Circular Economy (CE) currently represents a viable option for countries, governments, academia and society to transform the linear and semi-circular materials and energy flows into circular flows ...and obtain better sustainable benefits. In this sense, Industrial Ecology (IE) with its tools can assist in the transition to CE. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to present the theoretical contribution of IE to CE. The methodology used was based on bibliometric analysis in the international context. With regard to the bibliometric analyses, we have identified that the evolution of CE would not be possible without the existence of IE concepts and tools, especially with tools such as Industrial Symbiosis (IS) and Eco-Industrial Parks (EIPs). Furthermore, three levels of IE contribution to CE were identified, such as: conceptual, technical and policy aspects. Finally, new CE based researches from an IE perspective with bibliometric analysis and with co-citation networks are possible, including, solid waste management and policies.
This article presents an exploratory study on the current remanufacturing scenario and its main characteristics within the Brazilian Automotive sector. A review of the remanufacturing literature was ...performed regarding its evolution, benefits and the actors in the supply chain. Next, two case studies were conducted; one original equipment manufacturer, which remanufactures the products they produce, and one independent manufacturer, which remanufactures products and/or components originally produced by the Original equipment manufacturer. The remanufacturing characteristics for each case were analyzed and described. The results show that the original equipment manufacturing company has more advantages when compared to the independent company, specifically regarding the relationship with used product suppliers, remanufacturing operation and marketing of the remanufactured product. However, cooperation between the original equipment manufacturing and independent companies can be created and this could bring better remanufacturing operations and increased profitability for both.
It is a consensus that we are passing by a period of severe natural resource depletion. Our current linear socioeconomic system, characterized by the product discard at the end of product life, is ...one of the main causes of this natural depletion. Some governs and institution, as European Union 3 and The Ellen MacArthur Foundation 1, are calling for a new economic model, as can be seen on the Europe 2020 strategy 4: “the Europe Union has no choice but to go for the transition to a resource-efficient and ultimately regenerative circular economy”. This highlights the trend for a circular economy, characterized by restoration and circularity of product components. It is a response to the inefficient management of the resources in the traditional linear model. To support this transition from a linear to a circular economy, business managers rely on new business models be developed. Product-Service System (PSS) is considered a business model that integrates products and services with the aim of fulfilling customer's needs. The objective of this study is to identify if PSS can be used as a business model for firms achieve resource-efficiency through circular economy. This study constitute a literature review and a bibliometric analysis about PSS and circular economy.
The Environmental Management System of ISO 14001 stands out as one of the most widely used systems for managing corporate environmental aspects and processes and the Cleaner Production is a proactive ...environmental strategy that has remarkably positive results in environmental corporate management. The principal aim of this article was to identify and analyze the influence relations of the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System to the Cleaner Production through a survey-based research. The maturity and the phases of planning and discipline are key factors for the systematization and continuity of Cleaner Production practices. The stages of Planning, Evaluation and Feasibility Study, and Implementation were identified as the main stages of CP fostered by the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System.
•We analyzed the relations of the ISO 14001 EMS to the CP in industrial companies.•The main influence relations were identified and discussed.•Four hypotheses of relations were tested.•Two main CP stages are fostering by the ISO 14001 EMS.•These results should be considered in many industrial sectors worldwide.
Understanding the product's ‘end-of-life’ is important to reduce the environmental impact of the products' final disposal. When the initial stages of product development consider end-of-life aspects, ...which can be established by ecodesign (a proactive approach of environmental management that aims to reduce the total environmental impact of products), it becomes easier to close the loop of materials. The ‘end-of-life’ ecodesign methods generally include more than one ‘end-of-life’ strategy. Since product complexity varies substantially, some components, systems or sub-systems are easier to be recycled, reused or remanufactured than others. Remanufacture is an effective way to maintain products in a closed-loop, reducing both environmental impacts and costs of the manufacturing processes. This paper presents some ecodesign methods focused on the integration of different ‘end-of-life’ strategies, with special attention to remanufacturing, given its increasing importance in the international scenario to reduce the life cycle impacts of products.
This paper performs a multi-national assessment to provide a more comprehensive vision of the potential implementation of Rooftop Greenhouses in retail parks from a theoretical perspective. A ...geographic information system – life cycle assessment method is used to quantify both the potential and the expected benefits of implementing rooftop greenhouses. We evaluate eight case studies in Europe and South America, paying attention to geographical constrasts (e.g., climate). We also focus on comparing the differences between isolated rooftop greenhouses and integrated rooftop greenhouses by evaluating the implications of a symbiotic metabolism. Results showed that retail parks have a large potential for the implementation of rooftop greenhouses in the short-term (53–98% of the rooftops are technically and economically feasible), being architecture one of the main constraints (i.e., roof material limited the potential to 11% for the Colombian case). Retail parks performed better than industrial parks as urban locations for such projects. The employment of isolated rooftop greenhouses in these areas obtained large values of production (31–234 tonnes of tomato per ha), CO2 savings (16–112 tonnes of CO2 eq per ha) and food self-supply (380–21,500 people per ha; 3.5–60% of local tomato demand). When considering an industrial symbiosis approach, integrated rooftop greenhouses (with exchange of energy and CO2) could boost food production and self-supply values (up to 1.8 times) as well as the environmental benefits from local production (up to 2.5 times higher). Integrating the water flow from rainwater harvesting on the building into the crop production would ensure crop's water self-sufficiency, apart from one case (69% of self-sufficiency).
•Rooftop greenhouses employ technological innovation to maximize resource efficiency.•Integrated rooftop greenhouses exchange residual flows with the building.•We applied a combined geographic information systems and life cycle assessment tool.•53–98% of the roofs of retail parks are feasible for installing rooftop greenhouses.•Retail parks are better urban locations for rooftop farming than industrial ones.
The transition to a circular economy presents new ways to create and offer value by proposing changes to current production and consumption systems. This study focuses on the challenges concerning ...consumers' acceptance of circular offerings and their engagement with the circular economy. Through a systematic literature review, we investigated consumers' mindsets, behaviour, and influencing factors, and positioned them in circular consumption systems. This review was conducted using two databases, Scopus and Web of Science, in January 2020 and updated in September 2020. A total of 107 articles were screened, and 53 were included in the analysis. We mapped 6 circular mindsets, 14 circular behaviours, and 54 factors that influenced them. Our results show that broad interpretations and generalisations concerning these elements should be carried out carefully, as they are highly contextually driven. However, their role in consumption systems is clear. Consumers' mindsets are the starting point of circular consumption systems, as they present pre-dispositions in engaging with circular offerings. These mindsets are expressed by consumer behaviour, which allows product flow in these systems; they, in turn, are affected by influencing factors. We suggest that continued updates on this systematic literature review should be conducted, along with the development of a structured tool to help organisations engage their consumers by developing circular mindsets and encouraging circular behaviour, using the influencing factors.
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Life cycle impact assessment is a crucial phase of the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique, once it identifies and quantifies the environment impacts of products/processes life cycle. This phase, ...however, is performed in a static way, becoming a bottleneck on a dynamic LCA of manufacturing processes. This paper presents a method to perform a web based dynamic life cycle inventory and impact assessment for manufacturing processes, in order to improve the data quality and accuracy of environmental aspects and potential impacts. The method implementation is based on combining Labview and GaBi softwares, as well as MTConnect® standard.
The number of studies on green manufacturing has increased over the past years and particular focus has been placed on machining processes and the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This ...paper reports the results of the use of a modeling approach that combines Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Design of Experiments (DOE) to investigate a cylindrical plunge grinding for 21-2N steel. The effect of two process parameters on the LCA results of the grinding machining was studied through an analysis of variance (ANOVA). The parameters investigated were type of CBN grinding wheel (JB126 K150 VSS and 8B126 K150 VT2) and different levels of specific material removal rate (50, 100, 150 and 200mm3/mm.min).
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