scholarly journals A Multi-Criteria Evaluation Method of Product-Level Circularity Strategies

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 5129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yohannes A. Alamerew ◽  
Marianna Lena Kambanou ◽  
Tomohiko Sakao ◽  
Daniel Brissaud
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Business Decision ◽  
Business Outcomes ◽  
Product Level ◽  
Multi Criteria Evaluation ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Need To Evaluate

The circular economy (CE) can drive sustainability. For companies to select and implement circularity strategies, they need to evaluate and compare the performance of these strategies both in terms of progress towards CE but also based on their feasibility and business outcomes. However, evaluation methods for circularity strategies at the product level are lacking. Therefore, this research proposes a multi-criteria evaluation method of circularity strategies at the product level which can be used by business decision-makers to evaluate and compare the initial business of the company, transformative and future circularity strategies. This multi-criteria evaluation method aims to assist business decision-makers to identify a preferred strategy by linking together a wide variety of criteria, i.e., environmental, economic, social, legislative, technical, and business, as well as by proposing relevant indicators that take into consideration, where possible, the life cycle perspective. It also allows for flexibility so that criteria, sub-criteria, and weighing factors can be altered by the business decision-makers to fit the needs of their specific case or product. Two illustrative examples based on case companies are presented to verify and illustrate the proposed method.

scholarly journals Design of Consumables in a Resource-Efficient Economy—A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1036
Author(s):  
Siri Willskytt
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Product Design ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Specific Design ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
General Product

Consumable products have received less attention in the circular economy (CE), particularly in regard to the design of resource-efficient products. This literature review investigates the extent to which existing design guidelines for resource-efficient products are applicable to consumables. This analysis is divided into two parts. The first investigates the extent to which general product-design guidelines (i.e., applicable to both durables and consumables) are applicable to consumables. This analysis also scrutinizes the type of recommendations presented by the ecodesign and circular product design, to investigate the novel aspects of the CE in product design. The second analysis examines the type of design considerations the literature on product-type specific design guidelines recommends for specific consumables and whether such guidelines are transferable. The analysis of general guidelines showed that, although guidelines are intended to be general and applicable to many types of products, their applicability to consumable products is limited. Less than half of their recommendations can be applied to consumables. The analysis also identified several design considerations that are transferable between product-specific design guidelines. This paper shows the importance of the life-cycle perspective in product design, to maximize the opportunities to improve consumables.

scholarly journals Forecasting the net costs to organisations of Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation at different levels of development (LOD)

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 588-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Hong ◽  
Ahmed Hammad ◽  
Ali Akbarnezhad
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Ex Ante ◽  
Need To Evaluate ◽  
Building Information ◽  
Implementation Costs ◽  
Implementation Level ◽  
Artificial Neural Network Ann ◽  
Different Levels

Numerous frameworks and tools have been proposed in the literature to assess the performance of BIM implementation in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). However, there is yet a lack of ex-ante evaluation methods that forecast BIM implementation costs. This study aims to propose an ex-ante evaluation method to forecast the net costs of BIM implementation at different Level of Development (LOD). The proposed method is expected to assist decision makers to find the most cost-saving LOD when investing resources for implementing BIM, from an organisational perspective. The proposed method relies on an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) for each type of implementation costs and benefits. The findings suggest that decision makers need to evaluate an organisation’s competency and their implemented BIM applications when choosing the BIM implementation level of BIM. Furthermore, the results show that a higher BIM implementation level does not often secure more benefits. Over 30 features were included in the ANNs with results indicating the possibility of expanding the feature set to obtain more accurate results.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Thinking for Sustainable Consumption and Production towards a Circular Economy

2020 ◽  
Vol 202 ◽  
pp. 01003
Author(s):  
Shabbir H. Gheewala
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Waste Treatment ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Optimal Solution ◽  
Life Cycle Thinking ◽  
Product Systems ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Responsible Consumption

The current model of a linear economy with end-of-pipe waste treatment is not sustainable. Cleaner production helps reduce resource use and emissions, but is still not an optimal solution without considering a life cycle perspective. Life cycle-based tools such as life cycle assessment and life cycle costing are useful for identifying optimal environmental and economic options for product systems. SDG 12 dealing with responsible consumption and production is key for sustainability. Developing of a circular economy requires life cycle thinking and life cycle-based tools for assessment. All these issues are discussed along with illustrative examples.

scholarly journals Archetypical CBMs in Construction and a Translation to Industrialized Manufacture

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1572
Author(s):  
Charlotte Heesbeen ◽  
Alejandro Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Business Model ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Sustainable Environment ◽  
Business Model Canvas ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Shed Light

The circular economy is a widely accepted concept that various governments have started to adopt. Still, a major consumer of resources, the construction industry, struggles to implement business models that answer to the opportunity and generate value beyond economical. At the same time, the industry is at a threshold of intensifying their production by industrialized manufacture. This type of construction offers practical benefits and should be developed whilst prioritizing a sustainably built environment. A circular economy business model (CBM) offers all stakeholders long term value and revenue whilst moving towards a sustainable environment. The business model canvas (BMC) is a tool to shed light on the essential characteristics of a CBM, its value, and alignment in a multi-life cycle perspective. It can contribute to accelerating circular innovation in construction. This study aims to provide an overview of archetypical CBMs in construction based on a literature review and a systematic coding exercise using the BMC. The archetypes found are used to describe the characteristics of industrialized manufacture in the various circular economy construction scenarios.

scholarly journals Turning Agricultural Wastes into Biomaterials: Assessing the Sustainability of Scenarios of Circular Valorization of Corn Cob in a Life-Cycle Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6281
Author(s):  
Enrica Santolini ◽  
Marco Bovo ◽  
Alberto Barbaresi ◽  
Daniele Torreggiani ◽  
Patrizia Tassinari
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Agricultural Wastes ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Corn Cob ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective

Circular economy plays a key role in increasing the sustainability of the agricultural sector, given the countless possibilities of transforming crop residues and recycling precious resources. The maize cultivation process produces a significant amount of residual organic materials, commonly left on the field, as a soil conditioner and source of nutrients even if some parts, such as the cob, play a minor role in these actions. The solutions for the valorization of this remnant depend on economic and environmental factors and the evaluation of the environmental performances of the processes in a life-cycle perspective is important to compare the overall sustainability of the valorization alternatives, maximizing their environmental added value. This work reports the results of Life Cycle Analysis, from cradle-to-gate of corn cob valorized as a raw material in two scenarios: corn cob pellet and corn cob abrasive grits to use as blasting or finishing media. A comparative study has been performed with two products available on the market and with the same functions. The results show that cob-based products have lower impact than those currently used. The work provides indication for evaluating the benefits of turning agricultural wastes in natural-based materials and intends to promote circular economy processes in agriculture production.

scholarly journals Circular economy in the construction sector: advancing environmental performance through systemic and holistic thinking

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Sparrevik ◽  
Luitzen de Boer ◽  
Ottar Michelsen ◽  
Christofer Skaar ◽  
Haley Knudson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Recursive Structure ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Environmental Effectiveness ◽  
Standards And Regulations ◽  
Management Schemes ◽  
Different Levels

AbstractThe construction sector is progressively becoming more circular by reducing waste, re-using building materials and adopting regenerative solutions for energy production and biodiversity protection. The implications of circularity on construction activities are complex and require the careful evaluation of impacts to select the appropriate path forward. Evaluations of circular solutions and their environmental effectiveness are often performed based on various types of life cycle-based impact assessments. This paper uses systemic thinking to map and evaluate different impact assessment methodologies and their implications for a shift to more circular solutions. The following systemic levels are used to group the methodologies: product (material life cycle declarations and building assessments), organisation (certification and management schemes) and system (policies, standards and regulations). The results confirm that circular economy is integrated at all levels. However, development and structure are not coordinated or governed unidirectionally, but rather occur simultaneously at different levels. This recursive structure is positive if the methods are applied in the correct context, thus providing both autonomy and cohesion in decision making. Methods at lower systemic levels may then improve production processes and stimulate the market to create circular and innovative building solutions, whereas methods at higher systemic levels can be used, for example, by real estate builders, trade organisations and governments to create incentives for circular development and innovation in a broader perspective. Use of the performance methods correctly within an actor network is therefore crucial for successful and effective implementation of circular economy in the construction sector.

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