Search results for "CIRCULAR ECONOMY"
showing 10 items of 179 documents
Techno-economic analysis of a novel hybrid system for the valorisation of SWRO brines in a minor Sicilian island
2021
In small remote islands, freshwater scarcity is an issue to which several viable solutions have already been found employing constantly evolving desalination technologies. The several RO plants in the Canary and minor Sicilian Islands are just an example . However, the beneficial application of seawater desalination is accompanied by a problematic matter: the production of high salinity brines. Not only do they compromise the aquatic ecosystem but their treatment in order to respect environmental regulations is costly too. Worth noting how these so-called “wastewater streams” present a high concentration of valuable raw materials, such as magnesium and calcium or sodium chloride, that are e…
Diffusion dialysis for the treatment of H2SO4-CuSO4 solutions from electroplating plants: Ions membrane transport characterization and modelling
2021
Diffusion dialysis (DD) is proposed to separate and recover mineral acids and transition metals from electroplating industry process waters promoting a circular approach of resources recovery. In this work, a DD module with two anionic membranes (Fumasep FAD and Neosepta AFN) are used for the separation of H2SO4 from Cu2+ containing solutions. The membrane performances with sole H2SO4 solutions (0.2–2 M) and sole CuSO4 solutions (0.8–1.1 M Cu2+) and with mixtures of H2SO4 (0.6 M) and CuSO4 (0.2–1.1 M Cu2+) as feed are studied. H2SO4 recovery efficiency decreases as the concentration of acid increases. For H2SO4 solutions, the water drag flux from the retentate to the diffusate prevails agai…
Circular Business Models and Their Systemic Implications: The Too Good To Go Case Study
2021
Digitalized bioeconomy: Planned obsolescence-driven circular economy enabled by Co-Evolutionary coupling
2019
Driven by digital solutions, the bioeconomy is taking major steps forward in recent years toward achievement of the long-lasting goal of transition from a traditional fossil economy to a bioeconomy-based circular economy. The coupling of digitalization and bioeconomy is leading towards a digitalized bioeconomy that can satisfy the shift in consumers’ preferences for eco-consciousness, which in turn induces coupling of up-down stream operation in the value chain. Thus, the co-evolution of the coupling of digitalization and bioeconomy and of upstream and downstream operations is transforming the forest-based bioeconomy into a digital platform industry. Aiming at addressing this transformation…
Co-evolutionary coupling leads a way to a novel concept of R&D - Lessons from digitalized bioeconomy
2020
Given the increasing role of research and development (R&D) in competitive markets in the digital economy while confronting the dilemma between R&D expansion and a productivity decline, transformation of the R&D model has become a crucial subject for global digital leaders. The authors of this paper postulate that neo open innovation harnessing the vigor of external innovation resources which then developed into a new concept of R&D that self-transforms during an R&D process initiated by Amazon by coupling with users. The authors further develop these postulates by proposing the embedding of a growth characteristic identical to biological coupling. An empirical analysis focusing on the fore…
Innovation strategies geared toward the circular economy: A case study of the organic olive-oil industry
2018
Circular Economy (CE) focuses on the (re)design of processes and products aiming to minimize negative environmental impact, by reducing the use of non-renewable resources, increasing products durability, improving waste management and enhancing the market for secondary raw materials. In the management field very few contributions deal with the topic of CE as a model that firms can implement from a business model perspective. The aim of the present study is to describe, by using a case study in olive oil industry, how firms in practice adapt their business model towards CE paradigm and the influence of personal drivers and stakeholders in this adaptation. The findings reveal that circular ec…
Circular economy business models: The state of research and avenues ahead
2020
This study investigates how the circular economy and business models are related in the current business and management literature. Based on bibliometric analytical procedures, 253 articles were retrieved from the Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect scientific databases. The articles were analyzed according to network analysis principles, and key terms were mapped into a network. We used VOSviewer to build the network, explore the most‐researched terms and their relationships, and identify less‐explored terms and research gaps. We furthermore conducted a qualitative review of selected publications to provide an illustration of quantitative results and delve deeper into the research to…
Circular economy - foundament of challenges for business environment
2017
Abstract Circular economy is one of the fundamental pillars of sustainable development. The limited character of resources, the demographic explosion, the urban agglomerations and the high volume of waste have become extremely sensitive issues in the current period. As a result, the implementation of policies based on fundamental objectives such as material recycling, energy consumption from renewable sources and the design of products that meet the recycling and re-use requirements must be a priority for the worldwide. The paper aims to highlight the principles underpinning the circular economy and to identify the challenges faced by important areas in terms of the capacity to ensure their…
Is circular economy the key to transitioning towards sustainable development? Challenges from the perspective of care ethics
2019
Abstract The Sustainable Development Goals represent a global consensus on the urgency to preserve the conditions that make life possible on this planet and ensure a future of wellbeing for humanity. Transforming consumption and production processes is a fundamental priority of this development agenda. Circular Economy has emerged as an alternative model, given its potential for value creation, while generating social and environmental positive impacts. An exploratory study carried out in Navarra (Spain) shows its potentiality for socio-economic and environmental benefits as well as technological, organizational, financial, institutional and social challenges. However, through the lenses of…
Composite Material Recycling Technology – State-of-the-Art and Sustainable Development for the 2020s.
2020
Recently, significant events took place that added immensely to the sociotechnical pressure for developing sustainable composite recycling solutions, namely (1) a ban on composite landfilling in Germany in 2009, (2) the first major wave of composite wind turbines reaching their End-of-Life (EoL) and being decommissioned in 2019–2020, (3) the acceleration of aircraft decommissioning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (4) the increase of composites in mass production cars, thanks to the development of high volume technologies based on thermoplastic composites. Such sociotechnical pressure will only grow in the upcoming decade of 2020s as other countries are to follow Germany by limiting and ba…