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Critiques of the circular economy

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  • Hervé Corvellec
  • Alison F. Stowell
  • Nils Johansson

Abstract

This paper presents a reasoned account of the critiques addressed to the circular economy and circular business models. These critiques claim that the circular economy has diffused limits, unclear theoretical grounds, and that its implementation faces structural obstacles. Circular economy is based on an ideological agenda dominated by technical and economic accounts, which brings uncertain contributions to sustainability and depoliticizes sustainable growth. Bringing together these critiques demonstrates that the circular economy is far from being as promising as its advocates claim it to be. Circularity emerges instead as a theoretically, practically, and ideologically questionable notion. The paper concludes by proposing critical issues that need to be addressed if the circular economy and its business models are to open routes for more sustainable economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:26:y:2022:i:2:p:421-432
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13187
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    2. Marinko Skare & Beata Gavurova & Martin Rigelsky, 2024. "Transforming power of research and development on inequality and well-being: a European Union perspective within the circular economy framework," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, December.
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    4. Felix Carl Schultz & Vladislav Valentinov & Robert Jaroslav Reinhardt & Ingo Pies, 2024. "The circular economy rebound effect: Reconceptualizing rebound approaches and mitigation opportunities from an ordonomic perspective," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(3), pages 374-385, June.
    5. Virginie Litaudon & Yiran Chen, 2023. "Transforming existing local ecosystems to circular economy ecosystems for plastics: The case of the PlastiCity ecosystem," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(5), pages 1406-1419, October.
    6. David Monciardini & Laura Rocca & Monica Veneziani, 2024. "Virtuous circles: Transformative impact and challenges of the social and solidarity circular economy," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(2), pages 642-660, February.
    7. Miaomei Guo & Weilun Huang, 2023. "Consumer Willingness to Recycle The Wasted Batteries of Electric Vehicles in the Era of Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, February.
    8. Hans Eickhoff, 2024. "The appeal of the circular economy revisited: on track for transformative change or enabler of moral licensing?," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    9. Felix Carl Schultz & Ingo Pies, 2024. "The circular economy growth machine: A critical perspective on “post‐growth” and “pro‐growth” circularity approaches," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(1), pages 17-24, February.
    10. Anna Maroušková, 2023. "Food Waste Management via Insect Production in the Perspective of Circular Bioeconomy," Economics Working Papers 2023-02, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Faculty of Economics.
    11. Gómez Montoya, Juan Pablo & Castillo Alvarez, Yoisdel & Fernandes De Magalhães, Ruane & Henrique Lermen, Fernando, 2024. "A thermo-economic analysis of a circular economy model for biomass in South America producing biofertilizers and biogas from municipal solid waste," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    12. Sascha P. Klein & Verena Liszt‐Rohlf & Patrick Spieth, 2023. "Value‐based bricolage: Resource mobilization in the circular economy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(6), pages 1476-1487, December.
    13. Schultz, Felix Carl & Valentinov, Vladislav & Reinhardt, Robert Jaroslav & Pies, Ingo, 2024. "The circular economy rebound effect: Reconceptualizing rebound approaches and mitigation opportunities from an ordonomic perspective," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 28(3), pages 374-385.
    14. Charlotte Ducuing & René Herbert Reich, 2023. "Data governance: Digital product passports as a case study," Competition and Regulation in Network Industries, , vol. 24(1), pages 3-23, March.
    15. 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.
    16. Ziegler, Rafael & Bauwens, Thomas & Roy, Michael J. & Teasdale, Simon & Fourrier, Ambre & Raufflet, Emmanuel, 2023. "Embedding circularity: Theorizing the social economy, its potential, and its challenges," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 214(C).
    17. Frank Figge & Andrea Stevenson Thorpe & Siarhei Manzhynski, 2022. "Value creation and the circular economy: A tale of three externalities," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(5), pages 1690-1700, October.

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