Preventing the Circular Economy (CE) Concept From Disintegrating

 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344917302835?dgcid=raven_sd_recommender_email

In the journal article at the link above, the authors maintain that the CE concept may be in danger of collapse due to a lack of agreement among scholars & practitioners as to exactly what it means.  As a result, they say, certain important elements (e.g., social equity, sustainable development) of CE are slighted in planning.  [Keep in mind, this article was published almost three years ago.]

 After a detailed description of the paper's research methods, the article then presents "the first comprehensive and systematic analysis of CE definitions...".  Essentially--- solicited, written, and qualitative definitions of 114 CE terms/elements were coded, analyzed, and quantified.

Section "4. Conclusion" reveals the important results, and should be read by those working with the CE concept.  A few examples of the results follow:

1.  a much needed definition of CE;

2.  the suggestion that some of the authors of the solicited definitions have no idea what CE is really about; and,

3.  some of those authors entirely equate CE with recycling.

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In my view, the article contributes to reducing the lack of coherence in the CE arena.  I still maintain, though, that CE appears to be solidly wedded to the concept of "unlimited economic growth".  As such, it ignores the role of entropy in the biophysical world, and the common sense observation that Spaceship Earth is finite.  Relying on Julian Simon's contention that human inventiveness and production efficiency will overcome any obstacles is not realistic.  Nevertheless, given current political climates around the world, CE may be a good FIRST STEP (& only that) toward a genuinely sustainable habitat.  But first, CE researchers, policy makers, and practitioners need to cohere on what constitutes the Circular Economy.  If they don't, the concept likely will dissolve, fade away, or become nothing more than circularity for the sake of circularity.

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Not only my opinion.  Be Well