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Overarching policy framework for product life extension in a circular economy—A bottom‐up business perspective

Milios, Leonidas LU (2021) In Environmental Policy and Governance 31(4). p.330-346
Abstract
Public policy has a critical role to play in supporting business actors towards their transition to more sustainable and less resource‐intensive practices within the context of a Circular Economy (CE). The European Union (EU) CE Action Plan sets a special focus on the role of business in adopting and promoting circular economic principles in their operations, and thus leading the transition towards CE. Companies need to design and adopt innovative business models that enable the capture of residual value in products. Product life extension strategies, such as re‐use, hold the highest potential to retain the materials and energy embedded in products. However, companies that adopt such business practices face multiple barriers deriving from... (More)
Public policy has a critical role to play in supporting business actors towards their transition to more sustainable and less resource‐intensive practices within the context of a Circular Economy (CE). The European Union (EU) CE Action Plan sets a special focus on the role of business in adopting and promoting circular economic principles in their operations, and thus leading the transition towards CE. Companies need to design and adopt innovative business models that enable the capture of residual value in products. Product life extension strategies, such as re‐use, hold the highest potential to retain the materials and energy embedded in products. However, companies that adopt such business practices face multiple barriers deriving from the present socio‐economic conditions and find themselves in need of direct policy interventions to be able to compete with incumbent firms. This contribution identifies supporting interventions that could enable companies engaging in product life extension to scale up and lead the transition to a CE. Empirical evidence was gathered from such companies in five economic sectors in Sweden through questionnaires. Based on the results, an overarching policy framework is proposed, including wide cross‐sectoral policy measures, such as (1) public procurement, (2) increased provision and access to information and (3) government leadership, setting mandatory re‐use targets. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
business transition, circular economy, policy, product life extension, resource efficiency
in
Environmental Policy and Governance
volume
31
issue
4
pages
330 - 346
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85100828315
ISSN
1756-9338
DOI
10.1002/eet.1927
project
Resource-Efficient and Effective Solutions based on Circular Economy Thinking - Phase 2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
65296a1d-ec31-4a5b-bbb0-ebe2f2024500
date added to LUP
2021-02-10 17:58:17
date last changed
2022-04-27 00:11:51
@article{65296a1d-ec31-4a5b-bbb0-ebe2f2024500,
  abstract     = {{Public policy has a critical role to play in supporting business actors towards their transition to more sustainable and less resource‐intensive practices within the context of a Circular Economy (CE). The European Union (EU) CE Action Plan sets a special focus on the role of business in adopting and promoting circular economic principles in their operations, and thus leading the transition towards CE. Companies need to design and adopt innovative business models that enable the capture of residual value in products. Product life extension strategies, such as re‐use, hold the highest potential to retain the materials and energy embedded in products. However, companies that adopt such business practices face multiple barriers deriving from the present socio‐economic conditions and find themselves in need of direct policy interventions to be able to compete with incumbent firms. This contribution identifies supporting interventions that could enable companies engaging in product life extension to scale up and lead the transition to a CE. Empirical evidence was gathered from such companies in five economic sectors in Sweden through questionnaires. Based on the results, an overarching policy framework is proposed, including wide cross‐sectoral policy measures, such as (1) public procurement, (2) increased provision and access to information and (3) government leadership, setting mandatory re‐use targets.}},
  author       = {{Milios, Leonidas}},
  issn         = {{1756-9338}},
  keywords     = {{business transition; circular economy; policy; product life extension; resource efficiency}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{330--346}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Environmental Policy and Governance}},
  title        = {{Overarching policy framework for product life extension in a circular economy—A bottom‐up business perspective}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eet.1927}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/eet.1927}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}