Study on Problems Faced by Xinjiang Organic Producers and Solutions

Presently the behavioral features of the organic producers could be concluded as the fact that they are quite confident of the prospects for organic agriculture, while heavily dependent on the guidance and support of the local governments; are in great demand for technological innovation, while in the distinguished intimacy and poor pricing capacity. Such problems as low economic benefit, the imperfect marketing network and serious external economy, are threatening the healthy development of organic agriculture in Xinjiang. In this essay, it is suggested that the government should, taking full advantage of its rich natural resources, pay great attention to the organic development in the local region; establish an efficient organic marketing network; apply the innovation mechanism as a proper compensation for the external economy; promote organic circle economy.organic agriculture, problems, policy inspiration, Xinjiang, Farm Management,

Recovery and reuse of structural products from end-of-life buildings

YesBuildings and construction have been identified as having the greatest potential for circular economy value creation. One source of value creation is to recover and reuse building products from end-of-service-life buildings, rather than destructive demolition and downcycling. While there is a trade in non-structural and heritage product recovery and reuse, the largest volume, mass and value of most buildings comprise structural elements – concrete, brick and masonry, and steel – which present many challenges. A comprehensive literature review confirms limited attention to innovation and advanced techniques to address these challenges and therefore the potential reuse of the stocks of accumulated building products globally and associated environmental benefits. Potential techniques being tested in an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council circular economy research programme are referenced as a key building block towards circular economy building system redesign.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council - research project Rebuild (EPSRC EP/P008917/1

Circular Economy and Eco-Innovation Solutions for Low-Carbon Buildings in Cities: The Case of Kayseri

An analysis of eco-innovations solutions for efficient low carbon buildings through circular economy principles (reduce, reuse, recycle), that also consider economic and social indicators has been performed at the national (Turkey) and urban scale (Kayseri). The framework for the city of Kayseri and the implementation of the circular economy for construction chain were determined that the three enabler tools which are policies, funding and awareness and collaboration could help to implement circular city model in Turkey. Reducing energy intensity and understanding the factors that can influence this (such as urbanization and industrialisation) will help mitigate future climate changes, improve local air pollution and health

Institutional incentives in circular economy transition: The case of material use in the Dutch textile industry

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this record.The aim of this paper is to gain insight into how requirements for transitioning to circular economy creates new organizational forms in inter-firm collaborations, and ultimately how they stimulate the emergence of new institutions enhancing sustainability. Two strands of literature, one on circular economy and one on institutional analysis, provide the theoretical background for this research. Currently a clearly formulated and unified theory on the institutions of circular economy is lacking. Therefore this research compares and contrasts empirical evidence from cases derived from the textile industry in The Netherlands, and concepts derived from institutional analysis and literature on circular economy to inductively build a cohesive conceptual framework. Using information from cases we identified two pathways to transition into circular economy and to manage circular material flows. We define these pathways Status Quo arrangements (SQ), when firms focus on optimizing up-cycling technologies and infrastructure in their circular relations and collaborations, and Product as Service arrangements (PAS), to indicate a focus on providing products in service contracts. Chain coordination, contracting, and financial mechanisms were identified as key organizational elements for creating new pathways to transition into circular materials flows. However in analyzing these elements we also highlight differences between SQ and PAS arrangements. SQ arrangements may have implications at the level of formal rules, for example by creating a new industry standards for up-cycled fabrics. PAS arrangements may have wider implications, for example by reshaping ownership in service contracts and creating cascading activities. Moving ownership to the supply chain will result in increased responsibility for materials and will create an incentive for improving quality of products, including their environmental performance. This is expected to generate positive socio-environmental impacts at a system level as well. Moreover PAS arrangements may have bottom up effects at a formal institutional level, resulting in alteration and creation of formal rules, for example in terms of new approaches to the ownership of materials

The Circular Economy: The Circular Economy a key approach for addressing strategic challenges in supply chains

This paper considers the role that practices associated with circular economy (CE) approaches can play in enabling businesses to manage their supply chains in more sustainable ways. The belief that sustainable practices are inevitably detrimental to financial performance is challenged through analysis of a case study of a South African flower bouquet exporter, whose business has been designed with full integration of CE principles. We evaluate the drivers for adoption of such CE strategies and highlight the need for ongoing multi-disciplinary research to support the development of effective sustainable innovations in supply chain practice

Instruments for the promotion of a sustainability oriented management of waste by inter-industrial coordination within an industrial region

The raise of material efficiency is of special importance in the provision of solutions for a more sustainable path of development. One of the main approaches in this direction is the resource saving closure of material circulations among industrial actors. This means at least: maximum rate of recycling combined with a minimum in downgrading processes and spatially close output-input relations - or, in other words: a substantial reduction of social, entropic and spatial distance within the circle-closing process. How can these distances be reduced in order to promote the further spreading of an industrial closed circle economy? What are the present obstacles in the industrial reality and how can they be removed on the level of a firm, an industrial district or an industrial region? These were important questions at the beginning of a research process funded by the Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF) in order to encourage eco-industrial development in the of Rhine-Neckar region. Taking the results of our close cooperation especially with SME, the problem solving capacity of this industrial region is high enough to close the circles for industrial residues regionally. The dimension of an industrial agglomeration with more than 1,5 million inhabitants could thus already be regarded as a potential output-input system for industrial waste. Nevertheless this capacity is far from being exploited. Taken the fact, that the largest deficiencies were found in the informational situation of SME, two kinds of instruments were developed to facilitate the acquisition and the advantageous usage of waste information by inter-industrial coordination on the level of the industrial region. As informational basis the project coordinators developed a comprehensive, clear and systematic informational structure. A socalled 'AGUM waste manager' was developed as a software tool, that meets all the needs not only for internal information and communication but also for exchanges with potentially fitting output-input partners outside the border of the enterprise. As information on the composition of a certain waste is relatively scarce, the transfer of materials goes together with substantial costs for control, that can only be diminished or substituted by mutual confidence between the two actors. And even a pure informational exchange of waste manager-data between different enterprises would hardly work without a face-to-face contact. Our transparency-guided approach to promote regional sustainability did thus include the development and institutionalisation of an inter-industrial network, that first of all incorporates industrial producers (especially SME) but also other actors, that stand for the problem solving capacity of the region (i.e. universities, political administrations and other institutions) and can thus contribute to the identification and implementation of sustainable-oriented solutions in a regional context.

Fostering circular cities : a study on urban circularity hotspot frameworks for the Western Balkan region

A main goal of this study - which also functions as deliverable 210078-D07 of the Circular Economy Beacons (CEB) project - is to evaluate currently available frameworks that measure and operationalise Circular Economy (CE), with a particular focus on the urban context. The regional focus lies on the Western Balkan region, which is at the centre of the project. Such "Urban Circularity Hotspot Frameworks" (UCHF) aim at providing decision support for policy makers, companies, citizens etc. regarding the transition to CE within cities. Based on the analysis of different frameworks, suggestions are derived regarding UCHF suitable for the specific characteristics of Western Balkan municipalities, i.e. a Circular Economy Beacons Urban Circularity Hotspot Framework (CEB-UCHF) ready for short-term implementation

Circular business strategies and supply chain finance in the Aruba waste sector : a case study of a small island jurisdiction

This paper focuses on possibilities and obstacles for a circular economy in the waste management sector in Aruba. The authors describe the Aruban economy and the consequences of its SIDS characteristics. The article defines concepts in the field of circular economy and presents a conceptual model for research in this area. Based on multimethod research, the paper argues that small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in the waste sector in Aruba determine their financial needs partly on the opportunities offered by the international market and price developments. Financing often takes place from own resources or via a local bank. No examples of circular chain financing were identified. Chain cooperation takes place with partners within the existing holding or with international partners, whereby performance and hedging contracts are concluded to guarantee quality and delivery and to mitigate business risks such as price fluctuations on the world market. During the research, it became obvious that limitations resulting from Aruba’s small scale and ‘islandness’ – such as the limited goods flow, limited quantities of feed waste materials and financing facilities offered by the local banking sector, as well as insufficiently stimulating legislation and regulations, coupled with faltering knowledge circulation and social awareness – seriously hamper the development of circular entrepreneurism in Aruba. The article offers policy recommendations to mitigate the bottlenecks for sustainable development in Aruba.peer-reviewe

The circular economy: An interdisciplinary exploration of the concept and application in a global context

There have long been calls from industry for guidance in implementing strategies for sustainable development. The Circular Economy represents the most recent attempt to conceptualize the integration of economic activity and environmental wellbeing in a sustainable way. This set of ideas has been adopted by China as the basis of their economic development (included in both the 11th and the 12th ‘Five Year Plan’), escalating the concept in minds of western policymakers and NGOs. This paper traces the conceptualisations and origins of the Circular Economy, tracing its meanings, and exploring its antecedents in economics and ecology, and discusses how the Circular Economy has been operationalized in business and policy. The paper finds that while the Circular Economy places emphasis on the redesign of processes and cycling of materials, which may contribute to more sustainable business models, it also encapsulates tensions and limitations. These include an absence of the social dimension inherent in sustainable development that limits its ethical dimensions, and some unintended consequences. This leads us to propose a revised definition of the Circular Economy as “an economic model wherein planning, resourcing, procurement, production and reprocessing are designed and managed, as both process and output, to maximize ecosystem functioning and human well-being”