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Cited by 9,360Sustainable Supply Chain ManagementSustainable Industrial EcologySustainable Design and Development

The Circular Economy–A new sustainability paradigm?

Open access
Geissdoerfer, Martin, Savaget, Paulo, Bocken, Nancy M.P., Hultink, Erik Jan·2017·Journal of Cleaner Production
DOI 10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048
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Abstract

While the terms Circular Economy and sustainability are increasingly gaining traction with academia, industry, and policymakers, the similarities and differences between both concepts remain ambiguous. The relationship between the concepts is not made explicit in literature, which is blurring their conceptual contours and constrains the efficacy of using the approaches in research and practice. This research addresses this gap and aims to provide conceptual clarity by distinguishing the terms and synthesising the different types of relationships between them. We conducted an extensive literature review, employing bibliometric analysis and snowballing techniques to investigate the state of the art in the field and synthesise the similarities, differences and relationships between both terms. We identified eight different relationship types in the literature and illustrated the most evident similarities and differences between both concepts.

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  • The relationship between circular economy and environmental, social and economic sustainability remains unclear because the literature views CE in disparate ways.

    “The relationship between CE and environmental, social and economic sustainability, however, remains unclear as the literature views CE in disparate ways, as a precondition, a benefit or a tradeoff to sustainability (Geissdoerfer et al., 2017).”

    From Transforming the bio-based sector towards a circular economy: What can we learn from wood cascading? (2020) · cites this paper as Geissdoerfer et al., 2017

  • These features of cascading resemble CE concepts as described in scientific reviews and policy documents.

    “Notably, these features resemble CE concepts as described in scientific reviews as well as in policy documents (European Commission, 2015;Geissdoerfer et al., 2017;Ghisellini et al., 2016).”

    From Transforming the bio-based sector towards a circular economy: What can we learn from wood cascading? (2020) · cites this paper as Geissdoerfer et al., 2017

  • There are over 100 definitions of circular economy.

    “There are over 100 definitions of circular economy (e.g., Bocken et al., 2016; Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Gladek, 2017; Kirchherr et al., 2017; Korhonen et al., 2018; Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2019; Schöggl et al., 2020; Alhawari et al., 2021).”

    From Circular Bioeconomy Concepts—A Perspective (2021) · cites this paper as Geissdoerfer et al., 2017

  • The circular economy focuses on efficiency gains and slowing, narrowing, and closing material loops to reduce resource consumption and system waste via input reductions, sustainable design, improved practices, waste reuse, and recycling.

    “On one hand, the circular economy focuses on efficiency gains and slowing, narrowing, and closing material loops to reduce resource consumption and system waste via input reductions, sustainable design, improved practices, waste reuse, and recycling (Bocken et al., 2016; Ghisellini et al., 2016; Geissdoerfer et al., 2017; Kirchherr et al., 2017; Murray et al., 2017; D'Amato et al., 2018; Ellen Mac”

    From Circular Bioeconomy Concepts—A Perspective (2021) · cites this paper as Geissdoerfer et al., 2017

  • The negative impact of the IT sector on the environment could be reduced to a certain extent by adopting the responsible practices of the circular economy, which signifies reusing some of the raw materials of the disposed equipment for a more sustainable approach to consumption.

    “This negative impact of the IT sector on the environment could be reduced to a certain extent by adopting the responsible practices of the circular economy, which signifies reusing some of the raw materials of the disposed equipment for a more sustainable approach to consumption.”

    From Climate change and COP26: Are digital technologies and information management part of the problem or the solution? An editorial reflection and call to action (2022) · cites this paper as Geissdoerfer, Savaget, Bocken, & Hultink, 2017

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Authors
Geissdoerfer, M., Savaget, P., Bocken, N. M. P., & Hultink, E. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Cambridge (GB)
  • Delft University of Technology (NL)
Corresponding author
Geissdoerfer, Martin
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Cleaner Production
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-02
Volume
143
Pages
757-768
ISSN
0959-6526 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.12.048
OpenAlex
W2565277564
Semantic Scholar
eb69d11beb18b4c99a6391a5ff80ca980ba37b6d
Cited by
9,360
References
95
Citations by year
2026: 2011 · 2025: 1659 · 2024: 1208 · 2023: 1112 · 2022: 1052 · 2021: 938 · 2020: 662 · 2019: 441 · 2018: 215 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 8
FWCI
563.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Cleaner Production (publishedVersion)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Cambridge University Engineering Department Publications Database (submittedVersion)
  • Lund University Publications (Lund University) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Repository (Delft University of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Apollo
Funders
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/I033351/1)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Sustainable Supply Chain Management
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering › Sustainable Industrial Ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › Sustainable Design and Development
Keywords
circular economy, sustainability, conceptual clarity, relationship type, sustainability paradigm

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