Mobile Phone Waste and the Circular Economy

2020 ◽  
pp. 600-620
Author(s):  
Tim Cooper ◽  
Matthew Shapley ◽  
Christine Cole
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Waste Streams ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Alternative Approaches

The need to progress toward the circular, low-carbon economies that are necessary for sustainable development demands a substantial reduction in the generation of waste. Although the amount of waste arising from the disposal of mobile phones is relatively insubstantial compared to other waste streams, it is problematic, partly due to the complexity of its composition: mobile phones contain many types of material in small quantities. Like other small electrical and electronic items, they have proven hard to recover and recycle cost-effectively. They are often stored for long periods and eventually discarded as residual waste rather than separated for recycling. Most have unduly short active lifetimes because they have not been designed for longevity and their potential for durability, repair, refurbishment, and reuse is not realized. This chapter discusses issues relating to e-waste from discarded mobile phones and explores the prospect of alternative approaches to their production and consumption, exemplified by the case of Fairphone.

Assessment of wood industrial pollutants based on emission coefficients in China

Holzforschung ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (11) ◽  
pp. 1071-1078
Author(s):  
Jie Chu ◽  
Anuj Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Industrial Waste ◽  
Water Discharge ◽  
Medium Density Fiberboard ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Waste Gas ◽  
Industrial Gases

AbstractThe implementation of circular economy in wood industries is an effective way for future sustainable development. The wood industries in China are not in the direction of circular economy approach due to less availability of assessment/calculation data of pollutants as per life cycle assessment (LCA) criteria. The present study focuses on the calculation of emission and pollutants from wood industries as per LCA; the emission and pollution data were collected from fiberboard Medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood and particleboard (PB) production. The comparative analysis of dust emissions, industrial waste gases and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were performed among three wood industries. The results revealed that the fiberboard industry was the highest emitter of dust, industrial waste gas and COD; and particleboard industry was the least emitter. Further, results indicated that pollutant index of wood industries were significantly changed between 2015 and 2017; the industrial waste water discharge increased five folds and the COD, dust and industrial gases increased two times. This study provides with the emission and pollutants data of wood industries as per LCA to promote the sustainable development for circular and low carbon economics.

Ecological Responsibility and Sustainable Development as Preconditions for Development of the Concept of Circular Economy

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Olja Munitlak Ivanovic
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Mass Production ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Intergenerational Justice ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Ecological Responsibility ◽  
Production And Consumption

Ethical and ecological responsibility represent the root of sustainable development taking into account intergenerational justice. Mass production and consumption have left negative effects on the environment. Disregarding ecological responsibility, production processes were mainly based on uncontrollable use of raw materials and non-renewable energy sources. Taking into account limitation of raw materials, economic and ecological disasters, a concept of resilience has been developed to make all elements of society flexible in terms of unwanted shocks. This chapter describes two conceptual economic models: linear and circular. The linear model is based on the principle “take, produce, consume, and throw,” meaning that usability of waste is reduced and that waste is simply thrown out after consumption. Circular economic model takes into account environmental responsibility, but it also makes companies more competitive. Waste is treated and processed adequately and used as raw material in production, thus increasing competitiveness. Waste that cannot be processed is disposed permanently.

scholarly journals Impact of the regional development specifics on the system of circular economy assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 208 ◽  
pp. 01004
Author(s):  
Olga Guman ◽  
Ekaterina Wegner-Kozlova
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Harmful Effect ◽  
Environmental Stability ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Social Production ◽  
System Transition ◽  
Production And Consumption

A circular economy (CE) is a sustainable development initiative aimed at reducing the linearity of social production and consumption systems. The degradation of environmental systems is quite an acute issue nowadays. The negative impact on the environment has a harmful effect even on economic indicators, as it reduces the quality of natural and human resources. At the same time, the country’s ability to compete in global markets directly depends on the development of high-tech industries, which does not consider the task of maintaining environmental stability to be of paramount importance. At first glance, the task of reconciling the economic and environmental needs of society seems to be contradictory, but it requires coordinated actions in all spheres of life and constructive repositioning towards norms of sustainable development of social, economic and environmental institutions. This determines that studying the aspects of the socio-economic system transition to a circular type of development is essential. The CE offers special opportunities for industrial regions: being the basis for competitiveness they are leading in the environmental system degradation. This study focuses on the analysis of the region’s ecological and industrial space and attempts to identify indicators that help integrate regional historical and economic specifics into the CE assessment.

scholarly journals Problems of development of the circular economy as a factor in Russia’s sustainable development

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 155-164
Author(s):  
N. G. Gadzhiev ◽  
N. A. Murzak ◽  
A. E. Mitenkova ◽  
O. V. Skripkina ◽  
S. A. Konovalenko
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Social Components ◽  
Recycled Waste ◽  
Consumption Waste

Aim. To investigate the process of formation of the circular economy in Russia within the framework of ensuring sustainable development and to identify the problems of forming a circular economy and the barriers that hinder the process of implementing business models of a circular economy in enterprises.Materials and Methods. Our study is based on systems analysis, comparative and statistical methods.Discussion. The research results have confirmed the necessity of transition to the formation a circular economy in Russia. This is despite the fact that the volume of recycled waste arising from production and consumption in Russia is growing faster than that of its generation, the actual proportion of recycling and waste disposal is growing rather slowly (somewhat more than 50%), while the proportion of the volume of production and consumption waste placed at company facilities, on average, amounted to 50% for the period analysed. Greenhouse gas emissions also have a negative impact on the environment with those of the "Economy" sector accounting for almost 79% thus determining the relevance of transition to renewable energy.Conclusion. The transition to a circular economy, in particular as a result of the use of renewable energy, will reduce the negative impact of anthropogenic pressure on the environment and ensure a balance between the environmental, economic and social components of sustainable development.

scholarly journals Circular Economy in Low-Carbon Transition

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (23) ◽  
pp. 8061
Author(s):  
Anna Mazzi ◽  
Jingzheng Ren
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Modern Business

The circular economy represents a fundamental pillar for modern business models and sustainable development targets: the mandatory claim “reduce, reuse, recycle” is the answer to the global criticalities of natural resources depletion and waste increase [...]

scholarly journals Social Acceptance of Forest-Based Bioeconomy—Swedish Consumers’ Perspectives on a Low Carbon Transition

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7628
Author(s):  
Emil Nagy ◽  
Carolina Berg Rustas ◽  
Cecilia Mark-Herbert
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Renewable Resources ◽  
Path Dependence ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Consumer Awareness ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Production And Consumption

The concept of the bioeconomy is associated with sustainable development changes and involves transitions in both production and consumption within systems. Many of these transitions relate to using renewable resources, like forest biomass, to meet basic needs, such as food, energy and housing. However, consumers must become aware of the forest-based bioeconomy so that they can contribute to the transition. This study aims to contribute to an understanding of this matter that may lead to social acceptance of the forest-based bioeconomy and, in particular, to Swedish consumer awareness of the concept and of a particular product (wooden multi-story buildings) representing the forest-based bioeconomy. The results show consumer awareness of forest sequestration capacity but less awareness of the connection to the forest-based bioeconomy and the role of wooden multi-story buildings. The results indicate a slow transition that is hindered by path dependence and limited comprehension among consumers of the effects of their choices for a forest-based bioeconomy. This study provides valuable insights for future studies of how consumer awareness and social acceptance of the forest-based bioeconomy are interconnected.

scholarly journals Application of Green Economy in Malini Agro Park

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
I Wayan Suartana ◽  
I Ketut Suryanawa
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Policies And Measures ◽  
Specific Objective ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Natural Resource Base ◽  
Environmental Interests

Development that exploits natural resources is an easy story to hear. The exploitation-based development model that is maintained will only result in marginalization. A green economy as a means of achieving sustainable development is designed to protect and increase the value of the natural resource base, increase resource efficiency, promote sustainable or environmentally friendly patterns of production and consumption, and encourage the world towards low carbon development. Green economy policies and measures should be designed to improve the integration between economic development and its sustainable aspects. A development that combines economic, social and environmental interests to meet the needs of the current generation without sacrificing the interests of future generations. For this reason, Malini Agro Park, which is located in the arid area of ??Pecatu, implements an integrated hydroponic system to support sustainable development. The specific objective of this research is to examine in depth the implementation of green accounting at Malini Agro Park. Index Terms— green economy, triple bottom line accounting

scholarly journals Circular Economy as a Glocal Business Activity: Mobile Phone Repair in the Netherlands, Poland and China

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serdar Türkeli ◽  
Beijia Huang ◽  
Agata Stasik ◽  
René Kemp
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Spare Parts ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Business Activity ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Loop Design

Repair of mobile phones fits with the vision of a circular economy in an urban context and with the Sustainable Development Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Drawing on the literature about firm level competitiveness and closed-loop design through repair, remanufacturing or recycling, we analyze the business ecosystem of independent mobile phone repair shops in the Netherlands, Poland and China as a glocal business activity. The analysis is based on primary data collection through a questionnaire to independent repair shops in the Netherlands (n = 130), Poland (n = 443) and China (n = 175) with response rates of 13%, 12%, 40%, respectively; and 17 interviews in the Netherlands, 40 in Poland, and 70 in China. Findings indicate that to maintain a strong position in the local market and to sustain the trust of customers, independent mobile phone repair shops offer a range of customized services based on direct contact with customers. In China, the increasing prices of spare parts and falling prices of mobile phones constitute the most important challenges, whereas in the Netherlands and Poland, the most important challenges are the competitive pressures from informal repair activities, and new repair shops. Our research also revealed that repairability strongly depends on the global manufacturers’ circularity choices.

scholarly journals Leveraging mobile phones to attain sustainable development

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (24) ◽  
pp. 13413-13420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valentina Rotondi ◽  
Ridhi Kashyap ◽  
Luca Maria Pesando ◽  
Simone Spinelli ◽  
Francesco C. Billari
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Mobile Phones ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Phone Access

For billions of people across the globe, mobile phones enable relatively cheap and effective communication, as well as access to information and vital services on health, education, society, and the economy. Drawing on context-specific evidence on the effects of the digital revolution, this study provides empirical support for the idea that mobile phones are a vehicle for sustainable development at the global scale. It does so by assembling a wealth of publicly available macro- and individual-level data, exploring a wide range of demographic and social development outcomes, and leveraging a combination of methodological approaches. Macro-level analyses covering 200+ countries reveal that mobile-phone access is associated with lower gender inequality, higher contraceptive uptake, and lower maternal and child mortality. Individual-level analyses of survey data from sub-Saharan Africa, linked with detailed geospatial information, further show that women who own a mobile phone are better informed about sexual and reproductive health services and empowered to make independent decisions. Payoffs are larger among the least-developed countries and among the most disadvantaged micro-level clusters. Overall, our findings suggest that boosting mobile-phone access and coverage and closing digital divides, particularly among women, can be powerful tools to attain empowerment-related sustainable development goals, in an ultimate effort to enhance population health and well-being and reduce poverty.

Sustainable Development of Steel and Iron Company under the Circular Economy Mode - A Case Study from JSIC

2013 ◽  
Vol 869-870 ◽  
pp. 851-855
Author(s):  
Hong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Environmental Benefit ◽  
Development Mode ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Energy Saving Technology ◽  
Pollution Emissions

This article focuses on the circular economy development mode of JSIC. Through the steps of making efficient use of resources, highly efficient conversion of energy, vigorously developing the application of energy saving technology, integrated innovation, turning waste into resources and distributed management, the company minimizes the pollution emissions of production and consumption, makes waste harmless, and obtains high economic and environmental benefit at the lower cost. The case indicates that improvement of production mode will help steel and iron company maintain the sustainable development.

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