Material Circularity Assessment in Road Scheme Design
There is growing recognition of, and interest in, the potential benefits of the application of circular economy approaches to road infrastructure. This work reports the calculation and consideration of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) as a road scheme design-stage circularity metric and considers the practicality of its calculation and its potential to inform sustainable design. The MCI measures the degree to which a product's component materials minimise linear flows and maximize restorative flows, while also accounting for the duration and / or intensity of material use relative to an ‘industry-average’ product. The MCI was calculated for a major road scheme’s baseline design and principal detailed design stage design options – during scheme design. Calculations used scheme design data, with future material recycling efficiency estimated on the basis of current UK practice and the MCI’s utility factor derived from historic traffic flow intensity. The scheme’s baseline design had an MCI of 53.4%, which was improved to 61.3% through the integration of design oportunities that reduced resource consumption and increased material reuse and recycling. Calculation of the MCI facilitated evaluation of resource flow and material circularity and is considered to have value in informing road scheme design-stage resource management, decision making and sustainability.
Copyright (c) 2026 David N. Smith, Emma Maltby, Amelia Mills, Mark Murrin Earp, Brian Laughton, G Foster-Bell (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Microfiber and GHG Emission Analysis Across the Textile Value Chain: Shifting from End-of-Pipe Solution to Circularity
The rising global demand for synthetic textiles, which accounted for nearly 64% of the market in 2021, has led to a critical accumulation of persistent microfibers and increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study assesses the textile value chain to identify critical hotspots, revealing that while printing and dyeing are primary contributors to microfiber pollution, the dyeing and finishing stages are also major GHG drivers, projected to generate 1.8 Gt CO₂-eq by 2030. Current "end-of-pipe" mitigation, such as tertiary wastewater treatment, can remove over 99% of microfibers; however, the cumulative remaining fraction and the transfer of microplastics to sludge present ongoing environmental risks. To move beyond these isolated, reactive measures, this study proposes a shift toward circularity by integrating LCA-informed design and sustainable manufacturing. Key circular strategies identified include raw material substitution toward non-persistent fibers, mechanical process modifications to increase yarn twist and stitch density, and the adoption of bio-based finishing modifiers like chitosan and pectin to reduce shedding. By addressing both the methane-intensive agricultural stage and fossil-heavy chemical synthesis, these findings underscore that a holistic circular economy approach is essential to decouple textile production from systemic environmental degradation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Elias Wagari (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Will the Circular Economy Remain Unloved?
Despite widespread policy attention on the circular economy (CE) transition there is growing evidence of systemic inertia in the consumer context. One recent study suggests a “Titanic effect”, where the current direction of travel is unsustainable and circularity is neither accessible nor desirable to wider audiences. Across academic and grey literature, CE barriers are framed not only as technical or regulatory, but also as behavioural, cultural, and emotional. Trust, confidence, and meaning repeatedly emerge as missing enablers of change, yet policy and scholarship continue to overlook the importance of the role of consumer-brand relationships and emotions in motivating consumers. Drawing on the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and the marketing construct of Brand Love (BL), this article argues that the CE remains largely unloved with consumers beyond niche innovations such as Repair Cafés and pre-loved clothing. We propose that BL, defined as deep, enduring emotional attachment beyond satisfaction or loyalty, functions as a mediating relational mechanism that enables niche circular innovations to diffuse and overcome CE inertia. BL acts as a soft “relational infrastructure” in consumer–brand relationships, referring to the trust-based relationships and emotional attachments that make collective change possible beyond formal systems and policies. This soft infrastructure supports the diffusion of niche innovations and motivates consumers to switch to circular products and services with confidence. Since existing BL research has been shaped by linear consumption logic, we suggest further academic studies are needed to adapt BL to circular practices and business models.
Copyright (c) 2026 Trevor Davis, Martin Charter (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Multi-Stakeholder Data Sharing for the Circular Economy
The transition to a circular economy (CE) depends on effective data sharing across fragmented value chains. Although digital technologies enable the tracking of resources, products, and processes, relevant data are dispersed among stakeholders with divergent interests, capabilities, and regulatory constraints. This article conceptualizes multi-stakeholder data sharing as a central governance challenge for the CE and identifies three core tensions: transparency versus confidentiality, granularity versus feasibility, and multiplicity of platforms versus standardization. We derive implications for governance frameworks and we outline key directions for future research.
Copyright (c) 2026 Leona Henry, Francesca Ciulli (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Circular Space Economy: Review, Conceptualization, and Research Agenda for Narrowing, Slowing, and Closing the Loop in Orbit
The Space Economy (SE) is rapidly expanding, yet its reliance on a linear production and consumption model is intensifying the orbital debris problem and stands in tension with the core principles of a Circular Economy (CE). Despite increasing attention to both domains, scholarship at their intersection remains fragmented and conceptually underdeveloped, limiting cumulative theorizing on how circularity can be conceptualized in SE contexts. Addressing this gap, I conduct an integrative review of CE and SE research published between 2010 and 2025, synthesizing the contemporary literature into an organizing framework for conceptualizing the Circular Space Economy (CSE). Building on this synthesis, I advance a ten-point research agenda structured across four distinct yet interdependent pillars: (1) Orbital Property Rights and Governance; (2) Circular Ecosystems and Supply Chains; (3) Circular Business Models and Circular Product Design & Technologies; and (4) Methods and Metrics for CSE. This agenda supports future theory development and empirical research and offers a roadmap for scholars, policymakers, and industry leaders to secure the orbital environment and advance circular resource stewardship on Earth.
Copyright (c) 2026 Felix Carl Schultz (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Green Consumption Toward a Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review Through the Lens of Value Theory
Green consumption is an essential component for the successful implementation of a sustainable development and circular economy. A multitude of research has focused on how different characteristics shape green consumption, being individual values one of the main ones. However, the popularity of individual values on the green consumption literature has resulted in uncertainty about which values should be focused on and under which conditions such values are more or less related to green consumption. To address these problems, the present research reviewed the literature on Schwartz’s Value Theory and green consumption. The review followed the steps of the Scientific Procedures and Rationalities for Systematic Literature Reviews protocol. The final sample of 82 articles in the best ranks of the Australian Business Deans Council Journal Quality List were identified through the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The codification process followed the ADO-TCM framework. The review mainly identified that self-transcendence values, more specifically biospheric values, have been the most frequent and strongly values positively related to green consumption. The main contributions of the review are the better understanding of the relationships between individual values and green consumption, and the identification of an extensive avenue for future studies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pedro Augusto Bertucci Lima, Ana Mariele Domingues, Janine Fleith de Medeiros, Marcelo Furlan, Judith Irene Maria de Groot (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Industry 4.0 Technologies in Circular Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Literature Review
This paper explores the transformative role of Industry 4.0 (I4) technologies—specifically Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data Analytics (BDA), Smart Factories, Robotics—in enabling the circular food supply chain (FSC). Through a systematic literature review, we identify how these technologies contribute to key circular economy (CE) strategies in FSC, comprising reduction, redistribution, valorisation, and nutrient recovery. We also examine implementation barriers, including digital infrastructure gaps, regulatory misalignments, and data interoperability. A conceptual framework is proposed to map digital solutions to CE principles in food systems. Our findings offer actionable insights for scaling up digital-enabled circular practices in the agri-food sector.
[CLOSED FOR SUBMISSION] Application and Integration of Digital Tools for a Circular Economy
Copyright (c) 2026 Pankhuri Bansal , Orr Karassin, Manoj Dora (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for the Integration and Advancement of Circular Economy Practices
Urban waste management faces growing challenges as municipal solid waste is projected to reach 3.4 billion tons by 2050. This study examines how artificial intelligence applications contribute to circular economy transitions in urban waste management through a systematic literature review of 150 peer-reviewed studies and an analysis of commercial implementations. Using the PRISMA framework, we identified AI methods, waste management stages, and circular economy outcomes across academic research and practical deployments. Results reveal that while AI demonstrates strong technical capabilities – particularly in sorting and classification and forecasting – only 31% of studies report circular economy outcomes such as recycling rate improvements or reducucing resource inputs. Both academic research and commercial implementations remain concentrated in downstream recycling activities rather than upstream prevention strategies. The findings highlight a critical gap between technical performance and systemic circular transitions, suggesting that AI adoption must be integrated with governance frameworks, standardized outcome measurement, and multi-stage coordination to effectively advance urban circular economy goals.
Copyright (c) 2026 Christopher Kronenberg, Sezi Cevic Onar, Saman Sarbazvatan (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Practical Tool for Sustainable Value-Focused Decision-Making: A Case Study on Climate Actions of Municipalities from the Global North
Research has highlighted the importance of values in sustainability transitions but has not provided practical tools for incorporating them into decision-making. This paper addresses that gap by examining how municipal experts view a digital decision-support tool designed to visualise and communicate the co-benefits and values of climate actions. Through a case study methodology, the research utilises interviews with experts from four municipalities across Australia, Finland, and the United States. The study demonstrates that integrating value-focused thinking and open policy practice can lead to more transparent, inclusive, and context-specific sustainability decision-making. This approach contributes to gradual yet meaningful progress towards circular and sustainable society.
Copyright (c) 2026 Lauri Kurkela, Jouni T. Tuomisto, Kaisa Henttonen (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Fragmented Circularity: Power Asymmetries and Stakeholder Perspectives in the European Plastics Value Chain
Scholarship increasingly recognises that the move towards circular economy is not merely technical but also socio-political, involving contested meanings, conflicting interests and uneven power relations. We contribute to this literature by showing how different actors in the European plastics value chain encounter distinct barriers and hold unequal levels of power and influence within the chain, shaped by their geographic locations, market positions, and framings of circularity. Based on 22 interviews with 27 European recyclers, manufacturers of plastic products/components, and their representative organizations, we show how uneven perceptions of power and responsibility shape “fragmented circularity”, undermining the effectiveness of circular economy initiatives.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pille Ubakivi-Hadachi, Kairit Kall (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Malignant Circle of Circular Economy
While the Circular Economy (CE) is widely regarded as a strategy for sustainability, little research has examined how its principles are distorted and exploited by criminal ecosystems. This study investigates the deviant appropriation of CE practices—such as refurbishing, recycling, and reselling—by organized crime networks, conceptualized as the “malignant circle” of the CE. Using a qualitative approach, the paper synthesizes empirical evidence from global case reports and the literature to analyze how illicit actors distort CE flows to profit and fund criminal activities. The findings reveal six overarching criminal practices that subvert CE principles, including e-fencing, illegal waste dumping, and counterfeit upcycling, perpetuating criminal ecosystems while undermining sustainability goals. A conceptual model and structured typology are introduced to illustrate the feedback loops that sustain this malignant system. The study contributes to the CE and criminology literature by highlighting policy gaps and discussing solutions to disrupt illicit circular flows, with implications for traceability, digital governance, and consumer education.
Copyright (c) 2025 Marcos Ferasso (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Logistics for Building Circular, Biobased, and Modular: Environmental Impacts in Amsterdam
Circular, biobased, and modular construction practices are gaining traction as cities seek to reduce the environmental impact of the built environment. However, little is known about how these strategies affect construction logistics and their associated emissions. We develop an agent-based model to assess the environmental and spatial impacts of construction logistics in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (AMA) under six future scenarios. These scenarios vary in transport modes, construction practices, and logistics hub configurations. Results show that modular construction significantly reduces emissions through delivery consolidation, while circular and biobased approaches present trade-offs. Circular logistics reduce total emissions by sourcing materials locally but increase local emissions and congestion due to more frequent, short-distance trips in case of fossil transport. Biobased construction reduces transport emissions because of lower weight but may increase emissions when materials are sourced from distant suppliers, often located abroad, e.g. in Austria. The study also reveals that water transport lowers CO₂ but often raises NOₓ and PM emissions in case of use of ships with older engines. Also, decentralized logistics networks may perform worse than centralized ones without advanced coordination. These findings emphasize that sustainability benefits depend not just on what is built, but how and where materials are transported. Policymakers and urban planners must weigh both global and local trade-offs when designing logistics systems for sustainable construction. Our model offers a data-driven framework to support such decisions, highlighting the need for integrated, spatially grounded planning approaches in the circular transition.
Data and Data Competencies for a Circular Economy – Data-driven enablement of the digital circular economy
Copyright (c) 2025 Tanya Tsui, Petar Koljenšić, Tim van Binsbergen, Jip Kuiper, Walther Ploos van Amstel, Ruben Vrijhoef (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Circular Economy: The Butterfly Diagram, Systems Theory and the Economic Pluriverse
One of the most significant challenges facing policy makers and business alike is how to integrate sustainability policy and practice across economics, environment and society. The linkages between these arenas are fundamental to determining the direction of change required. The circular economy is seen as a part of the solution in terms of reducing natural and technological source-and-sink concerns, but significant issues arise concerning biological nutrients and with the concepts of resilience, regeneration and restoration, when viewed through the lens of systems theory. Supply chains represent essential elements in this process, having played active roles in shaping environmental and social history. The role of trade in cultural evolution is explored, highlighting socio-economic linkages. Challenges related to the classic butterfly diagram are identified and a further metamorphosis of this analogy is presented. The concept of an economic pluriverse, nested within a social and ecological pluriverse, is developed.
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Enabling Mechanisms for Circularity in Latin America and the Caribbean
Within Latin America’s strategic importance in the global value chain, circular economy strategies emerge as pivotal pathways for the region. By identifying key enabling mechanisms (namely regulatory frameworks, assessing and monitoring socio-economic metabolism, and financial instruments), this paper unveils the imperative for actions in fostering a circularity transition, and preserving traditional circular economy practices for Latin American and the Caribbean countries in the upcoming decade.
Optimising Public Procurement Through Circular Practice: The Power of Intermediation
The public sector is a key economic player in society with a significant purchasing power and therefore has the potential to promote societal change while maintaining a degree of control over use of public funds, transparency and fairness. However, current public procurement processes largely result in purchasing products and services through a generally more pre-planned and rigid type of process.In this paper we argue that the current public procurement process is not “fit for purpose” for a transition to large-scale circular public procurement which aims to optimise value retention. In order to overcome this, we propose a conceptual framework that could support public organisations in aligning the procurement processes and structures with the value propositions of their own operations. We suggest that intermediation is the key enabler for a transition to a more circular economy by stimulating innovation in public procurement and with an ecosystem perspective.
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
On Circularity, Complexity and (Elements of) Hope
A truly sustainable circular economy is more than just recycling, making it a complex matter. We argue that reducing complexity will ease the path to circular economy. Complexity reduction potential lies in lower material diversity, increasing accessibility and intuitive use for consumers, as well as simplifying business operations.
Decolonising Circular Economy: Feminist Food Practices and Everyday Circularity in Nairobi - The Example of Women-led Eateries in Mathare as Infrastructures of Care
The circular economy (CE) has become a dominant sustainability framework, commonly defined through material and energy loops and R‑strategies such as reuse, repair, and recycling. Yet prevailing approaches remain largely technocratic, gender-blind, and rooted in Global North epistemologies. This paper offers a decolonial‑feminist re‑reading of circularity through an empirical study of women‑led informal eateries in Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements. Drawing on qualitative data from semi‑structured interviews, a focus group discussion, and PhotoVoice conducted between August and November 2024, the study examines how circularity is enacted through everyday food provisioning, labour, and care. Findings reveal three interwoven forms of feminist and decolonial circularity: material, labour and social circularity, that sustain household stability and community cohesion where formal systems have failed. Critically, these practices are structurally double-edged: they function as counterpublic care infrastructures contesting colonial legacies, patriarchal norms, and market volatility, while absorbing systemic failures, displacing economic and social costs onto women's bodies, labour, and time. This study proposes a novel framework that reconceptualises circularity by integrating feminist and decolonial perspectives, highlighting the roles of care and structural constraint in shaping circular practices in the Global South. By centring Afro‑decolonial and feminist perspectives, the paper reframes the circular economy not as a universal technical fix but as a contested social and ethical process embedded in survival economies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Akoua Jamina Kouablan Klein, Nicole Paganini (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Participatory Action Research and the Circularity of Plastic: Supporting the Itinerant Waste Buyers in Banyuwangi, Indonesia
This paper explores the interaction between Participatory Action Research (PAR) and the Circular Economy (CE) through a study of itinerant waste buyers (IWBs) in Banyuwangi, Indonesia. Using PAR, which was operationalised through appreciative inquiry and cooperative inquiry, IWBs were engaged as co-researchers to co-create knowledge and strengthen plastic circularity practices. The findings show that PAR embeds recognition within CE at multiple levels: validating informal expertise in everyday recycling (micro), strengthening trust-based market relations (meso), and exposing structural gaps in policy and product design (macro). Empirically, co-designed interventions, such as improved weighing, storage, and communication, enhanced plastic collection, and modestly improved livelihoods. However, circularity remains constrained by the low value and material complexity of plastics, as well as unequal market and policy conditions. The study argues that CE is not purely technical but socially embedded and that PAR provides a critical pathway to align circular economy transitions with the knowledge, agency, and realities of informal waste workers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Prisilia Resolute, Anne Scheinberg, M.S. Oktamalandi, Gifta Oktavia Fajriyanti (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Digital Value Chain as a Circular Control Architecture
The transition from linear production models to circular manufacturing systems requires more than technological recovery capability; it demands lifecycle-wide governance of information and decision-making. Despite extensive research on Digital Twins and Industry 4.0 technologies, the practical implementation of short-loop circularity – maintenance, repair, and remanufacturing – remains constrained by fragmented lifecycle data and recovery uncertainty. Existing literature largely treats digital technologies as isolated enablers rather than as components of an integrated circular control system. This paper conceptualises the Digital Value Chain (DVC) as a lifecycle-spanning circular control architecture that regulates the transformation of product data into structured circular interventions. Using a conceptual research design based on structured synthesis and abstraction, the study develops a multi-layered framework comprising data acquisition, state estimation, circular intervention, and feedback-to-design layers. Building upon this architecture, hierarchical levels of digital circular enablement – informational, analytical, and decision – are formalised to explain how lifecycle transparency evolves into circular governance. The framework further introduces an operational decision logic structured around feasibility gates that govern maintenance, repair, and remanufacturing pathways. By reframing short-loop circularity as an information-dependent control problem, this research advances digital manufacturing and circular economy theory beyond technology adoption narratives toward systemic lifecycle regulation. The proposed model provides a conceptual foundation for assessing digital-circular maturity in manufacturing systems and offers a structured basis for future empirical validation and simulation-based modelling.
Copyright (c) 2026 Maksym Karakai, Daniel Bobko, Lucia Knapcikova (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Journey of a Norwegian T-shirt: A Case Study of Fibre Material in the Clothing System
Current EU textile policy efforts largely focus on post-consumer waste collection and end-of-life management while pre-consumer losses remain insufficiently addressed. In addition, many textile life cycle assessments (LCAs) and material flow studies apply single-lifecycle boundaries with conventional allocation approaches and consumer-country perspectives. This limits the understanding of the potential for fibre retention across consecutive lifecycles and global value chains. This study quantifies fibre flows and environmental performance of a cotton t-shirt across two consecutive lifecycles (loops) by combining material flow model with LCA for five impact categories (global warming, freshwater eutrophication and ecotoxicity, water consumption and land use). The model represents manufacturing in Bangladesh and use and end-of-life management in Norway as EU-relevant benchmark context. Results show that, under current conditions, a maximum of 17% of the initial fibre input could be mechanically recycled and reutilized into a new T-shirt. It is also revealed that fibre losses occur predominantly in upstream operations: an estimated 44% of material was lost during the manufacturing stages. Scenarios analysis demonstrated that recycling pre-consumer waste could increase material recovery to up to 44%, while improving process efficiency (reducing waste generation) in yarn, wet processing and apparel production could reduce the global warming by 10% and other impacts by 20-25%. These findings suggest that meeting EU circular textile ambitions requires prioritizing upstream material efficiency and pre-consumer waste management, supported by coordinated action across policymakers, brands and manufacturers along the value chain.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rakib Ahmed, Christina Meskers, Johan Berg Pettersen (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Social Benefits of Furniture Reuse in the Circular Economy
Furniture is important for the circular economy (CE), given large volumes of resources used in the global furniture industry, and the bulky waste created when furniture is disposed. Innovations to make furniture more circular include new product design and business models, yet the reuse of furniture is often overlooked, and has additional benefits beyond environmental and economic impacts. This study draws on insights from semi-structured interviews undertaken in two separate studies, one pursued in Scotland studying the transition to a CE in the Scottish context, the other based in Chicago (USA), to identify the social impacts of furniture reuse through non-profit organizations. We identify societal benefits of furniture reuse which contribute to people’s and society’s wellbeing and health, in addition to employment and training opportunities. In bringing together insights from two separate studies centred on furniture reuse we provide empirical evidence of social impacts of the CE experienced at a smaller scale, and highlight the value of working across academic disciplines to bring insights from different perspectives into conversation with contemporary debates in the CE.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alice Hague, Euan Hague, Kelby Bosma, Tami Wooldridge, Fiona Bender, Laura Kolar, Kathryn Colley, Phoebe Somervail, Tony Craig (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Digital Platforms for Circular Modular Construction: Benefits, Barriers, and Practical Pathways
This study examines the role of digital platforms in supporting the integration of Circular Economy (CE) principles within Modular and Offsite Construction (MOC). While MOC is often associated with waste reduction and production efficiency, its long-term sustainability depends on deliberate strategies to extend material lifecycles, enable reuse, and ensure institutional and market acceptance. The study adopts a narrative literature review approach, drawing on English-language sources published between 2015 and 2025, primarily identified through Google Scholar and Scopus and expanded through iterative reference tracing across themes related to CE, MOC, digital technologies, material traceability, and social dimensions of construction. The review examines the roles of Building Information Modeling (BIM), sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT), Computer Vision (CV), blockchain, and material passport systems in supporting traceability, component reuse, and stakeholder coordination when integrated within interoperable data infrastructures and governance arrangements. The analysis identifies potential contributions, including improved lifecycle data integration, enhanced quality control processes, and more consistent documentation of reused components. However, most reported applications remain context-specific and are predominantly documented through pilot projects, demonstrators, or vendor-led initiatives rather than established industry practice. Frequently reported barriers include high implementation costs, limited interoperability, data governance challenges, regulatory uncertainty, and organizational resistance to reuse and automation. The study highlights that digital integration alone is insufficient to ensure circular outcomes. Progress toward CE–MOC adoption is shaped by governance arrangements that connect technical capabilities with institutional frameworks, market incentives, and social considerations. By outlining enabling conditions and limitations identified in the literature, this study provides insights for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers seeking to advance circular construction and emissions reduction through coordinated, evidence-based approaches.
Copyright (c) 2026 Shrouk Gharib, Ketra Schmitt, Osama moselhi (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Assessing Circularity Performance in Aircraft Component Design using ISO 59004:2024
Since the European Green Deal, circular economy and its strategies have gained interest across various industrial sectors, as a means for embedding sustainability in products and systems - including in the aviation sector. For the implementation of circular strategies to be successful, monitoring their effectiveness and progress is necessary. Though several methodologies, metrics and indicators to assess circularity have been developed, their application is fragmented and unstandardised across all sectors, thus including aviation. This work proposes a methodology for the aviation sector to evaluate the circularity performance of aircraft or airframe components. As part of the methodology, a framework is developed which can account for the multi-level character of circular economy; within the framework, aviation-related indicators are put in relation with the resource management actions from ISO59004:2024. Such a framework can fulfil both the need to assess how much circular economy principles are embedded in aviation and the necessity to provide engineers with guidelines to implement circular economy principles in aviation, and in aircraft design specifically.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ligeia Paletti, Dionysios Markatos, Spiros Pantelakis, Angelos Filippatos (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Unlocking Potentials of Blue Economy: The Status, Opportunities, Challenges and Future Perspectives
The Blue Economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean and aquatic resources for sustainable economic growth, improved livelihoods, and job creation, while preserving the health of aquatic ecosystems and resilient of aquatic environment. This review assessed the current status of the Blue Economy and highlighted its significance to the national economies and sustainable development. It has explored key sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, eco-tourism, and renewable energy. In addition, the review also identified the major challenges hindering the full realization of Blue Economy potentials, including overfishing, marine pollution, and climate change. Furthermore, it has provided actionable insights and forward-looking recommendations for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners. The findings demonstrate how countries can sustainably and inclusively harness their aquatic resources to advance economic development, environmental stewardship, and resilience.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Francis P. Mmanda (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Context-Dependent Implementation of Circular Economy: The Case of Australia
As the circular economy entails system-wide transformation, no single actor can deliver this change alone. Integrating public governance with network governance is therefore expected to enhance implementation effectiveness. This paper adopts a dual governance perspective, drawing on insights from transition management and public administration. Empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this governance model within a specific national context remains lacking. This study examines the context-dependent implementation of CE in Australia, with a focus on the textiles and building sectors. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including a literature review, workshops and interviews, engaging approximately 2,000 stakeholders over a three-year period. The findings indicate that while the national-level analysis provides a general overview of CE governance, greater insight emerges at the sectoral level, where implementation occurs in practice. The analytical framework used to investigate dual governance across levels proved comprehensive for the purposes of this study. This understanding can also assist practitioners.
Copyright (c) 2026 Prof. Jacqueline M. Cramer, Prof. Usha Iyer Raniga (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Institutional Readiness and Systemic Barriers to Circular Economy Transitions in Emerging Urban Economies: Evidence from a Rapidly Industrializing Gulf Metropolitan Area
Circular economy (CE) transitions are increasingly promoted as a pathway for sustainable urban development; however, their implementation in emerging urban economies remains constrained by institutional and governance-related challenges. This study examines institutional readiness for CE transitions at the metropolitan scale, using the Dammam Metropolitan Area (Saudi Arabia) as an empirical case of a rapidly industrializing urban region. Adopting an institutional and urban governance perspective, institutional readiness is conceptualized as the capacity of metropolitan institutions to coordinate, regulate, and operationalize circular strategies through coherent governance arrangements and effective service delivery. Drawing on an expert-based survey of 230 stakeholders from municipal authorities, industry, and academia, the study employs a sequential quantitative approach combining descriptive analysis, inferential tests, principal component analysis, and multiple regression modeling. The findings indicate that institutional readiness for CE adoption remains moderate and uneven, reflecting a persistent gap between policy ambition and implementation capacity. Governance fragmentation, regulatory gaps, and funding constraints emerge as interrelated systemic barriers; however, municipal waste management system effectiveness is identified as the strongest determinant of perceived readiness in the multivariate analysis. This result highlights operational capacity as a practical institutional mechanism through which broader governance conditions are experienced and assessed by stakeholders. Rather than advancing conceptual novelty, the study contributes to circular economy scholarship by providing a place-based, metropolitan-level empirical assessment of institutional readiness and by demonstrating how operational service performance shapes the feasibility of CE transitions in emerging urban economies. The findings offer policy-relevant insights for aligning governance reform and infrastructure investment to move CE strategies beyond strategic intent toward effective urban implementation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Abdulkarim Alhowaish (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Smart Data Management in Circular Construction: A Sustainable Business Model for Stakeholder-Material Coordination
The transition of the construction sector toward a circular economy requires overcoming market fragmentation, weak data infrastructures, and persistent coordination gaps. This study investigates how a digital platform can support circular (de)construction by prioritizing smart data management over transactional material exchange. Through participatory action research involving 58 professionals from the French construction ecosystem, we co-designed a sustainable business model aligned with practitioner workflows and regulatory requirements. We characterized 21 user personas, identified eight value propositions, and proposed a freemium strategy to reduce adoption barriers. Using a quantified sustainable business plan, we evaluated economic, environmental, and social performance over a nine-year horizon. Results indicate that each €1 invested is projected to generate €5.10 in environmental value, €2.10 in social value, and €1.70 in economic return, with sensitivity analyses identifying pricing and market reach as key viability thresholds. By embedding compliance automation, secure data exchange, and coordinated logistics into existing routines, the findings demonstrate how digital infrastructures can operationalize circular economy principles within the French context and beyond.
Copyright (c) 2026 Thibaut Menny, Stéphane Le Guirriec, Catherine De Wolf (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Examining Job Satisfaction in the Social and Solidarity Circular Economy
Interest in the social dimensions of the circular economy (CE) has grown over the last decade, but empirical research on the quality of circular jobs remains scarce, hindering efforts to progress towards a just circular transition. Scholars highlight the risk that the circular transition could deepen existing inequalities, with a growing body of research calling for further investigation into its impacts on labor market transformations and its embedment with social and solidarity economy (SSE) as a potential solution towards circular justice. Building on the emergence of this new paradigm, this article contributes to the nascent literature on the social and solidarity circular economy (SSCE) by presenting an exploratory study of job satisfaction. Applying both quantitative and qualitative methods, it aims to characterize work in the SSCE and to open avenues for future research aimed at identifying the specific characteristics of work within this model. It offers two main conclusions. First, the perceived quality of circular jobs is heterogeneous because it depends on the type of organization, circular strategy and job position. Second, it remains difficult to clearly isolate characteristics that are specific to work within the SSCE, as many of its features appear to be derived from those traditionally associated with the CE and the SSE respectively. Focusing on job satisfaction and quality of work, this article provides empirical data to reinforce the emerging yet predominantly conceptual literature on the SSCE.
Copyright (c) 2026 Clara Alagy, Sophie Bernard, Emmanuel Raufflet (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Leveraging Circular Business Models to Achieve Living Incomes for Ivorian Cocoa Farmers
Purpose: value chain transparency and circularity are tested as concepts that could enable Ivorian cocoa farmers to maintain a living income, defined as the amount needed for a household to afford a decent standard of living. The Fair Score Framework is a proposed conceptual framework designed to measure value chain fairness. Its development responds to calls in the literature for improved implementation of the circular economy. Methodology: this study uses a qualitative approach, combining a narrative review with a conceptual framework development design. The primary dataset includes a farmer questionnaire (n=215), consumer questionnaire (n=212), and semi-structured interviews (n=12). The research is guided by consumption theory, drawing on Keynes, Friedman, and Modigliani. Findings: farmers suggest that adopting circular practices yields minimal income gains unless value chain inequalities are structurally addressed. Consumers from six countries increased the share paid to farmers by 7.41% after watching an informational video. A Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.79 confirms acceptable reliability. Interviewees noted that while circularity may reduce waste, it cannot ensure poverty alleviation in its current form. This presents an opportunity to develop entrepreneurial circular business models that address income distribution. Originality: entrepreneurial circular business models could be leveraged by incorporating the Fair Score Framework, using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Nutri-Score label and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Circularity Scoreboard as reference points.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Simeon Human (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Informal Entrepreneurship and Circular Economy: A Bibliometric Analysis
This study maps the thematic structure of two intersecting lines of research—informal entrepreneurship and circular economy—highlighting an often ignored and under-researched reality: informality is intrinsically linked to circularity. The bibliometric approach builds on Scopus-indexed publications from the last 25 years (2000-2025). The analysis reveals intense research activity during 2020-2025 and predominantly European research output, with notable contributions from India, China, and Brazil. From a domain perspective, findings show that environmental science journals publish most of this work, while business and entrepreneurship journals lag behind. Finally, the theoretical core of this research niche remains fragmented between institutional debates and practical examples that lack generalizability.
Copyright (c) 2026 Brunilda Kosta, Rodica Ianole-Calin (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0