GCR: Collaborative Research: Convergence Around the Circular Economy

这个日益融合的研究项目的目标是促进对循环经济的理解，并探索当今社会面临的复杂资源和废物挑战的跨界解决方案。一次性消费品的消费带来了许多环境挑战，包括具有全球影响的废物和污染流。循环经济旨在通过将产品和材料循环投入生产，将经济增长与资源消耗和浪费脱钩。一个由工程师、经济学家、人类学家和环境评估专家组成的融合团队将努力开发通过关闭和减缓资源循环实现循环经济所需的知识。为了解决资源闭环问题，研究小组将研究如何制定、生产和使用材料资源的技术和科学挑战，以减少消耗和对环境的影响，同时创造新的方法，在使用寿命结束时可持续地循环利用这些资源。塑料产品作为一个关键的案例研究，重点是分子设计的产品拆卸和再利用。该项目包括研究一种可回收的热固性复合材料系统，该系统可以“未固化”、分离和收集再利用。一般均衡行为经济模型结合了心理学和人类学的见解，并考虑了非优化的、高度社会化的行为，将用于考虑相关的经济、商业和环境因素。为了解决资源循环缓慢的问题，研究人员将把重点放在设计标准化和新的商业模式上，以扩大产品价值。他们还将探索区块链的集成和开发，用于资产和材料跟踪。在利益相关者投入的情况下创造知识，将为基于技术和科学的创新进步、参与方法和新的商业模式提供信息。利用复杂性领导理论和网络分析，项目成员将研究行动中的趋同研究，并设计干预措施，以加强研究团队内部的联系。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The objectives of this Growing Convergence Research project are to advance understanding of circular economies and to explore boundary-spanning solutions to the complex resource and waste challenges facing society today. The consumption of disposable consumer products drives many environmental challenges, including waste and pollution streams with global impact. A circular economy aims to decouple economic growth from resource consumption and waste by cycling products and materials back into production. A convergence team of engineers, economists, anthropologists, and environmental assessment experts will work to develop the knowledge needed to achieve circular economies by closing and slowing resource loops. To address closing resource loops, the research team will examine the technical and scientific challenges of how to formulate, produce, and use material resources to reduce consumption and environmental impact while also creating new ways to sustainably cycle these resources back into use at end-of-life. Plastic products serve as a key case study, with an emphasis on molecularly-designed products for disassembly and reuse. The project includes research on a recyclable thermoset composite system which can be "uncured," separated, and collected for reuse. A general equilibrium behavioral-economic model that incorporates insights from psychology and anthropology and considers non-optimizing, highly-socialized behaviors will be used to consider associated economic, business, and environmental factors. To address slowing resource loops, the researchers will focus on design standardization and new business models to extend product value. They will also explore the integration and development of blockchain for asset and material tracking. The creation of knowledge with stakeholder input will inform innovative technical and science-based advances, engagement approaches, and novel business models. Using Complexity Leadership Theory and network analysis, members of the project will study convergence research in action and design interventions to strengthen connections within the research team.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.