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The circular economy and circular economic concepts—a literature analysis and redefinition
Author(s) -
Geisendorf Sylvie,
Pietrulla Felicitas
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
thunderbird international business review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.553
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1520-6874
pISSN - 1096-4762
DOI - 10.1002/tie.21924
Subject(s) - circular economy , scope (computer science) , situated , framing (construction) , macro , management science , computer science , economics , economy , engineering , artificial intelligence , civil engineering , ecology , biology , programming language
This article proposes a revised definition of the circular economy after having analyzed and compared the most prominent related concepts. Based on an analysis of academic literature, defining characteristics of different concepts are identified to structure the field of research. The comparison of concepts serves as a basis for the synthesis: a revised definition of the circular economy. While most concepts overlap, they emphasize different issues. Our classification helps to distinguish how concepts are situated in dimensions such as industry/service oriented, efficiency/zero waste target, or micro/macro scope. The revised definition distinguishes between core characteristics of a circular economy and framing conditions enabling its implementation. It has the potential to support both researchers and practitioners to develop clearer guidelines for the path to a circular economy.