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

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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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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Implementation of circular economy on the basis of European experience

Management and Entrepreneurship in Ukraine: the stages of formation and problems of development ◽

10.23939/smeu2021.02.280 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 (2) ◽

pp. 280-289

Author(s):

Natalia Horbal ◽

◽

M. Mazuryk ◽

Oleh Mykytyn ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Business Models ◽

Closed Loop ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Adoption Process ◽

The European Union ◽

The Eu

Accelerated population growth, depletion of natural resources, excessive pollution of the environment, which threatens the existence of mankind, was a prerequisite for the emergence of the concept of circular economy and the principles of sustainable development, ie doing business without harm to the environment. The model of circular (circular) economy is aimed at energy saving, regenerative environmentally friendly consumption and production. The article presents the results of the study of the concept of circular economy and the benefits of its implementation based on the experience of the European Union - a global leader in this field. The main goals, priorities and measures of the EU in the implementation of the circular economy are revealed. The basic principles of the circular economy are highlighted, examples of successful use of its business models are given. The two most acute global problems that can be solved only by a closed-loop economy are identified, and forecasts of the results of its global use are given. Closed-loop economics is a concept of resource management that is rapidly gaining global popularity and is recognized in the scientific literature as one of the key drivers for achieving objectives of the Paris Agreement. 30 years have passed since the first mention of the "circularity" of the economy, however only after its official introduction in the EU its popularity has grown rapidly, and world leaders have gradually been realizing its importance for achieving sustainable development. Climate change and depletion of natural resources are the visible negative processes that require the implementation of a circular economy. At the same time, society itself must change – from the choice of raw materials, product development methods and new concepts of service to the widespread use of by-products of one industry as complete raw materials for another. This requires the training of relevant specialists, whose professional activity will be the circular economy.To date, the most significant results in the transition to a circular economy are demonstrated by the European Union (EU), where the European Resource Efficiency Platform, which brings together EU countries, aims to ensure the transition to a circular economy based on reuse and high-quality recycling. Circular economy is a new trend that is seen as an important area of structural reform and aims to raise awareness of the real environmental, energy and socio-economic situation of the world by identifying ideological options for a better understanding of the dilemma of economic growth vs. the environment, optimal ways and more effective tools for solving problems, faced by society. The goal of the circular economy is to ensure, in line with the global CSWs, a shift towards sustainable production and consumption while integrating environmental issues into the adoption process solutions.

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Trends in the circular economy development in the European Union

Russian journal of resources conservation and recycling ◽

10.15862/04ecor119 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Polina Nosko

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Large Scale ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Public Procurement ◽

Action Plan ◽

Public Funding ◽

The European Union ◽

Horizon 2020 ◽

The Eu

The article examines current trends in the circular economy development in the European Union, which is justly considered to be the leader in this area. The author enlists priority sectors, which are targeted by the Circular Economy Action Plan adopted in 2015. The paper examines a European strategy for plastics, which has ambitious targets till 2030, and a Critical Raw Materials initiative that is important for the EU as for an importer of many commodities. The latter leads to such benefits as supply risks mitigation and savings in energy and water. European Union’s key instruments aimed at making products more sustainable are discussed. Specifically, Ecodesign and energy labelling, Green Public Procurement, Ecolabel, and Enhanced Producer Responsibility scheme are presented. The author touches upon financing of circular economy innovations and adaptation of the industrial base in the EU. Over the 2016–2020 period, more than 10 billion euro in public funding has been provided. Half of this amount is designated for the purpose of the waste legislation support. Horizon 2020, Europe’s largest research and innovation programme, is one of the circular economy financing tools. 257 circular economy related projects were selected as a result of three calls for projects proposals amounting to 1,45 bln. The author’s review shows the large scale of changes in the European Union driven by implementation of the circular economy principles, which is important for the region’s trade partners.

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THE STRUCTURE OF THE SECONDARY RESOURCES MARKET IN UKRAINE

10.32782/2224-6282/164-25 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Karina Stromilova ◽

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Business Models ◽

Raw Materials ◽

National Policy ◽

Management Plan ◽

The European Union ◽

Secondary Resources ◽

Docu Ments ◽

Economic Relations

In the last decade, the European Union has adopted a number of the docu-ments that define the main ways of transition to a circular economy. The transition to a circular economy is due to the excessive burden on the environment of the existing business models. The secondary resources market, as one of the key elements of the circular economy, is becoming an integral and important component of any economic system. The definition of the secondary resources market as a set of economic relations in the field of demand and supply for the use of waste as secondary resources have been considered. The structure of the secondary resources market has been analysed. The institutional and legal, business and consumers subsystems have been identified as main subsystems of this market. The key elements of each subsystem have been described. Sources of formation of secondary resources with their division into as production and consumption have been considered. The key factors influencing on the market of the secondary resources have been formulated. Among which, in particular, the use of economic instruments; system of organization of collection, sorting and storage of waste; amount and quality of secondary raw materials; waste transportation costs and others. The role of the National policy and legislation at the process of acceleration secondary resource market development in Ukraine has been defined. The key strategic documents such as National Waste Management Strategy in Ukraine until 2030 and National Waste Management Plan in Ukraine until 2030 have been considered as a key documents implementation of which will allow further development of the secondary resources market. In particular, the development and implementation of the Regional waste management plans in each oblast of Ukraine will allow to build effective waste management schemes (for household, industrial, medical, construction waste, etc.) with the priority of their recycling in each region of the country; create a waste processing infrastructure based on the principles of self-sufficiency and proximity; set waste management tariffs based on full cost recovery, etc.

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Residue Valorization in the Iron and Steel Industries: Sustainable Solutions for a Cleaner and More Competitive Future Europe

Metals ◽

10.3390/met11081202 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 1202

Author(s):

Johannes Rieger ◽

Valentina Colla ◽

Ismael Matino ◽

Teresa Annunziata Branca ◽

Gerald Stubbe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Steel Industry ◽

Business Models ◽

Action Plan ◽

Sustainable Growth ◽

Added Value ◽

The European Union ◽

Steelmaking Process ◽

Iron And Steel ◽

Sustainable Solutions

The steel industry is an important engine for sustainable growth, added value, and high-quality employment within the European Union. It is committed to reducing its CO2 emissions due to production by up to 50% by 2030 compared to 1990′s level by developing and upscaling the technologies required to contribute to European initiatives, such as the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) and the European Green Deal (EGD). The Clean Steel Partnership (CSP, a public–private partnership), which is led by the European Steel Association (EUROFER) and the European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP), defined technological CO2 mitigation pathways comprising carbon direct avoidance (CDA), smart carbon usage SCU), and a circular economy (CE). CE approaches ensure competitiveness through increased resource efficiency and sustainability and consist of different issues, such as the valorization of steelmaking residues (dusts, slags, sludge) for internal recycling in the steelmaking process, enhanced steel recycling (scrap use), the use of secondary carbon carriers from non-steel sectors as a reducing agent and energy source in the steelmaking process chain, and CE business models (supply chain analyses). The current paper gives an overview of different technological CE approaches as obtained in a dedicated workshop called “Resi4Future—Residue valorization in iron and steel industry: sustainable solutions for a cleaner and more competitive future Europe” that was organized by ESTEP to focus on future challenges toward the final goal of industrial deployment.

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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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MEASURING THE PROGRESS TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Business Excellence and Management ◽

10.24818/beman/2021.11.1-02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 19-35

Author(s):

Nicolae Pintilie ◽

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Waste Management ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

The European Union ◽

Future Directions ◽

Production And Consumption ◽

European Union Countries ◽

Continuous Actions ◽

Consumption Waste

This paper aims to create an image of progress towards circular economy registered by European Union countries through specific indicators. In this way, this paper is based on the study and analysis of the 13 indicators, grouped on 4 pillars: Production and consumption, Waste management, Secondary raw materials, Competitiveness and innovation. After the presentation of the methodology, the paper develops an analysis in time and space of the selected indicators, then an analysis of the countries with their grouping on clusters, creating a map of them and highlighting the current situation of circular economy in the European Union. Moreover, the paper also presents the evolution of the countries regarding circular economy, which has a big importance taking into account that in the European Union the preoccupations for this concept is higher from one period to another. Among the most interesting results are: (1) a massive concentration of countries with problems for Waste management pillar; (2) Europe is one of the regions with the largest contribution in terms of circular economy, but the concept is developing differently from one country to another; (3) The scoreboard evolution is particularly useful in revealing the continuous actions adopted by countries in order to facilitate the conversion to circular economy. Finally, the paper presents possible limits of the research, but also future directions of its development.

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Circular Economy on Construction and Demolition Waste: A Literature Review on Material Recovery and Production

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma13132970 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 2970 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Clarence P. Ginga ◽

Jason Maximino C. Ongpeng ◽

Ma. Klarissa M. Daly

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Business Models ◽

Latent Dirichlet Allocation ◽

Traditional Approach ◽

Construction And Demolition Waste ◽

The European Union ◽

Demolition Waste ◽

Material Recovery ◽

New Construction

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) accounts for at least 30% of the total solid waste produced around the world. At around 924 million tons in the European Union in 2016 and 2.36 billion tons in China in 2018, the amount is expected to increase over the next few years. Dumping these wastes in sanitary landfills has always been the traditional approach to waste management but this will not be feasible in the years to come. To significantly reduce or eliminate the amount of CDW being dumped, circular economy is a possible solution to the increasing amounts of CDW. Circular economy is an economic system based on business models which replaces the end-of-life concept with reducing, reusing, recycling, and recovering materials. This paper discusses circular economy (CE) frameworks—specifically material recovery and production highlighting the reuse and recycling of CDW and reprocessing into new construction applications. Likewise, a literature review into recent studies of reuse and recycling of CDW and its feasibility is also discussed to possibly prove the effectivity of CE in reducing CDW. Findings such as effectivity of recycling CDW into new construction applications and its limitations in effective usage are discussed and research gaps such as reuse of construction materials are also undertaken. CE and recycling were also found to be emerging topics. Observed trends in published articles as well as the use of latent Dirichlet allocation in creating topic models have shown a rising awareness and increasing research in CE which focuses on recycling and reusing CDW.

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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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