Circular Economy and Sustainability
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Published By Springer Science And Business Media LLC

2730-597x, 2730-5988

Author(s):  
Michael Martin ◽  
Sjoerd Herlaar ◽  
Aiden Jönsson ◽  
David Lazarevic

AbstractIn the craft brewing industry, kegging solutions have changed dramatically in recent years. While steel kegs once dominated the draught beer market, single-use plastic kegs have increased in popularity due to their convenience, especially in the craft brewing sector. With the increasing importance of the circular economy and the introduction of policies in Europe to move away from single-use plastic systems, this study aims to assess and compare the sustainability of conventional steel and single-use plastic kegs. The environmental and economic performance are assessed through life cycle assessment and life cycle costing approaches. The results suggest that steel kegs have better environmental performance and life cycle costs. However, these are limited to the local markets, and with larger distances, plastic kegs may become the better option due to their lower weight, suggesting that both kegs are useful in certain situations. This is especially important in countries that have long distances between breweries and their markets. The importance of extending the lifetime of the keg fleet is also highlighted to improve the environmental performance as the results are influenced by the assumption on the lifetime of the steel kegs. To improve the environmental performance of plastic kegs, efficient closed-loop recycling systems should be developed. Careful decision-making is needed to ensure that more sustainable packaging options are chosen for draught beer and that sustainability aspects be taken into account beyond convenience.


Author(s):  
Wendy Wuyts ◽  
Marjan Marjanović

Abstract Globally, many national, regional, and urban governments are facilitating circular economy transitions through various pathways. The European Union and China have spearheaded the worldwide shift towards circularity by adopting primarily ecomodernist and technocratic approaches. However, the relevant literature has highlighted the need to integrate conceptualisations of circularity that are more politically and spatially embedded to better suit the local contexts and actual social needs of specific populations. In this paper, we therefore argue that the Japanese approach to circular practices exemplifies a place-bound and just pathway and offers a potential alternative to the European and Chinese methods. Accordingly, we first trace the historical roots of spatial circularity in Japan and then articulate some contemporary circular concepts. Next, we present a detailed analysis of wastescapes in the city of Onomichi to demonstrate through the lived experiences of its citizens that the rather orthodox understandings of circularity that permeate Japanese discourse on circularity coexist with alternative considerations that promote human interactions with nonhuman nature, acknowledge spatial ranges of operations, and value traditional knowledge.


Author(s):  
Aodhan Newsholme ◽  
Pauline Deutz ◽  
Julia Affolderbach ◽  
Rupert J. Baumgartner

Abstract Circular economy (CE) literature discusses the need for cooperation between different stakeholders to promote a CE; there is also an assumption regarding the benefits of loop closing on a local or regional scale. However, the potentially conflicting priorities, understandings, and expectations of the stakeholders involved have not been sufficiently addressed. Regional (or local) authorities have a responsibility to promote prosperity for stakeholders in their administrative region, within the constraints of national policy; conversely companies can have financial imperatives associated with stakeholders who may be globally distributed. Evidence of these conflicting priorities, the various positions stakeholder take, and their expectations of each other can be seen in the language choices regional actors make in their public-facing policy and report documents. The aim of the paper is to consider the challenges for creating a regional-scale CE that might arise from the differing priorities and values of companies and public agencies relating to specific places. It uses discourse analysis (including critical approaches) to examine how policy and business documents represent the stakeholders of the CE, their place in it, their priorities, and, importantly, the relationship between CE actors, focusing on the case of North Humberside on the North East coast of England. The plans set out in these reports are designed for external stakeholders and allow us to gain an insight into company and policy thinking in relation to CE developments in the coming years, including how they view each other’s roles. Findings indicate a shared motivation across scales and sectors for the CE as a means towards sustainable growth within which business plays a central role. However, there is a critical double disjuncture between different visions for implementation. First, between policy scales, a regional-scale CE is prioritised by regional policymakers, who have an interest in economic advantage being tied to a specific place and call for national scale support for their actions. Second, between regional policymakers and business, companies focus on their own internal operations and potential supply chain collaborations, with little attention given to the regional scale. This can be seen in the way organisations represent the actors of a nascent CE differently. In addition, a hegemonic business-focused growth discourse excludes other visions of the CE; the public are relegated to a passive role primarily as consumers and recipients of under-specified “opportunities” of wealth creation. CE theorisations need to incorporate and address these critical perspectives in order to support the development of strategies to overcome them.


Author(s):  
Rodrigo Salvador ◽  
Reinalda Blanco Pereira ◽  
Gabriel Fernandes Sales ◽  
Vanessa Campana Vergani de Oliveira ◽  
Anthony Halog ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Georgios Lanaras-Mamounis ◽  
Anastasios Kipritsis ◽  
Thomas A. Tsalis ◽  
Konstantinos Ι. Vatalis ◽  
Ioannis E. Nikolaou
Keyword(s):  

Author(s):  
Elena Borasino ◽  
Hanna Fuhrmann-Riebel

AbstractOnly 4% of total municipal solid waste in Lima is recycled. Supermarkets and bodegas are in a unique, highly relevant position for the transition towards a circular economy due to their direct influence on customers’ consumption patterns. This paper explores the role of supermarkets and bodegas for consumer recycling behaviour, looking both at already implemented practices and possibilities for the future. Based on semi-structured interviews conducted with key actors in the recycling sector in 2019 and 2020, we analyse the sector regarding its main actors and their different interests, the interactions between them and the regulatory framework, as well as specific initiatives undertaken to increase recycling. We then compare the main mechanisms through which consumer recycling behaviour can be influenced between supermarkets and bodegas based on the three categories convenience, knowledge and socio-psychological factors. Our in-depth analysis outlines the different pros and cons for each of the three categories in detail.


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