Circular economy model for developing countries: evidence from Bangladesh

Evaluating and prioritizing strategies to reduce carbon emissions in the circular economy for environmental sustainability

The conversion of economic system into a circular economy (CE) is indispensable, as it is the key strategy in combating climate change and reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in China. However, difficulties are inevitable during this process. It is essential for the long-term operation of a CE to adequately address and overcome any challenges it faces. The present research used the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) approach to determine the main challenges and sub-challenges in the context of CE and its ability to help reduce the CO2 emission levels for carbon-free economy. Next, the study used the Fuzzy VIekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje (FVIKOR) method to measure the strategizing solutions, which are hindering the effective use of CE towards the green future. The findings of the FAHP indicated that waste management disposal (CECER2) is the most crucial challenge. The regulatory and policy complexity (CECER5) and financial investment and cost considerations (CECER4) are the next key challenges. The results of the FVIKOR revealed that policy and regulatory support (CES6), waste reduction and zero waste goals (CES4), and recycling and upcycling (CES2) are most significant mitigation strategies for lowering carbon emissions through CE for environmental sustainability in China. The implications reveal the essential need for tailored policy frameworks and financial incentives to promote implementation of CE strategies, leading to substantial carbon emissions reduction in China.

New circularity indicator for decision making in the stockpile management of construction and demolition waste: Perspectives of Australian practitioners

Despite the increasing popularity of the circular economy, there remains a lack of consensus on how to quantify circularity, a critical aspect of the practical implementation of this model. To address this gap, this article examines the industry's perspective and efforts toward implementing the circular economy in real-world scenarios. We conducted 40 interviews with engineers, project leaders, and top-level managers in the Australian construction sector. Using Saldaña's coding approach, we analysed their views on circular economy practices and efforts within their organisations. Our findings reveal while waste minimisation, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, and cost considerations are widely regarded as essential indicators of a successful circular economy model, the significance of waste storage and long-term stockpiling while awaiting treatment has been overlooked or under-emphasised in industry practices and academic literature. Stockpiling of waste has often been seen as a staging process in waste treatment. However, based on industry insights, it accumulates to the point of mismanagement when it becomes a safety and environmental concern. Addressing this oversight, we propose a storage circularity indicator that allows incorporating waste storage and stockpiling in circular economy models. Our research contributes to various environmental and waste management aspects, supporting policies and strategies for solid waste management and excessive stockpile prevention. By emphasising the significance of storage circularity, we clarify waste prevention techniques and address socio-economic issues such as the urgent need to reduce long-term stockpiling of solid waste. This work highlights the importance of decision-support tools in waste management to facilitate the implementation of circular economy principles. Our proposed storage circularity indicator promotes industrial collaboration, aligning with the concept of industrial symbiosis to optimise resource use and minimise waste generation. By discussing these topics, we aim to contribute to the advancement of more robust waste management strategies and policies that promote sustainable production and consumption practices.

Municipal solid waste management: Identification and analysis of technology selection criteria using Fuzzy Delphi and Fuzzy DEMATEL technique

Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) poses a considerable challenge to developing countries like Bangladesh because of the rising waste generation rates and lack of effective management practices such as illegal open dumping and informal waste collection. One of the crucial factors in the successful management of MSW is to select the appropriate technology which is a complex multi-criteria and laborious process. Despite the global emphasis on the importance of MSWM in the literature, there is a lack of studies conducted in developing countries that effectively identify and analyze the critical performance criteria for appropriate technology selection. This research aims to address this shortcoming by identifying, and prioritizing the selection criteria and finally investigating the inter-relationship between them and the degree to which they affect or are affected by one another. First, a thorough literature review and expert consultation were employed to determine a set of 21 key criteria using the Fuzzy Delphi method (FDM). Later, taking into account the imprecise and subjective nature of the DEMATEL method on human judgements, the Fuzzy DEMATEL technique was employed to investigate the cause-effect relationships among the identified criteria. The findings of the study demonstrated that 14 criteria were categorized as causal elements that have the most significant influence on the MSWM technology selection process and 7 criteria were categorized as effect. The selection of MSWM technology demands greater consideration of the top three ranked criteria, namely T4- Access to Technology (AT), T8- Feasibility (F), and the Ec6-Infrastructure requirements (IR). By identifying the pertinent criteria, structures and interrelationships, the outcome of the study can facilitate a better understanding of causal relationships among the criteria that require specific consideration from the decision-makers and allow them to select appropriate MSW management technology.