Search results for "circular"

Examining the critical factors that influence the success of construction and demolition waste reverse logistics operations

2022

The reverse logistics (RL) performance of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) differs significantly between countries. Although some countries are successfully circular, other countries are still far behind; with C&DW being largely directed to landfills or being illegally dumped. There is a lack of guidelines on the requirements for transitioning countries towards C&DW diversion, and little attention has been given to the factors that influence the success of C&DW RL and increased circularity. This study aims to develop a framework that helps in structuring and assessing the success of C&DW RL on a regional level and serves as a guide for transitioning developing co…

Bold ambition, blunted agency? : Examining top management perspectives on a circular economy transition in Finland

2022

The circular economy is proposed as a company-driven means to further sustainability transitions. Top managers have a critical role in fostering the circular economy as they are responsible for shaping and implementing a company's sustainability strategy and performance. In this paper, we adopt a microfoundations perspective to enhance our understanding of the influence of top managers as agents of the sustainability transition to the circular economy. In a qualitative research study, we interviewed 34 top managers of Finnish companies that are actively pursuing the circular economy. The main implication of our study is in exploring the role of top managers, as they engage in actively struc…

Examining the role of waste-to-energy in a circular economy in Finland with meeting a zero-waste goal

2016

As the concept for circular economy gains traction in the world and the EU pushes for the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy model, the role of waste-toenergy is crucial in a circular economy as it is the last chance to extract value out of material at the same time as providing an alternative energy source, henceforth bringing together a closed-loop system. A functioning circular economy will also have minimal waste generated which is sync with the idea of zero-waste. How all these aspects really work together is the focal point of this Master’s thesis where the aim is to see how the three factors of waste-to-energy, the circular economy and a zero-waste goal work toget…

Water-smart circular economy – Conceptualisation, transitional policy instruments and stakeholder perception

2022

Highlights • A concept for a water-smart Circular Economy (CE) is introduced. • Elements of a water-smart CE are presented. • Instruments to support the transition to a water-smart CE are analysed. • Drivers for and barriers to the transition to a water-smart CE are identified. The Circular Economy (CE) is a concept that has gained considerable global attention during the past decade amongst private and public sector actors, politicians and policymakers, citizens and media, and scientific communities. Water and water-related ecosystems, despite their vital role in practically all human activities, have been largely missing from conceptualisations and scientific definitions of the CE. Theref…

Enhancing a Transition to a Circular Economy in the Water Sector: The EU Project WIDER UPTAKE

2021

A novel approach for resource recovery includes forward osmosis (FO) as a concentration step in municipal wastewater treatment. The current study investigates different pre-treatment strategies including biological treatment with a moving-bed bioreactor (MBBR) at different loading rates and particle removal by filtration and sedimentation. Membrane performance and recovery potential for energy and nutrients were investigated in laboratory-scale FO experiments in batch mode using pre-treated municipal wastewater as feed and 35 g/L NaCl as a draw solution. Initial water fluxes were in the range of 6.3 to 8.0 L/(m2·h). The baseline fluxes were modelled to account for flux decline due to concen…

Humanities and Social Sciences. Latvia: Vol. 28, N 1 (Spring-Summer 2020) 

2020

Spectroscopic and Structural Investigation of the Confinement of D and L Dimethyl Tartrate in Lecithin Reverse Micelles

2009

The confinement of D and L dimethyl tartrate in lecithin reverse micelles dispersed in cyclohexane has been investigated by FT-IR, polarimetry, electronic and vibrational circular dichroism (ECD and VCD), 1H NMR, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Measurements have been performed at room temperature as a function of the solubilizate-to-surfactant molar ratio (R) at fixed lecithin concentration. The analysis of experimental data indicates that the dimethyl tartrate molecules are solubilized within reverse micelles in proximity to the surfactant head groups in the same way for the D and L forms. The encapsulation of dimethyl tatrate within lecithin reverse micelles involves changes in i…

Increasing the Use of Reclaimed Asphalt in Italy towards a Circular Economy: A Top-Down Approach

2022

This contribution concerns recommendations which could be made to Italian regulatory bodies to improve their use of reclaimed asphalt (RA) in the road engineering sector. It is essential for the use of RA to be established as a standard practice since it has been proven that it can serve as an end-of-waste product that complies with the principles of a circular economy within both an open- and a closed-loop approach [1,2]. Several aspects will be covered, starting with an analysis of European nations whose economies can be classed as “more circular” compared to Italy’s. This refers to nations which have a high usage of RA. Furthermore, nations which have clear regulatory guidelines on the u…

Environmental Assessment of an Innovative High-Performance Experimental Agriculture Field

2022

To increase food availability, optimizing production systems and reducing burdens related to human activities is essential in a scenario of population growth and limited natural resources. In this context, the life cycle methodology can represent a valuable asset for assessing the environmental performance of agricultural products and services. This study sought to investigate and characterize potential impacts of an experimental tomato field at the University of Perugia and evaluate if the production increment obtained using high-reflective mulching compensated for the emissions caused by this extra component. The first-year crop campaign was the baseline reference to measure the system’s …

A systematic literature review of the transition to the circular economy in business organizations: Obstacles, catalysts and ambivalences

2021

There is a need for a transition from unsustainable linear business models to a more sustainable circular approach, called the circular economy. To promote this need, a deeper understanding of which issues hinder organizations’ transition to the circular economy and which ones catalyse it is needed. A systematic literature review was performed on the business implementation of the circular economy and 69 articles covering the topic were found. The review identifies different types of catalyst, obstacles and ambivalent factors influencing circular economy implementation in business. This study contributes to research on circular economy implementation at business organizations by providing u…