Abstract: The increase of industrial symbiosis (IS) activities around the world has strongly contributed to promote awareness among companies on the benefits of this business model and, consequently, their interest to apply/incorporate dedicated IS actions in their activities. In most cases, companies assume self-learning and ongoing approaches for the adaption of synergies, ignoring some fundamental aspects as the full spectrum of considerations regarding these processes. Unexpected barriers frequently appear during the implementation process and become hardly overcome due to incomplete systematic approaches and the lack of information. In this context, it is important to promote effective and sequential guidance procedures regarding IS implementation processes to support companies in their transition to full IS processes implementation. This paper aims to advance the synergy implementation emerging process, through the identification, promotion, and definition of the core steps to be considered in an IS implementation process. This study is based on a comprehensive perspective for the definition of contents to be considered in a step-by-step guideline that includes the different theoretical, technical, and strategic approaches for large-scale IS promotion. The main outputs of this paper are a final set of independent and sequential information clusters, their associated contents identification process, and a comprehensive description of the systematic approach used to support companies in the implementation of their pre-identified stages. The guideline methodology proposed in this study is an important support tool for companies, practitioners, and agents intending to initiate IS synergies implementation and also a strong contribution to the development of complementary guidance activities regarding IS implementation process. PubDate: 2021-02-15
Abstract: The idea of a circular economy, in which parts of discarded products are reused to create new products, has intuitive appeal for goals of sustainability. However, it also partially perpetuates a mental model of economic activity that is at the root of unsustainability. This make-buy-destroy-rebuy (products) mental model has been called “goods-dominant logic.” In this commentary, I advance an alternative mental model, called “service-dominant logic,” which lends itself to business models that can make circularity unnecessary. PubDate: 2021-02-13
Abstract: A problem for a circular economy, embedded in its policies, tools, technologies and models, is that it is driven by the interests and needs of producers, rather than customers and users. This opinion paper focuses on an alternative form of governance—agreements, which thanks to their bargaining approach brings actors from across the value chain into the policy process. The purpose of this opinion paper is to uncover and analyse the potential of such agreements for a circular economy. Circular agreements aim at increasing the circulation of materials and are an emerging form of political governance within the EU. These agreements have different names, involve different actors and govern in different ways. However, circular agreements seem to work when other types of regulations fail to establish circulation. These agreements bring actors together and offer a platform for negotiating how advantages and disadvantages can be redistributed between actors in a way that is more suitable for a circular economy. However, circular agreements are dependent on other policy instruments to work and can generate a free-rider problem with uninvolved actors. The agreements may also become too detailed and long term, which leads to problem shifting and lock-ins, respectively. PubDate: 2021-02-09
Abstract: This study is aimed to analyze the various features and elements related to strategic organizational sustainability. The analysis departs from the assumption that traditional organizations have to face a lot of challenges posed by the new global economy context confronting contradictory patterns of globalization and des-globalization processes. In order to create the new conditions for the organizations not only to survive but to succeed, it has proposed a new model based on designing and implementing strategic organizational sustainability, abandoning the narrow focus on economic growth and profits to embrace the social inclusion and equity as well as the environmental sustainability issues. PubDate: 2021-02-09
Abstract: The 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. PubDate: 2021-01-21
Abstract: This study is aimed to analyze the various features and elements related to strategic organizational sustainability. The analysis departs from the assumption that traditional organizations have to face a lot of challenges posed by the new global economy context confronting contradictory patterns of globalization and de-globalization processes. In order to create the new conditions for the organizations not only to survive but to succeed, it proposed a new model based on designing and implementing strategic organizational sustainability, abandoning the narrow focus on economic growth and profits to embrace the social inclusion and equity as well as the environmental sustainability issues. PubDate: 2021-01-20
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