Point of View on Dialectics in the Commercial Scenario of the Circular Economy

Author(s):  
Caio Vitoriano Carvalho
Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1138
Author(s):  
Rocio de la Torre ◽  
Bhakti S. Onggo ◽  
Canan G. Corlu ◽  
Maria Nogal ◽  
Angel A. Juan

The prevailing need for a more sustainable management of natural resources depends not only on the decisions made by governments and the will of the population, but also on the knowledge of the role of energy in our society and the relevance of preserving natural resources. In this sense, critical work is being done to instill key concepts—such as the circular economy and sustainable energy—in higher education institutions. In this way, it is expected that future professionals and managers will be aware of the importance of energy optimization, and will learn a series of computational methods that can support the decision-making process. In the context of higher education, this paper reviews the main trends and challenges related to the concepts of circular economy and sustainable energy. Besides, we analyze the role of simulation and serious games as a learning tool for the aforementioned concepts. Finally, the paper provides insights and discusses open research opportunities regarding the use of these computational tools to incorporate circular economy concepts in higher education degrees. Our findings show that, while efforts are being made to include these concepts in current programs, there is still much work to be done, especially from the point of view of university management. In addition, the analysis of the teaching methodologies analyzed shows that, although their implementation has been successful in favoring the active learning of students, their use (especially that of serious games) is not yet widespread.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2472
Author(s):  
Teodora Stillitano ◽  
Emanuele Spada ◽  
Nathalie Iofrida ◽  
Giacomo Falcone ◽  
Anna Irene De Luca

This study aims at providing a systematic and critical review on the state of the art of life cycle applications from the circular economy point of view. In particular, the main objective is to understand how researchers adopt life cycle approaches for the measurement of the empirical circular pathways of agri-food systems along with the overall lifespan. To perform the literature review, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was considered to conduct a review by qualitative synthesis. Specifically, an evaluation matrix has been set up to gather and synthesize research evidence, by classifying papers according to several integrated criteria. The literature search was carried out employing scientific databases. The findings highlight that 52 case studies out of 84 (62% of the total) use stand-alone life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the benefits/impacts of circular economy (CE) strategies. In contrast, only eight studies (9.5%) deal with the life cycle costing (LCC) approach combined with other analyses while no paper deals with the social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) methodology. Global warming potential, eutrophication (for marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems), human toxicity, and ecotoxicity results are the most common LCA indicators applied. Only a few articles deal with the CE assessment through specific indicators. We argue that experts in life cycle methodologies must strive to adopt some key elements to ensure that the results obtained fit perfectly with the measurements of circularity and that these can even be largely based on a common basis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 174 ◽  
pp. 01006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Břetislav Teplý ◽  
Tomáš Vymazal ◽  
Pavla Rovnaníková

Efficient sustainability management requires the use of tools which allow material, technological and construction variants to be quantified, measured or compared. These tools can be used as a powerful marketing aid and as support for the transition to “circular economy”. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) procedures are also used, aside from other approaches. LCA is a method that evaluates the life cycle of a structure from the point of view of its impact on the environment. Consideration is given also to energy and raw material costs, as well as to environmental impact throughout the life cycle - e.g. due to emissions. The paper focuses on the quantification of sustainability connected with the use of various types of concrete with regard to their resistance to degradation. Sustainability coefficients are determined using information regarding service life and "eco-costs". The aim is to propose a suitable methodology which can simplify decision-making in the design and choice of concrete mixes from a wider perspective, i.e. not only with regard to load-bearing capacity or durability.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 298-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
José G. Vargas-Hernández ◽  
Marlene De Jesús Morales Medrano

The purpose of this document is to analyze the Circular Economy (CE) model from the point of view of the resources and capacities of the organization. How is the application of the Circular Economy model related to Strategic Management? At first glance, it seems that the CE is operating within an operational level with a social impact, but it also has implications that allow us to think that it can be used as an internal resource of the company that, if applied in the right way, can become a competitive advantage, in other words, the application of the CE is related to Strategic Management through the point of view based on resources and capabilities. Therefore, the present investigation has a descriptive-correlational nature, which was analyzed through Peng's VRIO framework.


Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (20) ◽  
pp. 1313
Author(s):  
Angélica Lozano-Lunar ◽  
Auxi Barbudo ◽  
José María Fernández ◽  
José Ramón Jiménez

Among the actions proposed by the European Union for the implementation of Circular Economy is the use of waste as a secondary raw material (SRM). During the fusion of the scrap, a steel dust is generated, named Electric Arc Furnace Dust (EAFD). The EAFD is composed mainly of potentially leachable heavy metals, so is classified as “hazardous” waste. Around the world, approximately 70% of this waste is deposited in landfills, with a previous treatment through cement-based materials to prevent the metals’ mobility. However, this action is not in accordance with the Circular Economy concept due to the greater use of resources and the loss of deposited metals. The present investigation analyses the use of EAFD as SRM in conventional mortar production for its use as a construction material. Different substitution percentages (25%, 50% and 100%) were used replacing siliceous filler by EAFD. The investigation analysed the behaviour of conventional mortars by tests of workability, compressive strength, water absorption by capillarity and leaching behaviour in granular and monolithic state. The results obtained indicate a slight improvement in mechanical behaviour with the incorporation of EAFD, the reason why its use as SRM in conventional mortars would benefit the construction industry and would encourage the Circular Economy. From an environmental point of view, the mechanisms of Pb fixation should be improved in granular state.


2018 ◽  
Vol 272 ◽  
pp. 273-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Břetislav Teplý ◽  
Tomáš Vymazal ◽  
Pavla Rovnaníková

Efficient sustainability management requires the use of tools that enable the quantification, measurement or comparison of material, technological and construction variants. Tools of this kind which have been developed around the world in recent years include various indicators, indexes, etc. Generally, technical, economic, ecological and socio-cultural areas must all be included. Such a tool can be used as a powerful marketing aid and as support for the transition to the “circular economy”. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) procedures are also used, alongside other approaches. LCA is a method that evaluates the life cycle of a structure from the point of view of its effect on the environment. Processes starting with the mining of mineral resources and including their transport, production and use up to their final processing as waste (recycling) are all taken into account. In addition, consideration is given to energy and raw material costs, and to environmental impact throughout the whole life cycle – e.g. through emissions. The presented contribution focuses on the quantification of sustainability connected with the use of various types of concrete with regard to their resistance against the effect of degrading influences. Sustainability factors are also determined using information regarding service life and “eco-costs”. The aim is to present a suitable methodology which can simplify decision-making concerning the design and choice of concrete mixes from a wider perspective, i.e. not only from the aspects of load-bearing capacity or durability.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELENA CRISTINA RADA ◽  
ATHANASIA TOLKOU ◽  
IOANNIS KATSOYIANNIS ◽  
ELENA MAGARIL ◽  
ANDREY KISELEV ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 309-316
Author(s):  
Usman Saleem ◽  
Jan Kaźmierczak

Abstract In the article, the authors describe, using the example of a selected class of technical means, their concept of replacing the “classical” linear management (exploitation) model with a circular economy (CE) model. An example of an object for which the authors plan to test the feasibility of the concept presented above is a household washing machine driven by a DC motor. The description of this object included in the article considers its complexity and multiplicity of assemblies, sub-assemblies, and elements. The DC electric motor driving the washing machine was considered the most important from the point of view of the created model, especially in terms of the possibility of maintenance and repair. For such an engine, the article presents the maintenance and disposal model as elements of the concept of building a ‘circular’ business model. The authors assumed that the formal basis for such a model would be the so-called circular model. The methodology and plan of the research carried out at Super Asia washing machine company in Pakistan were introduced, and the research results were shown. With the use of these results, an attempt was made to assess the requirements that the application of the CE business model places on manufacturers of a selected class of devices, both in their manufacture, repair, sharing and dematerialization. The concept of further research is described at the end of the article.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Dobrotă ◽  
Gabriela Dobrotă ◽  
Tiberiu Dobrescu ◽  
Cristina Mohora

The redesigning of tires is addressed from two points of view, namely the structure of the materials and the constructive shape of these products. The necessity for research is justified by the fact that even during the product design stage, there may be situations that can irreversibly affect the separation of product components (rubber and insertion), and because it is strictly necessary to achieve the reuse and recycling of waste components. The proposed redesign refers to the inscription of the types of materials that are present in each area on the lateral surface of the tire. Thus, the new redesign has positive effects both economically and socially. To highlight these, a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) has been applied and the net present value (NPV) as well as the internal rate of return (IRR) have been determined for the classic scenario and for the two proposed scenarios. Testing the financial sustainability of the proposed solution was done through sensitivity analysis. An analysis of the new tire design from the point of view of the circular economy was also presented. The results obtained have highlighted the effectiveness of the proposed solution from a technical, economic, social, and protection of the environment point of view.


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