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Social Cooperation as a Driver for a Social and Solidarity Focused Approach to the Circular Economy

Author

Listed:
  • Cristian Campagnaro

    (Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy)

  • Marco D’Urzo

    (Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Turin, Italy)

Abstract

The circular economy (CE) is currently a very widespread paradigm aimed at addressing the climate crisis. However, its notions seem often to be only focused on technical, industrial and economic growth-centric goals, without practically addressing social problems such as inequality and social exclusion. In this context, type B social cooperation (SC-B) emerges in the Italian context as a type of organisation explicitly aiming at addressing social issues. It has historically fulfilled this mandate by pioneering, among others, “circular” processes in the field of waste management. In doing so, it has consolidated a high level of organizational and management capacity, which has made it an exemplary model capable of innovating the CE discourse and including marginalized people while delivering high-quality environmental services. Through evidence gathered integrating different methods and sources (interviews with social cooperatives, literature review, case study research on filed actions), this paper aims to offer a reading of SC-B as a driver for promoting a social turn of CE and local development. Moving beyond waste management and towards waste reuse, SC-B could play an active role in creating local and regional waste transformation and upcycling chains, capable of creating new employment and inclusion opportunities as well as reducing environmental impacts by processing wastes directly in the territory, shortening their treatment chain.

Suggested Citation

  • Cristian Campagnaro & Marco D’Urzo, 2021. "Social Cooperation as a Driver for a Social and Solidarity Focused Approach to the Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:18:p:10145-:d:633124
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alejandro Padilla-Rivera & Sara Russo-Garrido & Nicolas Merveille, 2020. "Addressing the Social Aspects of a Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-17, September.
    2. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    3. Korhonen, Jouni & Honkasalo, Antero & Seppälä, Jyri, 2018. "Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 37-46.
    4. Vincent Moreau & Marlyne Sahakian & Pascal Griethuysen & François Vuille, 2017. "Coming Full Circle: Why Social and Institutional Dimensions Matter for the Circular Economy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(3), pages 497-506, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Helen Micheaux & Daniela Erohina & Marie Montliaud, 2024. "Bridging the skills gap to empower the social economy and to boost circular economy," Post-Print hal-04599588, HAL.
    2. Feng Xiong & Xiaoyu Zeng & Yi (Fionna) Xie & Yan Li, 2022. "Design (Allocation) of a Carbon Emission System—A Lesson from Power Restrictions in Zhejiang, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-31, September.

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