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Cited by 1,383Sustainable Industrial EcologySustainable Supply Chain ManagementSustainable Development and Environmental Management

The emergence of circular economy: a new framing around prolonging resource productivity

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Blomsma, Fenna, Brennan, Geraldine·2017·Journal of Industrial Ecology
DOI 10.1111/jiec.12603
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Abstract

Summary: In this article, we use Hirsch and Levin's notion of umbrella concepts as an analytical lens, in order to articulate the valuable catalytic function the circular economy (CE) concept could perform in the waste and resource management debate. We realize this goal by anchoring the CE concept in this broader debate through a narrative approach. This leads to the insight that whereas the various resource strategies grouped under the CE's banner are not new individually, the concept offers a new framing of these strategies by drawing attention to their capacity of prolonging resource use as well as to the relationship between these strategies. As such, the CE offers a new perspective on waste and resource management and provides a new cognitive unit and discursive space for debate. We conclude by discussing research opportunities for the industrial ecology (IE) community relating to the concept's theoretical development and its implementation. Specifically, we pose that reinvigorating and growing the social science aspects of IE is required for both. After all, it is in understanding and facilitating the collective implementation of any idea, also the CE concept, that the potential lies for shaping our material future.

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  • The review underlines a lack of accuracy and high degree of uncertainty related particularly to environmental assessment.

    “Although current research and policy initiatives seek to develop coherent monitoring frameworks for a CE (e.g.Blomsma and Brennan, 2017;Elia et al., 2017;Pauliuk, 2018), our review underlines a lack of accuracy and high degree of uncertainty related particularly to environmental assessment.”

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

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Authors
Blomsma, F., & Brennan, G.
Affiliations
Imperial College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Blomsma, Fenna
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Industrial Ecology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2017-05-09
Volume
21
Issue
3
Pages
603-614
ISSN
  • 1088-1980 (ISSN-L)
  • 1530-9290
DOI
10.1111/jiec.12603
OpenAlex
W2613828822
Cited by
1,383
References
6
Citations by year
2026: 151 · 2025: 162 · 2024: 205 · 2023: 199 · 2022: 188 · 2021: 176 · 2020: 132 · 2019: 101 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 17
FWCI
90.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Industrial Ecology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Middlesex University Research Repository (Middlesex University Of London) (acceptedVersion)
  • Spiral (Imperial College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • European Institute of Innovation and Technology (1292/2013)
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (RG64858)
  • Economic and Social Research Council (ES/M010163/1)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering › Sustainable Industrial Ecology
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Sustainable Supply Chain Management
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Sustainable Development and Environmental Management
Keywords
circular economy, resource productivity, waste management, resource management, framing, discursive space, industrial ecology, idea implementation

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