IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/inecol/v25y2021i4p834-847.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Assessing the circularity of regions: Stakes of trade of waste for treatment

Author

Listed:
  • Edgar Towa
  • Vanessa Zeller
  • Wouter M. J. Achten

Abstract

The degree of circularity of a region describes the proportion of materials recovered and reintroduced in that region of the total materials in that region. Quantifying the degree of circularity of a region is important, to prioritize and adequately implement circular economy (CE) strategies. Besides, regions may import and export waste treatment services. Efficient CE strategies should integrate the circularity embodied in the interregional linkages regarding waste treatment. However, the existing analyses of the degree of circularity of regions do not consider the trade of waste for treatment between regions. We fill this gap by proposing the trade‐corrected circularity index and trade‐corrected circularity gap index as two novel indicators, including their methodology and application for the case of Belgian regions. We used the multiregional physical supply and use the table we previously developed at the subnational Belgian level for 2011 and focused on Brussels, Flanders, and Wallonia. The results show that Brussels, Flanders, and Wallonia are 0%, 6.3%, and 8.1% circular, respectively, and when considering the trade of waste for treatment, they are 7.7%, 6%, and 8.5% circular, respectively. Further results include details of the circularity per type of materials (biomass, fossil fuels, metals, and non‐metallic minerals) as well as the circularity inherent to the trade of waste between regions. This paper ends with a discussion on the methodological and conceptual findings, the CE policy implications, and the contributions to the debate on measuring the circularity of regions when the trade of waste is at stake.

Suggested Citation

  • Edgar Towa & Vanessa Zeller & Wouter M. J. Achten, 2021. "Assessing the circularity of regions: Stakes of trade of waste for treatment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(4), pages 834-847, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:25:y:2021:i:4:p:834-847
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13106
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13106
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jiec.13106?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andreas Mayer & Willi Haas & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Fridolin Krausmann & Philip Nuss & Gian Andrea Blengini, 2019. "Measuring Progress towards a Circular Economy: A Monitoring Framework for Economy‐wide Material Loop Closing in the EU28," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(1), pages 62-76, February.
    2. Munksgaard, Jesper & Pedersen, Klaus Alsted, 2001. "CO2 accounts for open economies: producer or consumer responsibility?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 327-334, March.
    3. Kirchherr, Julian & Reike, Denise & Hekkert, Marko, 2017. "Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 221-232.
    4. Fenna Blomsma & Geraldine Brennan, 2017. "The Emergence of Circular Economy: A New Framing Around Prolonging Resource Productivity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(3), pages 603-614, June.
    5. Kovanda, Jan, 2014. "Incorporation of recycling flows into economy-wide material flow accounting and analysis: A case study for the Czech Republic," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 78-84.
    6. Vanessa Zeller & Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Marc Degrez & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Urban waste flows and their potential for a circular economy model at city-region level," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/278528, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhou, Yue, 2024. "Natural resources and green economic growth: A pathway to innovation and digital transformation in the mining industry," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    2. Marzena Smol & Renata Koneczna, 2021. "Economic Indicators in Water and Wastewater Sector Contributing to a Circular Economy (CE)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-13, December.
    3. Rachel Greer & Timo Wirth & Derk Loorbach, 2023. "The Circular Decision-Making Tree: an Operational Framework," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Vanessa Zeller & Wouter Achten, 2021. "Assessing the circularity of regions: Stakes of trade of waste for treatment," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/332186, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    2. Arru, Brunella & Furesi, Roberto & Pulina, Pietro & Sau, Paola & Madau, Fabio A., 2022. "The Circular Economy in the Agri-food system: A Performance Measurement of European Countries," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 24(2), September.
    3. Yan Ma & Johan Berg Pettersen, 2023. "Life cycle assessment of pig iron production from bauxite residue: A European case study," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(6), pages 1639-1652, December.
    4. Brunella Arru & Roberto Furesi & Pietro Pulina & Paola Sau & Fabio A. Madau, 2022. "The Circular Economy in the Agri-food system: A Performance Measurement of European Countries," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 24(2), pages 1-35.
    5. Vibeke Grupe Larsen & Valentina Antoniucci & Nicola Tollin & Peter Andreas Sattrup & Krister Jens & Morten Birkved & Tine Holmboe & Giuliano Marella, 2023. "A Methodological Framework to Foster Social Value Creation in Architectural Practice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-25, January.
    6. Vitiana L'Abate & Nicola Raimo & Francesco Albergo & Filippo Vitolla, 2024. "Social media to disseminate circular economy information. An empirical analysis on Twitter," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 528-539, January.
    7. Concepción Garcés-Ayerbe & Pilar Rivera-Torres & Inés Suárez-Perales & Dante I. Leyva-de la Hiz, 2019. "Is It Possible to Change from a Linear to a Circular Economy? An Overview of Opportunities and Barriers for European Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Companies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-15, March.
    8. Chembessi Chedrak & Gohoungodji Paulin & Juste Rajaonson, 2023. "“A fine wine, better with age”: Circular economy historical roots and influential publications: A bibliometric analysis using Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy (RPYS)," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(6), pages 1593-1612, December.
    9. Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar & Shauhrat S. Chopra, 2022. "Leveraging Blockchain and Smart Contract Technologies to Overcome Circular Economy Implementation Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-18, August.
    10. Yasanur Kayikci & Yigit Kazancoglu & Nazlican Gozacan‐Chase & Cisem Lafci, 2022. "Analyzing the drivers of smart sustainable circular supply chain for sustainable development goals through stakeholder theory," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7), pages 3335-3353, November.
    11. Gilbert Silvius & Aydan Ismayilova & Vicente Sales-Vivó & Micol Costi, 2021. "Exploring Barriers for Circularity in the EU Furniture Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-25, October.
    12. Gabi Försterling & Ronald Orth & Benjamin Gellert, 2023. "Transition to a Circular Economy in Europe through New Business Models: Barriers, Drivers, and Policy Making," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-40, May.
    13. Dominik Noll & Christian Lauk & Willi Haas & Simron Jit Singh & Panos Petridis & Dominik Wiedenhofer, 2022. "The sociometabolic transition of a small Greek island: Assessing stock dynamics, resource flows, and material circularity from 1929 to 2019," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(2), pages 577-591, April.
    14. Ioannis Kostakis & Konstantinos P. Tsagarakis, 2022. "Social and economic determinants of materials recycling and circularity in Europe: an empirical investigation," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 68(2), pages 263-281, April.
    15. Hervé Corvellec & Alison F. Stowell & Nils Johansson, 2022. "Critiques of the circular economy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(2), pages 421-432, April.
    16. Meleddu, Marta & Vecco, Marilena & Mazzanti, Massimiliano, 2024. "The Role of Voluntary Environmental Policies Towards Achieving Circularity," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    17. Nan-Hua Nadja Yang & Ana Carolina Bertassini & Jéssica Alves Justo Mendes & Mateus Cecílio Gerolamo, 2021. "The ‘3CE2CE’ Framework—Change Management Towards a Circular Economy: Opportunities for Agribusiness," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    18. Erik G. Hansen & Ferdinand Revellio, 2020. "Circular value creation architectures: Make, ally, buy, or laissez‐faire," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 24(6), pages 1250-1273, December.
    19. Denise Reike & Marko P. Hekkert & Simona O. Negro, 2023. "Understanding circular economy transitions: The case of circular textiles," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1032-1058, March.
    20. Ekaterina Blinova & Tatyana Ponomarenko & Valentin Knysh, 2022. "Analyzing the Concept of Corporate Sustainability in the Context of Sustainable Business Development in the Mining Sector with Elements of Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-30, July.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:25:y:2021:i:4:p:834-847. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1088-1980 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.