Opportunities and Challenges of the European Green Deal for the Chemical Industry: An Approach Measuring Innovations in Bioeconomy

The Circular Economy Action Plan, as part of the European Green Deal announced by the European Commission, is highly relevant to the chemical industry in relation to the production of sustainable products. Accordingly, the chemical industry faces the question of how far it can promote its own manufacture of sustainable products. Within this context, this article presents an approach on how to measure innovations in bioeconomy. The methodological framework developed provides the chemical industry with an approach to assess the effectiveness of innovative conversion technologies producing biogenic intermediate products (e.g., bulk chemicals). The innovations within the bioeconomy (TRL > 4; TRL—technology readiness level) are compared in terms of technical, economic, and environmental indicators for the current status, for the medium- and long-term as well as for different production sites. The methodological approach developed here is exemplarily applied, assessing the production of intermediate biogenic products via thermo-chemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass. The results show the successful applicability of the developed assessment approach as well as significant differences in efficiency, costs, and environmental impact, both from the perspective of time and in spatial terms within the European Union. Thus, the methodological approach developed and presented enables the chemical industry to reduce challenges and to take advantage of the opportunities arising from the transition to a climate-neutral and circular economy.

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European experience in transition to circular economy

Economic Analysis Theory and Practice ◽

10.24891/ea.19.4.598 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 598-617 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S.V. Ratner

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Action Plan ◽

National Level ◽

The European Union ◽

Scientific Methods ◽

European Experience ◽

General Scientific ◽

The Eu

Subject. The article considers the concept of circular economy, which has originated relatively recently in the academic literature, and is now increasingly recognized in many countries at the national level. In the European Union, the transition to circular economy is viewed as an opportunity to improve competitiveness of the European Union, protect businesses from resource shortages and fluctuating prices for raw materials and supplies, and a way to increase employment and innovation. Objectives. The aim of the study is to analyze the incentives developed by the European Commission for moving to circular economy, and to assess their effectiveness on the basis of statistical analysis. Methods. I employ general scientific methods of research. Results. The analysis of the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy enabled to conclude that the results of the recent research in circular economy barriers, eco-innovation, technology and infrastructure were successfully integrated into the framework of this document. Understanding the root causes holding back the circular economy development and the balanced combination of economic and administrative incentives strengthened the Action Plan, and it contributed to the circular economy development in the EU. Conclusions. The measures to stimulate the development of the circular economy proposed in the European Action Plan can be viewed as a prototype for designing similar strategies in other countries, including Russia. Meanwhile, a more detailed analysis of barriers to the circular economy at the level of individual countries and regions is needed.

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Circular Bioeconomy Business Models to Overcome the Valley of Death. A Systematic Statistical Analysis of Studies and Projects in Emerging Bio-Based Technologies and Trends Linked to the SME Instrument Support

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041899 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1899

Author(s):

Fabiana Gatto ◽

Ilaria Re

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Success Factors ◽

Business Models ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Action Plan ◽

Future Perspective ◽

The European Union ◽

Strategic Orientations ◽

Start Ups ◽

Valley Of Death

Reducing the environmental pressure along the products life cycle, increasing efficiency in the consumption of resources and use of renewable raw materials, and shifting the economic system toward a circular and a climate-neutral model represent the heart of the current macro-trends of the European Union (EU) policy agendas. The circular economy and bioeconomy concepts introduced in the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan and the Bioeconomy Strategy support innovation in rethinking economic systems focusing on market uptaking of greener solutions based on less-intensive resource consumption. In recent decades, industrial research has devoted enormous investments to demonstrate sustainable circular bio-based business models capable of overcoming the “Valley of Death” through alternative strategic orientations of “technological-push” and “market-pull”. The study highlights industrial research’s evolution on bio-based circular business model validation, trends, and topics with particular attention to the empowering capacity of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to close the loops in renewable biological use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The research methodology involves a bibliographic search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Data Hub investigation to understand SMEs’ key success factors and start-ups of the circular bioeconomy sector. Eco and bio-based materials, nutraceuticals, and microalgae represent the most sustainable industry applications, leading to circular bioeconomy business models’ future perspective.

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Towards a Circular Economy Taxation Framework: Expectations and Challenges of Implementation

Circular Economy and Sustainability ◽

10.1007/s43615-020-00002-z ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leonidas Milios

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Action Plan ◽

Policy Instruments ◽

Policy Instrument ◽

Detailed Examination ◽

Raw Material ◽

The European Union ◽

Material Resource ◽

Waste Hierarchy ◽

Tax Relief

AbstractThe transition to a circular economy is a complex process requiring wide multi-level and multi-stakeholder engagement and can be facilitated by appropriate policy interventions. Taking stock of the importance of a well-balanced policy mix that includes a variety of complementing policy instruments, the circular economy action plan of the European Union (COM(2020) 98 final) includes a section about “getting the economics right” in which it encourages the application of economic instruments. This contribution presents a comprehensive taxation framework, applied across the life cycle of products. The framework includes (1) a raw material resource tax, (2) reuse/repair tax relief, and (3) a waste hierarchy tax at the end of life of products. The research is based on a mixed method approach, using different sources to analyse the different measures in the framework. More mature concepts, such as material resource taxes, are analysed by reviewing the existing literature. The analysis of tax relief on repairs is based on interviews with stakeholders in Sweden, where this economic policy instrument has been implemented since 2017. Finally, for the waste hierarchy tax, which is a novel proposition in this contribution, macroeconomic modelling is used to analyse potential impacts of future implementation. In all cases, several implementation challenges are identified, and potential solutions are discussed according to literature and empirical sources. Further research is required both at the individual instrument and at the framework level. Each of the tax proposals needs a more detailed examination for its specificities of implementation, following the results of this study.

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Environmental Consequences of Closing the Textile Loop—Life Cycle Assessment of a Circular Polyester Jacket

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11072964 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 2964

Author(s):

Gregor Braun ◽

Claudia Som ◽

Mélanie Schmutz ◽

Roland Hischier

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Textile Industry ◽

System Analysis ◽

Action Plan ◽

The European Union ◽

Environmental Consequences ◽

Energy And Material Flows

The textile industry is recognized as being one of the most polluting industries. Thus, the European Union aims to transform the textile industry with its “European Green Deal” and “Circular Economy Action Plan”. Awareness regarding the environmental impact of textiles is increasing and initiatives are appearing to make more sustainable products with a strong wish to move towards a circular economy. One of these initiatives is wear2wearTM, a collaboration consisting of multiple companies aiming to close the loop for polyester textiles. However, designing a circular product system does not lead automatically to lower environmental impacts. Therefore, a Life Cycle Assessment study has been conducted in order to compare the environmental impacts of a circular with a linear workwear jacket. The results show that a thoughtful “circular economy system” design approach can result in significantly lower environmental impacts than linear product systems. The study illustrates at the same time the necessity for Life Cycle Assessment practitioners to go beyond a simple comparison of one product to another when it comes to circular economy. Such products require a wider system analysis approach that takes into account multiple loops, having interconnected energy and material flows through reuse, remanufacture, and various recycling practices.

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Integration of Digital Economy and Circular Economy: Current Status and Future Directions

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137217 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7217

Author(s):

Zhen Liu ◽

Jing Liu ◽

Mohamed Osmani

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Digital Technology ◽

Global Economy ◽

Digital Economy ◽

Research Field ◽

Research Progress ◽

Current Status ◽

Future Research ◽

Disruptive Effect ◽

The European Union

Circular economy (CE) is a concept actively advocated by the European Union (EU), China, Japan, and the United Kingdom. At present, CE is considered to grant the most traction for companies to achieve sustainable development. However, CE is still rarely adopted by enterprises. As the backbone of the fourth industrial revolution, the digital economy (DE) is considered to have a disruptive effect. Studies have shown that digital technology has great potential in promoting the development of CE. Especially during the COVID-19 epidemic that has severely negatively affected the global economy, environment, and society, CE and DE are receiving high attention from policy makers, practitioners, and scholars around the world. However, the integration of CE and digital technology is a small and rapidly developing research field that is still in its infancy. Although there is a large amount of research in the fields of CE and DE, respectively, there are few studies that look into integrating these two fields. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the research progress and trends of the integration of CE and DE, and provide an overview for future research. This paper adopts a bibliometric research method, employs the Web of Science database as its literature source, and uses VOSviewer visual software to carry out keyword co-occurrence analysis, which focuses on publication trends, journal sources, keyword visualization, multidisciplinary areas, life cycle stages, and application fields.

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A Process Oriented MCDM Approach to Construct a Circular Economy Composite Index

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12020618 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 618 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ana Garcia-Bernabeu ◽

Adolfo Hilario-Caballero ◽

David Pla-Santamaria ◽

Francisco Salas-Molina

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Action Plan ◽

National Level ◽

Composite Index ◽

Composite Indicator ◽

The European Union ◽

Member States ◽

Eu Member States ◽

Wide Range ◽

Monitoring Framework

The purpose of this contribution is to develop a Circular Economy Composite indicator to benchmark EU countries performance. Europe is at the forefront of the global transition towards a sustainable and circular economy. To this end, the European Commission has launched in 2015 a Circular Economy Action Plan including a monitoring framework to measure progress and to assess the effectiveness of initiatives towards the circular economy in the European Union (EU) and Member States. Still, this monitoring framework lacks a composite indicator at the national level to aggregate the circular economy dimensions into a single summary indicator. Although there is a wide range of sustainability composite indicators, no aggregate circular economy index exits to this date. We use a multi-criteria approach to construct a circular economy composite index based on TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal Solutions) methodology. In addition, we introduce a novel aggregation methodology for building a composite indicator where different levels of compensability for the distances to the ideal and anti-ideal (or negative-ideal) values of each indicator are considered. In order to illustrate the advantages of this proposal, we have applied it to evaluate the Circular Economy performance of EU Member States for the year 2016. This proposal can be a valuable tool for identifying areas in which the countries need to concentrate their efforts to boost their circular economy performance.

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The Commitment of Packaging Industry in the Framework of the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy

Administrative Sciences ◽

10.3390/admsci9010018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Eleonora Foschi ◽

Alessandra Bonoli

Keyword(s):

European Commission ◽

Value Chain ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Food Packaging ◽

Action Plan ◽

Official Journal ◽

The European Union ◽

Market Restriction ◽

The Impact ◽

Plastic Products

European Commission is strongly committed into issues related to plastic materials production and plastic waste management. While the Circular Economy Package has set targets generally referred to recycling rates, the European Strategy for plastics in a circular economy (and related action plan), fosters sustainability along the entire plastic value chain: from primary producers to converters, brand owners and retailers to waste collectors and recyclers. The Directive on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment (more commonly known as Directive on Single-Use-Plastics, waiting for publication in the Official Journal of the European Union) rules targets on ten plastic products most often found as littering on global beaches, directly affecting plastic industry and, consequently, market. Policy makers and industrial stakeholders are called upon to collaborate. The article aims to illustrate interactions between European Commission and all plastic value chain stakeholders on implementing measures to reach ambitious targets pursued by the recent European policy. The study shows how European Commission has robustly worked to regulate production and consumption patterns on plastic carrier bags and packaging (including food packaging) thus facilitating the achievement of specific targets provided by the recent Directive. However, additional provisions concerning market restriction have been introduced; industrial stakeholders carried on a prompt response by promoting the creation of alliances, join venture and association, as well as a more integrated plastic value chain. On the base of this purpose, a virtuous example of a closed supply chain is presented.

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Circularity in value chains for building materials

Proceedings 5th CARPE Conference: Horizon Europe and beyond ◽

10.4995/carpe2019.2019.10196 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Evert-Jan Velzing ◽

Annemiek Van der Meijden ◽

Kitty Vreeswijk ◽

Ruben Vrijhoef

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

United Nations ◽

European Commission ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Action Plan ◽

Ecological Economics ◽

United Nations Environment Programme ◽

Construction Sector ◽

The European Union ◽

Global Vision

AbstractThe urgency for developing a circular economy is growing, and more and more companies and organisations are concerned with the importance of adapting their business to fit a changing economy. However, many analyses on the circular economy are still rather abstract and there is a lack of understanding about what circularity would mean for specific industries. This insufficient insight especially seems to be apparent in the building and construction sector. Besides, the building and construction sector is responsible for a major part of energy use and emissions. To tackle the issue of insufficient insight into the business consequences of circular devlopments, further research is necessary. Therefore, we propose to collaborate on a research project that aims to provide a more detailed level of analysis. The goal is to identify drivers and barriers to make better use of materials in the building and construction sector. This further research would benefit from an international collaboration between universities of applied sciences and industry from different European countries. An additional benefit of the applied orientation would be the relevance for professional education programmes. References CBS, PBL & Wageningen UR. (2017). Vrijkomen en verwerking van afval per doelgroep, 1990-2014 (indicator 0206, versie 13, 26 janauri2017). Retrieved from: https://www.clo.nl/indicatoren/nl0206-vrijkomen-en-verwerking-van-afval-per-doelgroep Cuchí, A.; Arcas, J.; Casals, M. & Fobella, G. (2014). Building a common home Building sector – A global vision report. Produced by the Global Vision Area within the World SB14 Barcelona Conference. De Jesus, A. & Mendonça, S. (2018). Lost in Transition? Drivers and Barriers in the Eco-innovation Road to the Circular Economy. Ecological Economics, 145, 75-89. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.08.001. EC. (2015). Closing the Loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy. Brussels: European Commission. EC. (2019). Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the implementation of the Circualr Economy Action Plan. Brussels: European Commission. Ghisellini, P; Cialini, C. & Ulgiati, S. (2016). A review on circular economy: the expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production, 114, 11-32. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007. Kirchherr, J., Pisciceli, L., Bour, R., Kostense-Smit, E., Muller, J., Huibrechtse-Truijens, A. & Hekkert, M. (2018). Barriers to the Circular Economy: Evidence From the European Union (EU). Ecological Economics, 150, 264-272. Mazzucato, M. (2018). Mission-Oriented Research & Innovation in the European Union – A problem-solving approach to fuel innovation-led growth. Retrieved from: European Commission; https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/mazzucato_report_2018.pdf Nederland circulair in 2050. Rijksbreed programma Circulaire Economie (2016). Den Haag: Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu & Ministerie van Economische Zaken. Stahel, W.R. (2016) The Circular Economy. Nature, 531(7595), 435-438. UN. (2018). 2018 Global Status Report – Towards a zero-emission, efficient and resilient buildings and construction sector. United Nations Environment Programme. UNCTAD. (2018). Circular Economy: The New Normal (Policy Brief No. 61). Retrieved from United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): https://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/presspb2017d10_en.pdf

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Current Status, Barriers and Development Perspectives for Circular Bioeconomy in Polish South Baltic Area

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12219155 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (21) ◽

pp. 9155

Author(s):

Dariusz Mikielewicz ◽

Paweł Dąbrowski ◽

Roksana Bochniak ◽

Aleksandra Gołąbek

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Current Status ◽

The European Union ◽

Road Map ◽

Current State ◽

Legal Situation ◽

Important Barrier ◽

Biomass Management ◽

Baltic Area

The following article presents the current legal situation in Poland as well as in the European Union. Data on biomass production in the Polish South Baltic area were analyzed, along with an indication of the key sectors for the development of bioeconomy. Presentation of the current state of biomass management was made and areas necessary for development were indicated to facilitate the sustainable management of biomass and waste generated during its processing. Differences between regions in the Polish South Baltic Area show how an individual approach in each of these areas is required. During the analysis, the most important barrier to the implementation of the circular economy was distinguished, which is the lack of an appropriate legal framework. This is to be changed by the Circular Economy Road Map, adopted in 2019.

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Sustainability of Circular Economy Indicators and Their Impact on Economic Growth of the European Union

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11195481 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (19) ◽

pp. 5481 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Mihail Busu ◽

Carmen Lenuta Trica

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

European Union ◽

Regression Model ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Time Frame ◽

Environmental Indicators ◽

Environmental Taxes ◽

Recycling Rate ◽

The European Union ◽

Multilinear Regression

In this paper, we develop a methodology for studying the sustainability of the circular economy model, based on environmental indicators, and its impact on European Union (EU) economic growth. In open-end systems, waste is converted back to materials and objects through recycling; hence, a linear economy is transformed into a circular economy (CE). Environmental factors support the argument for the sustainable implementation of a circular economy. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the sustainability of the CE indicators and to elaborate a multilinear regression model with panel data for determining the dependency of the main CE factors on EU economic growth. Starting with the model of economic growth based on circular material use rate, recycling rate of municipal waste (RRMW), trade in recycling materials, labor productivity, environmental taxes, and resource productivity as independent variables, six statistical hypotheses were validated through a multiple regression model with the use of the statistical software EViews 11. The research study was conducted for 27 EU countries, and the data was collected from the European Union Statistical Office (EUROSTAT), during the time frame 2010 to 2017. Based on econometric modeling, the paper highlights that circular economy generates sustainable economic growth across the EU.

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