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Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 27986

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña

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Guest Editor

1. Department of Agronomy, Universidad de Almería, 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
2. ERASME - Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on Sustainability, Polytech Clermont, 63170 Aubière, France
Interests: circular economy; agronomy; environmental economics; agricultural waste management; development economics; agricultural profitability; Sustainable Development Goals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Manuel E. Morales

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Guest Editor

ERA Chair, School of Economics and Business at the Kaunas University of Technology
Interests: circular economy; bioeconomy; waste management; sustainable development; industrial symbiosis

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

The circular management of resources has become a key driver in fighting against global issues, such as resource depletion and/or waste overproduction. Even though there are global recycling circuits trying to tackle this challenge already, they cannot give a satisfactory circular answer. Side effects such as the long-distance transportation of wastes, highly energy consumer processes, disparities in the environmental stringency between countries, local unemployment, and high rate of CO₂ emissions result in a partial answer to this challenge that in some cases could be triggered into negative rebound effects in resource depletion and final waste production. Bioeconomy has become a realistic alternative to an economy based on fossil carbon (coal, oil, or gas). The bioeconomy proposes the innovative transformation of renewable resources to produce food and non-food goods, molecules of interest, energy, biomaterials, and other biobased products. It shares many claims with disciplines such as the industrial ecology, systems thinking and institutional analysis, especially when talking about the transition to renewable, biobased resources in order to produce food, energy, biomaterials, and other biobased products. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were unanimously adopted by all member states of the United Nations in September 2015 (UN GA 2015). These goals encompass a broad range of economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development and set specific targets for the implementation of these ambitious goals. If the timeframe set by the UN to achieve these ambitious goals by 2030 is to be realized, there will need to be unrivaled international collaboration over the next ten years within the political, scientific, and civil societal realms. Furthermore, if humanity is to meet these goals, then clear pathways must be identified to achieve these goals for an equitable society within a sustainable Earth system.

This Special Issue seeks original research that addresses some of the major challenges facing circular economy strategies in bioeconomy responsive governance and its adaptive and interactive management need to ensure that all actors are taken into account as a matter of basic justice toward SDGs. Papers can also focus on the co-design of pathways for bioeconomy transition, environmental boundaries, critical drivers, opportunities for technological and social innovation and diffusion, sound institutions and transformative governance capabilities, and other critical socioeconomic developments.

Papers are welcome to explore circular economy strategies within industrial systems by pointing out the increase in reuse and recycling and the decrease in waste production via the modification of production systems and business models. All circular economy strategies can be analyzed at different scales: microscopic, such as industrial platforms or industrial; mesoscopic, such as a community; up to macroscopic, such as region or country.

References (co-author in the following publications)

- (2020). Biodegradable Raffia as a Sustainable and Cost-Effective Alternative to Improve the Management of Agricultural Waste Biomass. Agronomy, 10, 1261

- (2020). Effects of circular economy policies on the environment and sustainable growth: Worldwide research. Sustainability (Switzerland), 12(14), 1-27. doi:10.3390/su12145792

- (2020). Industrial processes management for a sustainable society: Global research analysis. Processes, 8(5) doi:10.3390/PR8050631

- (2020). Agricultural waste: Review of the evolution, approaches and perspectives on alternative uses. Global Ecology and Conservation, 22 doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00902

- (2020). The management of agricultural waste biomass in the framework of circular economy and bioeconomy: An opportunity for greenhouse agriculture in southeast spain. Agronomy, 10(4) doi:10.3390/agronomy10040489

- (2020). Examining the research evolution on the socio-economic and environmental dimensions on university social responsibility. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(13), 1-30. doi:10.3390/ijerph17134729

- (2020). Analysis of World Research on Grafting in Horticultural Plants. HortScience, publish ahead of issue, 1-9. doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI14533-19

- (2019). Industrial symbiosis dynamics, a strategy to accomplish complex analysis: The dunkirk case study. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(7) doi:10.3390/su11071971

- (2019). The sustainable approach to corporate social responsibility: A global analysis and future trends. Sustainability (Switzerland), 11(19), 5382. doi.org/10.3390/su11195382.

- (2019). The worldwide research trends on water ecosystem services. Ecological Indicators, 99, 310- 323. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.12.045.

- (2019). Profit analysis of papaya crops under greenhouses as an alternative to traditional intensive horticulture in Southeast Spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(16), 2908. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16162908.

- (2019). The production and quality of different varieties of papaya grown under greenhouse in short cycle in continental Europe. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16 (10), 1789. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16101789.

- (2019). Innovation and technology for sustainable mining activity: A worldwide research assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 221, 38-54. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.02.243.

- (2019). Aquifer sustainability and the use of desalinated seawater for greenhouse irrigation in the campo de níjar, southeast spain. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(5) doi:10.3390/ijerph16050898

- (2018). Economic analysis of sustainable water use: A review of worldwide research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 198, 1120-1132. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.07.066

- (2017). Perceptions and acceptance of desalinated seawater for irrigation: A case study in the níjar district (southeast spain). Water (Switzerland), 9(6) doi:10.3390/w9060408

- (2016). Economic and social sustainability through organic agriculture: Study of the restructuring of the citrus sector in the "bajo andarax" district (spain). Sustainability (Switzerland), 8(9) doi:10.3390/su8090918

- (2016). Characterization of the unirrigated almond farms in andalusia and strategies for reconversion. [Caracterización del cultivo del almendro en secano en Andalucía y propuestas de reconversión] ITEA Informacion Tecnica Economica Agraria, 112(3), 317-335. doi:10.12706/itea.2016.020

- (2016). Greenhouse agriculture in Almería. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis. Cajamar Caja Rural. Almería, Spain.

- (2015). Heterogeneity of the environmental regulation of industrial wastewater: European wineries. Water Science and Technology, 72(9), 1667-1673. doi:10.2166/wst.2015.387

- (2014). The industrial agriculture: A ‘model for modernization’ from almería? Seasonal workers in mediterranean agriculture: The social costs of eating fresh (pp. 112-120) doi:10.4324/9781315884431

(2013). Appraisal of environmental regulations on sustainable consumption of water in the wine-producing spanish industry. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 12(10), 1979-1987.

Other topics include but are not limited to the following:

Co-design of circular economy pathways toward sustainability
Innovative environmental solutions between economy, technology, and institutions
Systems analysis of synergies and trade-offs among Sustainable Development Goals
Science based tools to define and propose sustainable pathways to policy and decision makers
Systemic impacts, trade-offs, and unintended consequences that may result from pursuing the goals of the biobased economy
Food and biofuels supply chain dynamics in biobased economy
Product/service systems
Guest Editors.
PhD. Luis J. Belmonte-Ureña and PhD. Manuel E. Morales

Prof. Dr. Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña
Dr. Manuel E. Morales
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

circular economy
bioeconomy
waste management
sustainable development
new technologies
industrial policy
product/service systems

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 835 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Does Information Influence Consumers’ Purchase Decisions for Environmentally Friendly Farming Produce? Evidence from China and Japan Based on Choice Experiment

by Runan Yang, Katsuhito Fuyuki and Keeni Minakshi

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9470; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159470 - 2 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1494

Abstract

In this research, 600 Chinese and Japanese consumers were divided into four groups to analyze consumers’ marginal willingness to pay for environmentally friendly farming (EFF) produce. We found that Chinese consumers had high awareness of green foods, while Japanese consumers were more familiar with organic produce than specially cultivated produce, perhaps because the latter has not yet received uniform national certification in Japan. Choice experiments show that EFF produce prices and consumers’ income critically affect consumers’ decision to pay, especially in China. After each group read different formal definitions of EFF produce, Chinese consumers still preferred green food certification, whereas Japanese consumers chose specially cultivated carrots. Both displayed different ideological purchasing behaviors through added interaction terms with an increase in education. When no information was given, Japanese consumers’ purchasing decisions became more positive as their education levels rose. Possibly, highly educated Chinese consumers emphasize pragmatism, whereas Japanese consumers emphasize the connection between environmental protection and agriculture. Therefore, EFF messaging should be differentiated by region. For distributors committed to international trade in EFF products between developing and developed markets, we suggest lower costs, differentiated product messaging, and community initiatives events to enhance trade and marketing in both China and Japan. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs)

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20 pages, 987 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of Reverse Logistics Activities in the Recycling of Used Plastic Bottled Water Waste Management

by Gemechu Abdissa, Abebe Ayalew, Anna Dunay and Csaba Bálint Illés

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7650; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137650 - 23 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4779

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of reverse logistics in the recycling of used plastic bottles and waste management in Ethiopia. To achieve the study’s goal, the authors used a descriptive research design where a combination of primary and secondary data sources was employed. Primary data was collected from 258 respondents, while secondary data was taken from office manuals, yearly reports, and brochures. The findings of our analysis show that incineration, landfilling, and dumping of used plastic bottles on the side of the road are all apparent in the environment, making the city and its environs filthy and unpleasant to live in. This study also discovered that reuse and remanufacturing have become less common and are rarely practiced. Even though plastic waste disposal guidelines have been created, our investigation revealed that there is a lack of community understanding regarding solid waste management, and some stakeholders actively disregard waste management proclamations. Thus, it is recommended that all stakeholders, including the government, business owners, plastic bottled water makers, and the public, pay close attention to waste disposal, particularly of non-biodegradable pollutants in Ethiopia’s urban and rural areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs)

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26 pages, 3683 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Romania’s Perspectives on the Transition to the Circular Economy in an EU Context

by Oana Dobre-Baron, Alina Nițescu, Dorina Niță and Cătălin Mitran

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5324; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095324 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 1961

Abstract

The main objective of the paper is to highlight Romania’s perspectives on the transition process towards the circular economy, in respect with the tendencies registered at the level of the European Union. To this end, our methodology involved the selection of four indicators, each one being viewed as representative for one area of interest specified in the circular economy monitoring framework established by the European Commission, namely: Generation of waste excluding major mineral wastes per domestic material consumption; Recycling rate of municipal waste; Circular material use rate; Gross investment in tangible goods—percentage of gross domestic product. On the basis of data series provided by the Eurostat database, our study employed a quantitative approach, by using the econometric analysis of time series. For each selected indicator, time series-specific approximation and prediction models were constructed; against this background, we were able to reveal accurate forecasts of the analysed variables, with respect to different time horizons. Detailed analysis of the data series resulting from the research proved that on the long run, there are favourable premises for improving Romania’s performance in adopting the circular economic model, on the basis of low values for the indicator “Generation of waste excluding major mineral wastes per domestic material consumption”, of an ascending trend for the indicator ”Circular material use rate” and of maintaining the values of the “Gross investment in tangible goods—percentage of gross domestic product” indicator above the EU-27 average. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs)

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17 pages, 2360 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theoretical Research on Circular Economy and Sustainability Trade-Offs and Synergies

by Manuel E. Morales, Ana Batlles-delaFuente, Francisco Joaquín Cortés-García and Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11636; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111636 - 21 Oct 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3546

Abstract

Circular economy (CE) and sustainability are interrelated, without being exchangeable. While sustainability tries to reconcile the management of productive resources with their increasing consumption, CE aims to make the productive process more efficient, reducing, reusing and recycling the results of the productive process as much as possible. The aim of this paper is to ascertain the systemic structure of interactions between sustainability and CE through the analysis of the existing literature from 2004 to 2021. For this purpose, a computational literature review and a content analysis of the main contributions of CE and sustainability, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), were conducted. The results show that there is a positive impact of the synergy between CE strategies and certain SDGs. Specifically, the circular strategies that generate the greatest synergies have to do with preserving materials through recycling, downcycling, and the measurement of indicators or reference scenarios. This is what has led to the inclusion of these concepts in the formulation of policies and strategies, as their multidisciplinary nature allows them to have an impact on areas such as agriculture or innovation, which currently lack specific measures. Therefore, the knowledge derived from this study will contribute favorably to future decisions and actions to be considered, as there is still the potential to legislate in favor of an even more sustainable framework. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs)

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18 pages, 20038 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Circular Bioeconomy and Urban Dynamics to Define an Innovative Management of Bio-Waste: The Study Case of Turin

by Andrea Taffuri, Alessandro Sciullo, Arnaud Diemer and Claudiu Eduard Nedelciu

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6224; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116224 - 1 Jun 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3512

Abstract

Bio-waste could play a fundamental role in reaching the EU target to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035. The European waste policies and the Green New Deal are increasingly focusing on bio-waste enhancement, in particular within the Bioeconomy Strategy and the Circular Economy Package. Circular bioeconomy (CBE) combines these perspectives, with an increasing focus on organic flows extension and enhancement along the economic cycle. This paper analyses the potential of the CBE paradigm to improve the treatment of the organic fraction of the municipal solid waste (OFMSW), taking the Metropolitan City of Turin (MCT) as a case study. Our results indicate that the currently used OFMSW plant capacity of MCT is insufficient with respect to the need for treatment and, above all, inadequate for future demand trends. We advance an analysis of different CBE-related projects, which contribute to the creation of a feasible environment for bio-based closed loops in Turin. In particular, RePoPP (Porta Palazzo Organic Waste Project) is proposed as an instance of a systemic and circular process that could be improved by following the CBE principles. Through the use of qualitative system dynamics, we propose a decentralised alternative MSW management scenario with a micro anaerobic digestion plant at its core. A stakeholder analysis through a power-interest matrix identifies actors that are key to enabling this scenario. The sustainable pathways proposed in this paper can inspire local-level policy design and therefore contribute to the creation of new systemic food and waste policies for the city through the CBE paradigm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs)

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15 pages, 288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Profiling Public Sector Choice: Perceptions and Motivational Determinants at the Pre-Entry Level

by Gonçalo Santinha, Teresa Carvalho, Teresa Forte, Alexandre Fernandes and Jéssica Tavares

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1272; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031272 - 26 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2502

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development now guides public administrations in conveying all their functions. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), directly or indirectly, need effective public services and officials for successful implementation. Although working in public entities has been related to ‘a sense of duty and morality’, literature reports that motivation and sense of self-worth among public officials have been declining for many years, which in turn can endanger their performance, diminish their willingness to attend to civic affairs, and become committed to their organisation. Public officials’ motivation has been widely addressed through the lens of public service motivation and public sector motivation. Fewer studies, however, have focused on the factors of choice at a pre-level entry. This paper intends to address this gap by pondering on what influences student’s intention to work in the public sector. Understanding what drives potential future public officials’ motivation is crucial for public service sector effectiveness. Following a case study approach with a sample of 2251 undergraduate and post-graduate students of a Portuguese university, findings show an attribution of similar strengths and shortcomings to public and nonprofit sectors, a more positive perception of the private sector and job stability as the strongest motivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs)

18 pages, 363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Trends and New Challenges in the Green Supply Chain: The Reverse Logistics

by José Antonio Plaza-Úbeda, Emilio Abad-Segura, Jerónimo de Burgos-Jiménez, Antoaneta Boteva-Asenova and Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 331; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010331 - 31 Dec 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 8998

Abstract

As members of society, companies are exposed to social changes and pressures. Hence, an interest to be more environmentally friendly appears and rises in their core. Therefore, the supply chain management concept became “greener” with the development, among other practices, of reverse logistics programs. Both external pressures and internal factors, such as reducing costs and increasing operational performance, are motivating companies to pay more attention to the reverse flow. Unfortunately, there are still many boundaries that hinder the implementation of reverse logistics. Some of these obstacles include additional costs, the desire for deep collaboration with suppliers and customers, and the belief of some managers that are managing reverse flow that it is not worth the trouble. On the contrary, those who have assimilated its importance and advantages are interested in new and innovative tools that could contribute to more effective and efficient results, including the role of RFID technology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies in the Industrial Activities: Synergies and Trade-Offs between Sustainable Development Goals—SDGs)

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