Identifying effective institutions for China’s circular economy: Bottom-up evidence from waste management

2020 ◽  
pp. 0734242X2097279
Author(s):  
Benjamin Steuer
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Institutional Arrangements ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Formal Systems ◽  
Evaluation Matrix

The present article centres on institutions, that is, systems of rules that guide behaviour and interaction of socio-economic actors, and their role in advancing China’s circular economy (CE), particularly in waste management (WM). Since the early 2000s, state and non-state actors in China have begun to explore CE ideas in WM resulting in a multitude of related patterns and schemes. In regard to why such systems exhibit different degrees of effectiveness, it appears that much is determined by the institutional arrangements within. Based on several years of field research in China, the article identifies and analyses key institutional ingredients for effective outcomes. Methodologically, these components are identified via an analytical model incorporating WM performance indicators and a framework for assessing interest inclusiveness. Empirically, the analysis is applied to case study findings on the informal and semi-formalised recycling sector in Beijing and Changchun. The resulting findings are synthesised into an evaluation matrix: it indicates which effective informal institutional elements in waste collection and pre-processing allow for a translation into formal systems. The so-demonstrated convertibility indicates a substantial potential for the innovation of current formal WM systems in urban China.

scholarly journals Extending Multilevel Statistical Entropy Analysis towards Plastic Recyclability Prediction

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3553
Author(s):  
Philippe Nimmegeers ◽  
Alexej Parchomenko ◽  
Paul De Meulenaere ◽  
Dagmar R. D’hooge ◽  
Paul H. M. Van Steenberge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Entropy Analysis ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Statistical Entropy ◽  
Waste Streams ◽  
Material Component ◽  
Future Work

Multilevel statistical entropy analysis (SEA) is a method that has been recently proposed to evaluate circular economy strategies on the material, component and product levels to identify critical stages of resource and functionality losses. However, the comparison of technological alternatives may be difficult, and equal entropies do not necessarily correspond with equal recyclability. A coupling with energy consumption aspects is strongly recommended but largely lacking. The aim of this paper is to improve the multilevel SEA method to reliably assess the recyclability of plastics. Therefore, the multilevel SEA method is first applied to a conceptual case study of a fictitious bag filled with plastics, and the possibilities and limitations of the method are highlighted. Subsequently, it is proposed to extend the method with the computation of the relative decomposition energies of components and products. Finally, two recyclability metrics are proposed. A plastic waste collection bag filled with plastic bottles is used as a case study to illustrate the potential of the developed extended multilevel SEA method. The proposed extension allows us to estimate the recyclability of plastics. In future work, this method will be refined and other potential extensions will be studied together with applications to real-life plastic products and plastic waste streams.

scholarly journals A Door-to-Door Waste Collection System Case Study: A Survey on its Sustainability and Effectiveness

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5520
Author(s):  
Nicola Laurieri ◽  
Andrea Lucchese ◽  
Antonella Marino ◽  
Salvatore Digiesi
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Smart Device ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Collection System ◽  
Glass Waste ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Relevant Topic

Municipal waste management is a relevant topic these days, in its relation to sustainable and environmental concerns. Sorting waste fractions at home for a door-to-door collection system proves to positively affect the environmental impacts of waste management strategies both by reducing the amounts of the waste landfilled and by originating new circular economies. However, the environmental impact caused by both waste collection and transport, together with waste quality, should be carefully evaluated to assess the sustainability of such a collection system. In order to evaluate the logistic and environmental effectiveness of a newly implemented door-to-door collection system in Altamura, a mid-sized town in Southern Italy, a survey was designed and submitted to a sample of citizens. The results obtained from the 385 completed surveys show that the door-to-door collection of glass waste is inefficient since most of the designated bins remain partially filled and less frequently delivered; citizens are more motivated to adequately collect sorted waste fractions upon receiving information about the subsequent environmental benefits and outcomes of the fractions collected; a high percentage of people still use disposable items in their daily life. Possible changes to the weekly bins collection schedule have been proposed in order to have a more proficient and environmentally sustainable waste collection service in the town. The survey is part of a project aiming at developing a smart device to support users in home waste management.

scholarly journals Circular economy implementation in waste management network design problem: a case study

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1441-1458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dušan Hrabec ◽  
Jakub Kůdela ◽  
Radovan Šomplák ◽  
Vlastimír Nevrlý ◽  
Pavel Popela
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Network Design ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Design Problem ◽  
Network Design Problem

scholarly journals Application of the circular economy in the industrial scrapmanagement process: a case study in the Açu Port Complex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Messias Sodré Cunha ◽  
Jully do Nascimento Germano ◽  
Gustavo Tavares Machado ◽  
Frank Pavan de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Production Cycle ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Environmental Treatment ◽  
Environmental Development

The main proposal of the circular economy is to change the concept of "garbage" fromWaste that was structured in this project and replaced by a continuous and cyclical vision of the production, in which resources are no longer just explored and discarded and are now reused in a new Cycle. The Circular Economy encourages new management practices, creating opportunities and value for organizations in harmony with the environment. This article aims to analyze the feasibility of implementing Circular Economy methods, with an emphasis on controlling scrap disposal in the Açu Port Complex (São Joãoda Barra/RJ), bringing sustainable alternatives to Waste Management. In addition to evaluating its environmental and economic efficiency, it proposes to end the linear production process and reinsert waste into the production cycle to minimize environmental treatment and the extraction of raw materials. The investigation will start through specific exploratory research, bringing as a consequence, possible economic alternatives for the reuse of these materials. The research is also classified as descriptiveand case study since a survey of real information on waste management in the Açu Port Complex will be carried out. It is hoped through this research to demonstrate how the circular economy can contribute to economic, social, and environmental development when used in an interdisciplinary way by productive activities.

scholarly journals Development of a sustainable and inclusive solid waste management system in Colombia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Edmonds
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Solid Waste Management ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Informal Recycling ◽  
Study Approach

Managing solid waste is a pressing environmental issue worldwide. This is especially observed in developing countries, where the main concern is to provide the service of waste collection, usually lacking a formal recycling program. Instead, recycling is often conducted by an informal sector composed of recyclers-by-trade. What has been found is that the current informal recycling sector - if approached differently - can offer a financially viable and an environmentally and culturally sound solution. A case study approach was chosen and questionnaires were conducted with recyclers-by-trade and dealers in Cali, Colombia. An interview was conducted with the President of the Recyclers' Association of Bogotá, Colombia. A normative system is proposed as an alternative context-based solution in developing countries that focuses on the inclusion of organized recyclers-by-trade into the formal solid waste management in order to increase recycling rates, extend the lifespan of landfills and improve the living and working conditions of this informal recycling sector.

Orchestrating entrepreneurial ecosystems in circular economy: the new paradigm of sustainable competitiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Castro Oliveira ◽  
João M. Lopes ◽  
Luís Farinha ◽  
Sónia Silva ◽  
Mónica Luízio
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Ecosystems

PurposeThe Paris agreement for climate changes brought new attention to the themes of reduce carbon emissions, green ecosystems, the circular economy and the need to ensure the emergence of sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems. This study aims to investigate entrepreneurship from the perspective of circular economy and waste collection in the Portuguese context.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a quantitative approach, the sample comprises 2,690 firm-year observations related to 354 firms from different industries within the waste from electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) scope.FindingsThe results show that a large part of SMEs started to comply with waste management regulations as of 2006 and are still not prone to innovation. Regulatory compliance is expected to have a positive impact on innovation, with a significant and positive change in the number of patents and the value of intangibles after companies comply with the waste management regulation.Originality/valueThis paper is original because it addresses equally to entrepreneurial ecosystems and circular economy (studies that address these two aspects are rare), with the Portuguese context in an embryonic stage with an extensive path to follow in the applicability of circular economy to business.

Door-to-door recyclables collection programmes: Willingness to participate and influential factors with a case study in the city of Xanthi (Greece)

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 760-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Tsalis ◽  
Sonia Amarantidou ◽  
Paolo Calabró ◽  
Ioannis Nikolaou ◽  
Dimitrios Komilis
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Collection System ◽  
Solid Waste Collection ◽  
Greek City ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
The City

The implementation of a recyclable waste management system is a serious challenge for a society that aims to contribute to sustainability. The first operational step of such system is waste collection. In a number of European countries, the solid waste collection system has changed from the conventional kerbside system to a door-to-door collection. However, this type of waste collection system has not yet been introduced in Greece and its public acceptance prior to potential full implementation needs to be considered. This study aims to investigate the willingness of the residents of a Greek city (Xanthi, Thrace) to change from the existing kerbside collection system and initiate and participate in a door-to-door recyclable waste collection system instead. A questionnaire was designed and distributed randomly to 150 residents of Xanthi and a statistical analysis was then performed to assess the influence of a number of explanatory variables on recycling behaviour and the willingness to participate in a door-to-door collection system. The findings of this study indicate that most of the respondents (72.7%) were willing to participate in a future door-to-door recyclables collection programme in Xanthi. The factors that influenced the respondents’ attitude with regard to such a programme were associated with level of education, their beliefs about the effectiveness of the current recycling system and also their attitudes towards recycling issues in general. Age and religion significantly affected recycling frequency. The survey and statistics presented in this article can be used as a model to assess the behaviour of citizens towards recyclable waste management systems worldwide.

scholarly journals Transformation of the municipal waste management sector in Poland. A case study of the Świętokrzyskie Region

Management ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-190
Author(s):  
Magdalena Rybaczewska-Błażejowska
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Municipal Waste ◽  
Waste Collection ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Waste Hierarchy ◽  
New Model ◽  
Municipal Waste Management

Summary The article discusses the transformation of the municipal waste management sector in Poland, taking place during 2011- 2013, upon the case study of the Świętokrzyskie Region. The pivotal assumptions of the new model of municipal waste management in Poland are: the change of the owner of municipal waste that became communities, the improvement of the municipal waste collection, transportation and processing, and finally regionalization that means the division of the territory of Poland into municipal waste management regions. The research conducted among local authorities of the Świętokrzyskie Region has revealed that the system solutions applied in the field of municipal waste management, being currently implemented in Poland, though they are not free from socio-economic threats, lead to the fulfilment of the waste hierarchy, including the increasing levels of recycling and the reduction of bio-waste disposal.

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