Lessons, narratives and research directions for a sustainable circular economy

Leipold, Sina, Petit-Boix, Anna, Luo, Anran, Helander, Hanna, Simoens, Machteld, Ashton, Weslynne S., Babbitt, Callie W., Bala, Alba, Bening, Catharina, Birkved, Morten, Blomsma, Fenna, Boks, Casper, Boldrin, Alessio, Deutz, Pauline, Domenech, Teresa, Ferronato, Navarro, Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro, Giurco, Damien, Hobson, Kersty ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4200-9081, Husgafvel, Roope, Isenhour, Cynthia, Kriipsalu, Mait, Masi, Donato, Mendoza, Joan Manuel F., Milios, Leonaidas, Niero, Monia, Pant, Deepak, Parjuly, Keshav, Pauliuk, Stefan, Pieroni, Marina P. P., Richter, Jesika Luth, Saidani, Michael, Smol, Marzena, Talens Peiro, Laura, van Ewik, Stijn, Vermeulen, Walter J. V., Wiedenhofer, Dominik and Xue, Bing 2023. Lessons, narratives and research directions for a sustainable circular economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology 27 (1) , pp. 6-18. 10.1111/jiec.13346

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Abstract

The current enthusiasm for the circular economy (CE) offers a unique opportunity to advance the impact of research on sustainability transitions. Diverse interpretations of CE by scholars, however, produce partly opposing assessments of its potential benefits, which can hinder progress. Here, we synthesize policy-relevant lessons and research directions for a sustainable CE and identify three narratives—optimist, reformist, and skeptical—that underpin the ambiguity in CE assessments. Based on 54 key CE scholars’ insights, we identify three research needs: the articulation and discussion of ontologically distinct CE narratives; bridging of technical, managerial, socio-economic, environmental, and political CE perspectives; and critical assessment of opportunities and limits of CE science–policy interactions. Our findings offer practical guidance for scholars to engage reflexively with the rapid expansion of CE knowledge, identify and pursue high-impact research directions, and communicate more effectively with practitioners and policymakers.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Geography and Planning (GEOPL)
Publisher:	Wiley
ISSN:	1088-1980
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 August 2022
Date of Acceptance:	11 August 2022
Last Modified:	07 May 2023 14:52
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/151907

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