Social Cooperation as a Driver for a Social and Solidarity Focused Approach to the Circular Economy
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- promoted a culture and practice of sustainability;
- became fundamental actors in promoting local economic development and employment;
- became central elements of local welfare systems by developing social inclusion processes, often precisely through circular economy activities.
2. Materials and Methods
- A literature review of CE focused on its social dimension and aimed at systematizing knowledge on the theoretical framework and the state of the art of the ongoing debate. Specifically, the review focused on:
- ○
- Systematic literature review papers investigating the concepts, definitions and narratives of the CE, to develop a general understanding of the discourses on this theme;
- ○
- Papers investigating gaps in the main CE discourses, specifically about the social, local and technological aspects.
- A literature review on the social and solidarity economy (SSE) discourse, as a globally diffused and recognized framework, to contextualize and compare the SC-B model and experience outside Italian borders.
- Case study research [4], focused on the analysis and assessment of circular projects featuring one or multiple of the following aspects: explicit social aim; low–mid tech approach, with high accessibility; low–mid budget experiences. These parameters were chosen to build a knowledge base related to experiences that are currently trying to address the gaps highlighted in the paper.
- A cognitive survey carried out on a sample of 13 type B social cooperatives—with a total of 1478 employees—operating in Piedmont in waste recovery and management as well as waste reuse and experimental transformation activities. The aim of the interviews was to build a first database to explore the scope of SC-Bs active in the environmental sector. The interviewed cooperatives were identified through different methods. Some of them were identified through direct contact resulting from previous collaborations. Others were identified through the “Albo Nazionale Gestori Ambientali” (National Register of Environmental Managers), which gathers all the organizations officially authorized to deal with waste. The research in the register was carried out inserting as search filters the region Piedmont (the geographical region where the authors operate) and the term “cooperativa sociale” (social cooperative) in the field identifying the company typology. The search (retrievable through the link included in the Data Availability Statement) produced 78 results, from which an initial selection was made through the web and telephone contact to verify which cooperatives were still effectively active, which were still active in the environmental sector and which were willing to participate in the research. Starting from this framework, the case selection strategy for the constitution of the sample was one of maximum variation [5]. Thus, cases were selected that could provide as wide a variety of circumstances and characterizations as possible, for example in relation to size and number of workers; type and variety of activities and services provided (waste collection/management, reconditioning, recycling, reuse, etc.); type of waste treated (general, electronic, bulky, textile, etc.). It was agreed with the organizations that participated in the research that their names would not be made public. This condition was set in order to guarantee serenity in expressing possible criticisms to the institutions with which they collaborate on a daily basis, thus safeguarding the completeness and complexity of the information obtained. Interviews followed a semi-structured approach, starting from a defined but open track with several questions investigating the work generated and turnover produced, roles undertaken and actions carried out in the circular economy supply chain, organizational specificities, visions and development prospects, as well as the nature of the constraints and limitations on operations. A second round of 4 interviews was afterwards carried out to investigate the historical origins and development processes of this kind of cooperative. For both interview rounds, the proposed tracks were original and specifically developed for the research here presented. The first track, which was broader and more general, presented 6 sections: general questions (history of the cooperative, number of workers, etc.); relations with the territory; communication (management and development of the communication aspects of the activities carried out by the cooperative); economic strategies; strategic perspectives; and recovery and reuse of material. The second track presented 8 questions, more focused on the historical origins of the link between social cooperation and the environmental sector: motivations, perspectives and difficulties. In both interview rounds, the interviewees were senior figures of the cooperatives (chairpersons or similar figures). Both tracks are attached, in a translated version from Italian to English, in Appendix A of the paper. The homogeneity of the results obtained from the interviews made it possible to set up initial project directions to be tested, which could be verified in the future through further rounds of interviews.
- Following the first round of interviews, the interviewed cooperatives were invited to participate in a focus group focused on the perspectives, obstacles and possibilities present in the circular economy for social cooperation and third sector realities, from a social, environmental, economic and technological point of view. The issues discussed were outlined from the outcomes of the interviews and research findings. In addition to cooperatives, the invitation was extended to other subjects with characters and interests consistent with the topics discussed in the focus group, who were identified through direct contacts developed thanks to previous collaborations with the research team. The focus group was therefore attended by a representative of an association active in the re-use of garments; a representative of a network of type A cooperatives (which manages social, health, training and lifelong learning services; for an overview of the differences between type A and type B social cooperatives, see https://italianonprofit.it/risorse/definizioni/cooperative-sociali/ access date 5 September 2021); a representatives of the social services of the city of Turin; the president of a type B social cooperative active in the recovery and transformation of waste; the president of a type B social cooperative active in the recovery, reuse and reselling of waste; and a professor of the Polytechnic of Turin whose research focuses on appropriate and accessible technologies. The discussion that emerged helped to share and consolidate elements from the interviews.
- The results of the interviews were summarized in their salient features and integrated with a literature review on SC-B to gather further general information. The choice of presenting the data in a summarized form instead of an extended one was dictated by the desire to leave room for the design-related and propositional part, rather than dwelling solely on the descriptive and reflective part centred on the information gathered. This choice was dictated by its greater adherence to the authors’ field of study, namely design, and in particular design for social inclusion and environmental sustainability.
3. Results
3.1. Literature Review
3.2. Interview Results
4. Discussion
4.1. Actual Trends of SC-B in the Environmental Context
4.2. Possible Prospects of SC-B in the Environmental Context
- Develop on a local, regional at most, geographical dimension;
- Involve technologies for working on dismissed products that are appropriate and accessible, both economically and operationally;
- Prioritise a labour-intensive dimension over an energy- and capital-intensive one.
4.3. Design Strategies and Proposals for SC-B Innovation in the CE Framework
5. Conclusions
- Gathered data is geographically limited, being obtained from cooperatives active in the Piedmont region, Italy. The limitations are mostly related to regulatory aspects, which vary from region to region and consequently may produce slightly different situations. It is acknowledged that the past experiences of the research team with other similar organizations active in other territories make us confident enough that the reflection can be extended to most of the SC-Bs active in Italy.
- Envisioned perspectives are also based on previous and ongoing experiences of the research team, which however validate various aspects in a partial and unsystematic way. Experimental data capable of validating a transition and experimentation process in all its components as described in the paper are currently lacking.
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
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Campagnaro, C.; D’Urzo, M. Social Cooperation as a Driver for a Social and Solidarity Focused Approach to the Circular Economy. Sustainability 2021, 13, 10145. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810145
Campagnaro C, D’Urzo M. Social Cooperation as a Driver for a Social and Solidarity Focused Approach to the Circular Economy. Sustainability. 2021; 13(18):10145. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810145
Chicago/Turabian StyleCampagnaro, Cristian, and Marco D’Urzo. 2021. "Social Cooperation as a Driver for a Social and Solidarity Focused Approach to the Circular Economy" Sustainability 13, no. 18: 10145. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810145