Digital government and the circular economy transition: An analytical framework and a research agenda

The transition from a linear economy towards a circular economy (CE), based on reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing materials and products, is one of the key priorities in pursuing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where governments play a fundamental role, with the support of digital technologies.<br/><br/>Despite the...

From circular strategies to actions: 65 European circular building cases and their decarbonisation potential

The application of the circular economy (CE) in the building industry is critical for achieving the carbon reduction goals defined in the Paris Agreement and is increasingly promoted through European policies. In recent years, CE strategies have been applied and tested in numerous building projects in practice. However, insights into their...

Guidelines to Foster Consumer Acceptance of Products Made from Recycled Plastics

The circular economy can reduce the environmental footprint of today’s consumption and close the resource loop through circular material flows. Companies are encouraged to fol- low circular principles, such as using more recycled plastic materials. This initiative seems promising; however, it will only be successful if consumers are willing to...

Circular material flow in the intensive care unit—environmental effects and identification of hotspots

Purpose: The healthcare sector is responsible for 6–7% of CO₂ emissions. The intensive care unit (ICU) contributes to these CO₂ emissions and a shift from a linear system to a circular system is needed. The aim of our research was to perform a material flow analysis (MFA) in an academic ICU. Secondary aims were to obtain...

Circular Digital Built Environment: An Emerging Framework

Digital technologies are considered to be an essential enabler of the circular economy in various industries. However, to date, very few studies have investigated which digital technologies could enable the circular economy in the built environment. This study specifically focuses on the built environment as one of the largest, most energy- and...

A Circular Healthcare Economy; a feasibility study to reduce surgical stainless steel waste

The Circular Economy faces a growing interest. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of a circular approach towards reusing discarded hospital instruments and stainless steel waste. Secondary, this study aims to identify if any cost savings can be realized by following a circular instrument repair and recycling approach....

Circling the square: Governance of the circular economy transition in the Amsterdam metropolitan area

Circular economy (CE), the new ‘buzzword’ in urban and regional studies and policy debates, is about shifting from a linear production process towards a circular one in which the generation of waste is minimised, materials circulate in ‘closed loops’, and waste is not considered a burden but rather a resource that brings new economic...

Key competencies for design in a circular economy: Exploring gaps in design knowledge and skills for a circular economy

In a recent study, we identified seven key circular competencies for design: (1) Design for Multiple Use Cycles, (2) Design for Recovery, (3) Circular Impact Assessment, (4) Circular Business Models, (5) Circular User Engagement, (6) Circular Economy Collaboration, and (7) Circular Economy Communication. These were derived from small‐scale...

Circular business model experimentation: Demystifying assumptions: Demystifying assumptions

Circular business model experiments may help firms transition towards a circular economy. Little is known about how the participants of experimentation – entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, innovation managers – develop and test their assumptions during the experimentation process to achieve more circular outcomes. Using a design-science approach,...

New Dimensions for Circularity on Campus: Framework for the Application of Circular Principles in Campus Development

To what extent can transformation and development processes on a university or other campus fit in with the principles of circularity? This paper builds a bridge between the more theoretical approach of the circular economy and daily practice in campus development, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with a broad range of stakeholders in...

Decomposing the Complexity of Value: Integration of Digital Transformation of Education with Circular Economy Transition

In this article, we highlight the pressing need for integrating the windows of opportunities that digital transformation of education opens up with circular economy education to accelerate the achievements of sustainability outcomes. Circular economy transition, as a multi-scalar process, relates to several contexts, e.g., product, firm,...

Beyond wastescapes: Towards circular landscapes. addressing the spatial dimension of circularity through the regeneration of wastescapes

Wastescapes are the result of unsustainable linear growth processes and their spatial consequences within the context of urban metabolic flows and related infrastructure. They represent the operational infrastructure for waste management and include Drosscapes, generating complex relations with the servicing and surrounding territory. In...

Towards design strategies for circular medical products

The framework of design for the circular economy is increasingly used in industry to improve product sustainability and decrease costs, and in academia various models have been developed to guide circular design. However, in the medical sector, although it generates a large amount of waste, application of circular design principles is...

Circular Cities: Mapping Six Cities in Transition

Urbanisation and climate change are urging cities to chart novel paths towards sustainable futures. Many cities are turning to the alluring 'circular economy' (CE) concept to guide this redirection. The CE concept re-imagines how flows of resources moving through economies might be 'closed'. Here, we explore this new 'circular city' agenda by...