The Waste-Resource Paradox: Practical dilemmas and societal implications in the transition to a circular economy
The Waste-Resource Paradox: Practical dilemmas and societal implications in the transition to a circular economy
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DOI：
10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126831
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发表时间：
2021-03
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
R.L.G. Greer;T. Wirth;D. Loorbach
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
R.L.G. Greer;T. Wirth;D. Loorbach
欧盟承诺从线性经济向循环经济（CE）过渡。许多创新，新的商业模式和政策已经开始出现，以支持推动CE实践的进一步制度化。这些尝试中的很大一部分是基于将当前标记为废物流的流转化为价值主张，即资源。然而，具有讽刺意味的是，这增加了对这些废物流产生需求的风险，从而可能成为商品。在这篇文章中，我们解开了这种现象所造成的固有困境和影响，我们将其定义为可再生资源配置（WRP）。理解WRP是高度相关的，因为它的表现可能导致进一步建立“循环”实践的情况可能会通过维持系统中的废物（过度）生产或造成不希望的社会或环境影响来加强线性经济。这可以加强对迄今为止尚未明确识别或探索的对CE起反作用的现有线性结构的锁定。我们观察到，WRP可能会随着时间的推移，跨越边界或针对不同的社会部门而演变和变形。基于我们的研究结果，我们强调了WRP对循环未来的深刻影响以及向CE过渡的潜在后果。
The European Union has vowed to transition from a linear to a circular economy (CE). Many innovations, new business models, and policies have begun to emerge to support the push for further institutionalizing CE practices. A large portion of these attempts are based on transforming a flow currently labeled as a waste stream into a value proposition, i.e. a resource. However, this ironically increases the risk of creating a demand for these waste streams, which thereby may become commodified. In this article, we unpack the inherent dilemmas and implications created by this phenomenon, which we define as the Waste-Resource Paradox (WRP). Understanding the WRP is highly relevant, as its manifestation may lead to situations in which the further establishment of “circular” practices may reinforce linear economy by sustaining a waste (over)production in the system or causing undesired social or environmental repercussions. This can tighten a lock-in of the existing linear structures counteractive to CE that have not been explicitly identified or explored to date. We observed that the WRP may evolve and morph throughout time, across boundaries or respective to different societal sectors. Based on our findings, we highlight the profound implications of the WRP for the future of circularity and the potential consequences for a transition to CE.