O.; Molnar, O. Evaluation of the implementation of the circular economy in EU countries in the context of sustainable development. Bus. Theory Pract. 2020, 21, 704–712.
  73. Sánchez-Ortiz, J.; Rodríguez-Cornejo, V.; Del Río-Sánchez, R.; García-Valderrama, T. Indicators to Measure Efficiency in Circular Economies. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4483.
  74. Völker, T.; Kovacic, Z.; Strand, R. Indicator Development as a Site of Collective Imagination? The Case of European Commission Policies on the Circular Economy. Cult. Organ. 2020, 26, 103–120.
  75. Calisto Friant, M.; Vermeulen, W.J.V.; Salomone, R. Analysing European Union Circular Economy Policies: Words versus Actions. Sustain. Prod. Consum. 2021, 27, 337–353.
  76. Camilleri, M.A. European Environment Policy for the Circular Economy: Implications for Business and Industry Stakeholders. Sustain. Dev. 2020, 28, 1804–1812.
  77. Hartley, K.; van Santen, R.; Kirchherr, J. Policies for Transitioning towards a Circular Economy: Expectations from the European Union (EU). Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2020, 155, 104634.
  78. Fitch-Roy, O.; Benson, D.; Monciardini, D. All around the World: Assessing Optimality in Comparative Circular Economy Policy Packages. J. Clean. Prod. 2021, 286, 125493.
  79. Peña, C.; Civit, B.; Gallego-Schmid, A.; Druckman, A.; Pires, A.C.; Weidema, B.; Mieras, E.; Wang, F.; Fava, J.; Canals, L.M.I.; et al. Using Life Cycle Assessment to Achieve a Circular Economy. Int. J. Life Cycle Assess. 2021, 26, 215–220.
  80. Jerome, A.; Helander, H.; Ljunggren, M.; Janssen, M. Mapping and Testing Circular Economy Product-Level Indicators: A Critical Review. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2022, 178, 106080.
  81. Rodríguez-Antón, J.M.; Rubio-Andrada, L.; Celemín-Pedroche, M.S.; Ruíz-Peñalver, S.M. From the Circular Economy to the Sustainable Development Goals in the European Union: An Empirical Comparison. Int. Environ. Agreem. 2022, 22, 67–95.
  82. Halkos, G.; Petrou, K.N. Analysing the Energy Efficiency of EU Member States: The Potential of Energy Recovery from Waste in the Circular Economy. Energies 2019, 12, 3718.
  83. Kuzma, E.L.; Sehnem, S.; Lopes de Sousa Jabbour, A.B.; Campos, L.M.S. Circular Economy Indicators and Levels of Innovation: An Innovative Systematic Literature Review. Int. J. Product. Perform. Manag. 2022, 71, 952–980.
  84. Mhatre, P.; Panchal, R.; Singh, A.; Bibyan, S. A Systematic Literature Review on the Circular Economy Initiatives in the European Union. Sustain. Prod. Consum. 2021, 26, 187–202.
  85. Suchek, N.; Ferreira, J.J.; Fernandes, P.O. A Review of Entrepreneurship and Circular Economy Research: State of the Art and Future Directions. Bus. Strategy Environ. 2022, 1–28.
  86. Gil Lamata, M.; Latorre Martínez, M.P. The Circular Economy and Sustainability: A Systematic Literature Review. Cuad. Gestión 2022, 22, 129–142.
  87. Katz-Gerro, T.; López Sintas, J. Mapping Circular Economy Activities in the European Union: Patterns of Implementation and Their Correlates in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. Bus. Strategy Environ. 2019, 28, 485–496.
  88. Klein, N.; Ramos, T.; Deutz, P. Circular Economy Practices and Strategies in Public Sector Organizations: An Integrative Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4181.
  89. Triguero, Á.; Cuerva, M.C.; Sáez-Martínez, F.J. Closing the Loop through Eco-innovation by European Firms: Circular Economy for Sustainable Development. Bus. Strategy Environ. 2022, 1–14.
  90. Donner, M.; Gohier, R.; de Vries, H. A New Circular Business Model Typology for Creating Value from Agro-Waste. Sci. Total Environ. 2020, 716, 137065.
  91. Atstaja, D.; Cudecka-Purina, N.; Hrinchenko, R.; Koval, V.; Grasis, J.; Vesere, R. Alignment of Circular Economy Business Models for Framing National Sustainable Economic Development. Acta Innov. 2022, 42, 5–14.
  92. Markevych, K.; Maistro, S.; Koval, V.; Paliukh, V. Mining Sustainability and Circular Economy in the Context of Economic Security in Ukraine. Min. Miner. Depos. 2022, 16, 101–113.
  93. Atstaja, D.; Koval, V.; Grasis, J.; Kalina, I.; Kryshtal, H.; Mikhno, I. Sharing Model in Circular Economy towards Rational Use in Sustainable Production. Energies 2022, 15, 939.
  94. Khan, S.A.R.; Shah, A.S.A.; Yu, Z.; Tanveer, M. A Systematic Literature Review on Circular Economy Practices: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Trends. J. Entrepreneurship Emerg. Econ. 2022; ahead-of-print.
  95. Wasserbaur, R.; Sakao, T.; Milios, L. Interactions of Governmental Policies and Business Models for a Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review. J. Clean. Prod. 2022, 337, 130329.
  96. Sillanpää, M.; Ncibi, C. Accelerating the implementation of circular economy. In The Circular Economy; Elsevier: Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2019; pp. 69–109.
  97. Tonelli, M.; Cristoni, N. Strategic Management and the Circular Economy, 1st ed.; Routledge Research in Strategic Management; Routledge: New York, NY, USA, 2018.
  98. Bansal, S.; Jain, M.; Garg, I.; Srivastava, M. Attaining Circular Economy through Business Sustainability Approach: An Integrative Review and Research Agenda. J. Public Aff. 2022, 22, e2319.
  99. BS 8001:2017; Framework for Implementing the Principles of the Circular Economy in Organizations. Guide. British Standard Institution: London, UK, 2017.
  100. Mulhall, D.; Ayed, A.-C.; Schroeder, J.; Hansen, K.; Wautelet, T. The Product Circularity Data Sheet—A Standardized Digital Fingerprint for Circular Economy Data about Products. Energies 2022, 15, 3397.
  101. Di Vaio, A.; Hasan, S.; Palladino, R.; Hassan, R. The Transition towards Circular Economy and Waste within Accounting and Accountability Models: A Systematic Literature Review and Conceptual Framework. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 2022. Ahead-of-Print.
  102. Opferkuch, K.; Caeiro, S.; Salomone, R.; Ramos, T.B. Circular Economy in Corporate Sustainability Reporting: A Review of Organisational Approaches. Bus. Strategy Environ. 2021, 30, 4015–4036.
  103. Nazarko, J.; Anna Kuźmicz, K.; Szubzda-Prutis, E.; Urban, J. The General Concept of Benchmarking and Its Application in Higher Education in Europe. High. Educ. Eur. 2009, 34, 497–510.
  104. Vinante, C.; Sacco, P.; Orzes, G.; Borgianni, Y. Circular Economy Metrics: Literature Review and Company-Level Classification Framework. J. Clean. Prod. 2021, 288, 125090.
  105. Roos Lindgreen, E.; Salomone, R.; Reyes, T. A Critical Review of Academic Approaches, Methods and Tools to Assess Circular Economy at the Micro Level. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4973.
  106. Di Maio, F.; Rem, P.C.; Baldé, K.; Polder, M. Measuring Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy: A Market Value Approach. Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 2017, 122, 163–171.
  107. Geng, Y.; Sarkis, J.; Ulgiati, S.; Zhang, P. Measuring China’s Circular Economy. Science 2013, 339, 1526–1527.
  108. Martinho, V.J.P.D. Insights into Circular Economy Indicators: Emphasizing Dimensions of Sustainability. Environ. Sustain. Indic. 2021, 10, 100119.
  109. De Pascale, A.; Arbolino, R.; Szopik-Depczyńska, K.; Limosani, M.; Ioppolo, G. A Systematic Review for Measuring Circular Economy: The 61 Indicators. J. Clean. Prod. 2021, 281, 124942.
  110. Švarc, J.; Dabić, M.; Lažnjak, J. Assessment of the European Monitoring Frameworks for Circular Economy: The Case of Croatia. Manag. Environ. Qual. 2022, 33, 371–389.
  111. Slavík, J.; Remr, J.; Vejchodská, E. Relevance of Selected Measures in Transition to a Circular Economy: The Case of the Czech Republic. Detritus 2018, 1, 144–154.
  112. Zielińska, A. Comparative Analysis of Circular Economy Implementation in Poland and Other European Union Countries. J. Int. Stud. 2019, 12, 337–347.
  113. Škrinjarić, T. Empirical Assessment of the Circular Economy of Selected European Countries. J. Clean. Prod. 2020, 255, 120246.
  114. Silvestri, F.; Spigarelli, F.; Tassinari, M. Regional Development of Circular Economy in the European Union: A Multidimensional Analysis. J. Clean. Prod. 2020, 255, 120218.
  115. Vanhamäki, S.; Rinkinen, S.; Manskinen, K. Adapting a Circular Economy in Regional Strategies of the European Union. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1518.
  116. Mantalovas, K.; Di Mino, G.; Jimenez Del Barco Carrion, A.; Keijzer, E.; Kalman, B.; Parry, T.; Lo Presti, D. European National Road Authorities and Circular Economy: An Insight into Their Approaches. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7160.
  117. Regueiro, L.; Newton, R.; Soula, M.; Méndez, D.; Kok, B.; Little, D.C.; Pastres, R.; Johansen, J.; Ferreira, M. Opportunities and Limitations for the Introduction of Circular Economy Principles in EU Aquaculture Based on the Regulatory Framework. J. Ind. Ecol. 2021, 1–12.
  118. Shpak, N.; Olha, M.; Nataliya, H.; Mariana, R.; Włodzimierz, S. Assessing the Implementation of the Circular Economy in the EU Countries. Forum Sci. Oeconomia 2021, 9, 25–39.
  119. Gomonov, K.; Ratner, S.; Lazanyuk, I.; Revinova, S. Clustering of EU Countries by the Level of Circular Economy: An Object-Oriented Approach. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7158.
  120. Mihaela, M.; Daniela, M.; Emilia, T.; Valentina, V. Correlations in the European Circular Economy. Econ. Comput. Econ. Cybern. Stud. Res. 2018, 52, 61–78.
  121. Ūsas, J.; Balezentis, T.; Streimikiene, D. Development and Integrated Assessment of the Circular Economy in the European Union: The Outranking Approach. J. Enterp. Inf. Manag. 2021. ahead-of-print.
  122. Fura, B.; Stec, M.; Miś, T. Statistical Evaluation of the Level of Development of Circular Economy in European Union Member Countries. Energies 2020, 13, 6401.
  123. Busu, M.; Trica, C.L. Sustainability of Circular Economy Indicators and Their Impact on Economic Growth of the European Union. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5481.
  124. Mazur-Wierzbicka, E. Towards Circular Economy—A Comparative Analysis of the Countries of the European Union. Resources 2021, 10, 49.
  125. Marino, A.; Pariso, P. Comparing European Countries’ Performances in the Transition towards the Circular Economy. Sci. Total Environ. 2020, 729, 138142.
  126. Azevedo, S.; Godina, R.; Matias, J. Proposal of a Sustainable Circular Index for Manufacturing Companies. Resources 2017, 6, 63.
  127. European Commission (EC). Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic and Social Committee and The Committee of The Regions on a Monitoring Framework For The Circular Economy (COM/2018/029 Final); European Commission: Brussels, Belgium, 2018.
  128. European Environment Agency (EEA). Available online: https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/about (accessed on 17 March 2022).
  129. Parchomenko, A.; Nelen, D.; Gillabel, J.; Rechberger, H. Measuring the Circular Economy—A Multiple Correspondence Analysis of 63 Metrics. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 210, 200–216.
  130. Sassanelli, C.; Rosa, P.; Rocca, R.; Terzi, S. Circular Economy Performance Assessment Methods: A Systematic Literature Review. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 229, 440–453.
  131. Rocca, R.; Sassanelli, C.; Rosa, P.; Terzi, S. Circular economy performance assessment. In New Business Models for the Reuse of Secondary Resources from WEEEs; Rosa, P., Terzi, S., Eds.; SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology; Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland, 2021; pp. 17–33.
  132. Pacurariu, R.L.; Vatca, S.D.; Lakatos, E.S.; Bacali, L.; Vlad, M. A Critical Review of EU Key Indicators for the Transition to the Circular Economy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 8840.
  133. Dos Santos Gonçalves, P.V.; Campos, L.M.S. A Systemic Review for Measuring Circular Economy with Multi-Criteria Methods. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 2022, 29, 31597–31611.
  134. Polyakov, M.; Khanin, I.; Bilozubenko, V.; Korneyev, M.; Shevchenko, G. Factors of Uneven Progress of the European Union Countries towards a Circular Economy. Probl. Perspect. Manag. 2021, 19, 332–344.
  135. Rostamzadeh, R.; Akbarian, O.; Banaitis, A.; Soltani, Z. Application of DEA in Benchmarking: A Systematic Literature Review from 2003–2020. Technol. Econ. Dev. Econ. 2021, 27, 175–222.
More
© Text is available under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.
Upload a video for this entry
Information
Subjects: Economics
Contributors MDPI registered users' name will be linked to their SciProfiles pages. To register with us, please refer to https://encyclopedia.pub/register :
Joanicjusz Nazarko
,
Ewa Chodakowska
,
Łukasz Nazarko
View Times: 669
Revisions: 2 times (View History)
Update Date: 27 Jun 2022
Table of Contents
    1000/1000
    Hot Most Recent
    ScholarVision Creations
    Feedback