Promoting Sustainable Innovation And The Circular Economy

"The book explores the role of public market actors in sustainable and circular economy innovation and financing. The shift to a circular economy requires active innovation, alongside radical changes in law, finance and policy considerations, since regulation is often tightly connected with the assumption of a linear model of consumption. Finance is crucial in creating sustainable and circular economy markets and innovations: public finance is .important from the perspective of seeing the state as an engine for promoting sustainable innovations, but private funds are also required. Legislative initiatives for promoting repairs have been proposed or adopted in the EU, US and in Australia, representing remarkable steps forward but still leaving many obstacles without legislative intervention. This book examines circular economy regulation and policy on a comprehensive, general level, as well as assessing the regulatory possibilities of promoting the right to repair. Promotion of circular economy innovations as well as changing the practices and changing consumer patterns towards a more comprehensive adoption of CE are discussed from perspectives of legal, social and moral norms. The book critically evaluates current legislative reforms and assesses existing barriers to the circular economy and innovation in intellectual property law, consumer law and competition law. Providing an in-depth analysis of this dynamic field, geared towards reconsidering both existing and prospective policies and regulatory regime, the book makes recommendations for solutions to legislative barriers. It is an indispensable resource for both researchers and practitioners working at the intersections of markets, innovations and sustainability"--

As the planet’s natural resources continue to be depleted, society’s environmental awareness has grown. Businesses especially are being coerced into incorporating more sustainable approaches to carrying out their activities. Organizations that develop sustainable business strategies that deliver enhanced value by radically reducing material inputs and engaging consumers on circular economy will be well-positioned for success. Mapping, Managing, and Crafting Sustainable Business Strategies for the Circular Economy is an essential reference source that discusses implementing sustainable business strategies as well as economic policies for the modern business era. Featuring research on topics such as global business, urban innovation, and cost management, this book is ideally designed for managers, operators, manufacturers, academics, practitioners, policymakers, researchers, business professionals, and students seeking coverage on utilizing natural resources in the most sustainable way.

Although green innovation and technology is not new, so far very limited information is available regarding the diversified approaches for green technologies and engineering. This book highlights the challenges and opportunities, offering a roadmap for using various approaches in the most cost effective way. The book discusses the interrelationship between a circular economy and green technologies. It presents the dimensions of green innovations and illustrates the challenges of industrialization, especially in terms of material synthesis and utilized processes. It covers the current environmental and health challenges of societies and describes the role of stakeholders in developing sustainable societies and industries. This book provides a line of approach to core and interdisciplinary students, academicians, research scientists, and various industry personnel to present their ideas of green innovations with a common vision of sustainable development of community and industries in mind. Features Discusses the interrelationship between a circular economy and green technologies Presents the dimensions of green innovations Illustrates the challenges of industrialization, especially in terms of material synthesis and utilized processes Covers the current environmental and health challenges of societies Offers the identification and role of stakeholders in the sustainable development of societies and industries

The aim of this edited book is to provide a comprehensive overview of the opportunities and challenges related to innovation for sustainability. Combining work from both emerging and established scholars in different academic fields, this book provides an integrated understanding of the topic from four perspectives. First, the big picture: frameworks, types, and drivers; second, strategy and leadership; third, measurement and assessment and fourth, tools, methods and technologies. Chapter 11 of this book is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com. The editors donate their remuneration for this book to conservation organisation the WWF.

The circular economy describes a world in which reuse through repair, reconditioning and refurbishment is the prevailing social and economic model. The business opportunities are huge but developing product and service offerings and achieving competitive advantage means rethinking your business model from early creativity and design processes, through marketing and communication to pricing and supply. Designing for the Circular Economy highlights and explores ‘state of the art’ research and industrial practice, highlighting CE as a source of: new business opportunities; radical business change; disruptive innovation; social change; and new consumer attitudes. The thirty-four chapters provide a comprehensive overview of issues related to product circularity from policy through to design and development. Chapters are designed to be easy to digest and include numerous examples. An important feature of the book is the case studies section that covers a diverse range of topics related to CE, business models and design and development in sectors ranging from construction to retail, clothing, technology and manufacturing. Designing for the Circular Economy will inform and educate any companies seeking to move their business models towards these emerging models of sustainability; organizations already working in the circular economy can benchmark their current activities and draw inspiration from new applications and an understanding of the changing social and political context. This book will appeal to both academia and business with an interest in CE issues related to products, innovation and new business models.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION FOR THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY The book comprises 56 peer-reviewed chapters comprehensively covering in-depth areas of circular economy design, planning, business models, and enabling technologies. Some of the greatest opportunities for innovation in the circular economy are in remanufacturing, refurbishment, reuse, and recycling. Critical to its growth, however, are developments in product design approaches and the manufacturing business model that are often met with challenges in the current, largely linear economies of today’s global manufacturing chains. The conference hosted by the REMADE Institute in Rochester, NY, brought together U.S. and international researchers, industry engineers, technologists, and policymakers, to discuss the myriad intertwining issues relating to the circular economy. This book consists of 56 chapters in 10 distinct parts covering broad areas of research and applications in the circular economy area. The first four parts explore the system level work related to circular economy approaches, models and advancements including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to guide implementation, as well as design for circularity approaches. Mechanical and chemical recycling technologies follow, highlighting some of the most advanced research in those areas. Next, innovation in remanufacturing is addressed with descriptions of some of the most advanced work in this field. This is followed by tire remanufacturing and recycling, highlighting innovative technologies in addressing the volume of end-of-use tires. Pathways to net-zero emissions in manufacturing of materials concludes the book, with a focus on industrial decarbonization. Audience This book has a wide audience in academic institutes, business professionals and engineers in a variety of manufacturing industries. It will also appeal to economists and policymakers working on the circular economy, clean tech investors, industrial decision-makers, and environmental professionals.

Systemic change is required to move to a circular economy (CE) model which can meet the demands of a growing population in a manner that is decoupled from resource use and waste generation. This book takes a deep dive into the innovation aspect of the circular economy (CE), with a specific focus on India as a geography, where the transformation to a circular economy is underway. How a developing country like India is tackling the complexities of the transformation and creating innovative solutions is showcased in this book through many practical examples and inspirational case studies. The book lays out the foundations for mainstreaming resource efficiency (RE)/CE in India, and covers innovation led by businesses and start-ups, along with the innovative policies, financing, and collaborative models required to spur and accelerate circular economy approaches, while also providing linkages to the international context. Features: Provides insight into the role of innovation in the circular economy transition Helps to develop and facilitate adoption of resource-efficiency policy and strategy with particular focus on key resource sectors and waste streams Treats the circular economy as a holistic approach across the entire lifecycle, and places emphasis on upstream interventions and systems change Examines the current context of COVID-19 and its impact on circular economy models and practices Touches upon how the EU-based approach was adapted and contextualised significantly to work in the unique Indian landscape This book is aimed at students, researchers, and professionals engaged in the domains of circular economy, sustainability, business innovation, environmental studies, natural resources management, and environmental and resource conservation policy.

The concept of circular economy is based on strategies, practices, policies, and technologies to achieve principles related to reusing, recycling, redesigning, repurposing, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recovering water, waste materials, and nutrients to preserve natural resources. It provides the necessary conditions to encourage economic and social actors to adopt strategies toward sustainability. However, the increasing complexity of sustainability aspects means that traditional engineering and management/economics alone cannot face the new challenes and reach the appropriate solutions. Thus, this book highlights the role of engineering and management in building a sustainable society by developing a circular economy that establishes and protects strong social and cultural structures based on cross-disciplinary knowledge and diverse skills. It includes theoretical justification, research studies, and case studies to provide researchers, practitioners, professionals, and policymakers the appropriate context to work together in promoting sustainability and circular economy thinking. Volume 1, Circular Economy and Sustainability: Management and Policy, discusses the content of circular economy principles and how they can be realized in the fields of economy, management, and policy. It gives an outline of the current status and perception of circular economy at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels to provide a better understanding of its role to achieve sustainability. Volume 2, Circular Economy and Sustainability: Environmental Engineering, presents various technological and developmental tolls that emphasize the implementation of these principles in practice (micro-level). It demonstrates the necessity to establish a fundamental connection between sustainable engineering and circular economy. Presents a novel approach linking circular economy concept to environmental engineering and management to promote sustainability goals in modern societies Approaches the topic of production and consumption at both the micro- and macro-levels, integrating principles with practice Offers a range of theoretical and foundational knowledge in addition to case studies that demonstrate the potential impact of circular economy principles on economic and societal progress