Developments for a Circular Economy: Production and Management Perspectives
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (8 June 2022) | Viewed by 638
Special Issue Editors
2. DATAI, Institute of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Navarra, 31009 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
Interests: sustainable process improvement; Lean Green practices; data analysis; Six Sigma approach
Interests: lean manufacturing; gamification; sustainable improvement process; circular economy
Interests: design of experiments; continuous improvement (lean production, six sigma); supply chain management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Circular economy (CE) and sustainable development (SD) are not the same concepts. CE is a restitutive economy. This economic model “aims to close energy and materials loops, facilitate sustainable development and prevent the depletion of resources through its implementation at the micro, meso and macro levels” (Prieto-Sandoval et al., 2018). At the micro level, CE encourages reducing, reusing, and recycling resources and materials, closing loops, in order to optimize their use and minimize the amount of disposable waste along the supply chain.
On the other hand, SD is defined as a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations (World Commission on Environment and Development 1985). Some of sustainability goals include reducing poverty, climate change, environmental degradation and promoting fairness, peace, and justice. Therefore, SD proposes a coherent use of resources reconciling both economic progress and the social and environmental aspects necessary for the wellbeing of citizens.
Hence, if we want CE practices to favor sustainable development, the implementation of these practices should permit the achievement of an economic, social, and environmental balance in society. In this sense, Valenturf and Purnell (2021) proposed some principles for a sustainable circular economy in a recent article. However, today, not all the practices which are presented as CE solutions have a direct effect on sustainability (Velenturf and Purnell, 2021; Viles et al. 2020).
With the aim of CE practices at micro level contributing to a more sustainable world, it would be necessary for companies to define an organizational strategy with a broader scope than usual, forgetting the linear economic model and beginning the transition to a more circular model—a circular economic model in which it would be possible to recover the majority of resources and materials used, permitting at the same time the regeneration of the Earth and without compromising the economic, social, and environmental future for the coming generations.
To date, to the best of our knowledge. case studies related to the production area describing the strategy and practices that follow this broad EC concept (Sustainable Circular Economy) are scarce.
This Special Issue aims to collect a selection of original and innovative articles related to production strategies and practices carried out in companies operating under a Sustainable Circular Economy paradigm. As far as possible, the articles should include a quantitative analysis of operational, economic, environmental, and social performance of these companies with the aim of assessing their impact on sustainability.
References
Brundtland, G. H. (1985). World commission on environment and development. Environmental policy and law, 14(1), 26-30.
Prieto-Sandoval, V., Jaca, C., & Ormazabal, M. (2018). Towards a consensus on the circular economy. Journal of cleaner production, 179, 605-615.
Velenturf, A. P., & Purnell, P. (2021). Principles for a Sustainable Circular Economy. Sustainable Production and Consumption.
Viles, E., Santos, J., Arévalo, T. F., Tanco, M., & Kalemkerian, F. (2020). A New Mindset for Circular Economy Strategies: Case Studies of Circularity in the Use of Water. Sustainability, 12(22), 9781.
Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Viles
Prof. Dr. Javier Santos
Prof. Dr. Martín Tanco Rainusso
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- production
- strategy and practices
- sustainable circular economy
- sustainable performance
- management
