The Emergence of Circular Economy: A New Framing Around Prolonging Resource Productivity

Summary In this article, we use Hirsch and Levin's notion of umbrella concepts as an analytical lens, in order to articulate the valuable catalytic function the circular economy (CE) concept could perform in the waste and resource management debate. We realize this goal by anchoring the CE conc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of industrial ecology Vol. 21; no. 3; pp. 603 - 614
Main Authors: Blomsma, Fenna, Brennan, Geraldine
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New Haven Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.06.2017
Subjects:
Anchoring
Catalysis
Circular economy
closed loop
Cognitive ability
Conceptual development
Debates
Ecology
Frame analysis
Framing
Industrial ecology
Lenses
Productivity
resource efficiency
Resource management
resource‐life extending strategies
social embeddedness
Social sciences
Strategies
umbrella concepts
Waste management
ISSN:1088-1980, 1530-9290
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Summary In this article, we use Hirsch and Levin's notion of umbrella concepts as an analytical lens, in order to articulate the valuable catalytic function the circular economy (CE) concept could perform in the waste and resource management debate. We realize this goal by anchoring the CE concept in this broader debate through a narrative approach. This leads to the insight that whereas the various resource strategies grouped under the CE's banner are not new individually, the concept offers a new framing of these strategies by drawing attention to their capacity of prolonging resource use as well as to the relationship between these strategies. As such, the CE offers a new perspective on waste and resource management and provides a new cognitive unit and discursive space for debate. We conclude by discussing research opportunities for the industrial ecology (IE) community relating to the concept's theoretical development and its implementation. Specifically, we pose that reinvigorating and growing the social science aspects of IE is required for both. After all, it is in understanding and facilitating the collective implementation of any idea, also the CE concept, that the potential lies for shaping our material future.
Bibliography:The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
Conflict of Interest Statement
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ISSN:1088-1980
1530-9290
DOI:10.1111/jiec.12603