| Title | The circular economy and longer product lifetime: Framing the effects on working time and waste |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 3374 |
| Authors | Tommaso, L; Tiziano, D; Samuele, I; Valeria, A |
| Title | The circular economy and longer product lifetime: Framing the effects on working time and waste |
| Year | 2022 |
| Published | |
| Abstract | An important goal of circular economy strategies is the extension of product lifetimes, under the assumption that this will deliver reductions in materials, energy use and waste. More broadly, longer lifetimes might counter the "broken windows fallacy" on which much of economic growth is based. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on this assumption rather than take it for granted. What are the systemic effects of policies aimed at saving ma-terials? Who will benefit from them? To answer these research questions, we start connecting two issues that are often handled separately, despite being closely interlinked, namely (i) working time reduction and (ii) (over) production and waste generation. Trends in work indicators and material consumption in the EU15 countries confirm that higher material efficiency has not delivered the hoped-for benefits, thereby supporting the rest of our analysis. The conceptual framework that we propose shows that efforts towards material savings might allow reductions in working time per inhabitant while keeping labour compensation unchanged. However, such a possibility is hindered by competition over material efficiency gains. |
Similar Articles
| ID | Score | Article |
|---|---|---|
1414
|
Neves, SA; Marques, AC Drivers and barriers in the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy(2022) | |
| 684
|
Popescu, MF Is Circular Economy Going To Reduce Waste And Create Jobs In The European Union?(2019) | |
| 16789
|
Silva, R; Robaina, M; Dias, MF; Magueta, D Assessing the Circular Materials Utilization Rate in the European Union: A Performance Evaluation(2024) | |
| 16422
|
Stahel, WR Policy for material efficiency-sustainable taxation as a departure from the throwaway society(2013)Philosophical Transactions Of The Royal Society A-Mathematical Physical And Engineering Sciences, 371, 1986 | |
| 2221
|
Alonso, NB By-products and end of waste condition: key elements for a circular economy(2020) | |
| 4892
|
Hill, JE The circular economy: from waste to resource stewardship, part I(2015)Proceedings Of The Institution Of Civil Engineers-Waste And Resource Management, 168, 1 | |
| 28110
|
Llorente-González, LJ; Vence, X How labour-intensive is the circular economy? A policy-orientated structural analysis of the repair, reuse and recycling activities in the European Union(2020) | |
| 2192
|
Figge, F; Dimitrov, S; Schlosser, R; Chenavaz, R Does the circular economy fuel the throwaway society? The role of opportunity costs for products that lose value over time(2022) | |
| 4525
|
Greer, R; von Wirth, T; Loorbach, D The Waste-Resource Paradox: Practical dilemmas and societal implications in the transition to a circular economy(2021) | |
| 664
|
Milios, L Advancing to a Circular Economy: three essential ingredients for a comprehensive policy mix(2018)Sustainability Science, 13, 3 |