Chapter 4: Results and Findings
The literature review for the results and findings chapter was based upon the following key search terms: ‘Circular Economy’; ‘Sustainability’ and ‘Circular Economy and Sustainability’. Due to the longevity of sustainability and its broader approach, the majority of articles were related to the issue of sustainability, followed by circular economy and the lowest number related to articles which included both ‘circular economy and sustainability’. However, there is also evidence that there is a growing number of articles on the Circular Economy as this process is being increasing supported by national governments and being implemented by large businesses such as Google (Geissdoerfer et al 2017; Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017a; Pauli 2017). This increase in the number of articles may also relate to the increased level of interest in the Circular Economy as a potential solution or approach to implement higher levels of sustainability within an organisation which thus requires an increased level of understanding as regards its concept and application.
4.1 Objective 1: To examine the similarities and differences between sustainability and the Circular Economy.
4.1.1 Similarities between Sustainability and the Circular Economy
This objective undertook a literature review of academic sources to evaluate a number of similarities between the concepts of sustainability and the Circular Economy.
The similarities between Sustainability and the Circular Economy include the following:
Both concepts include the need to address intra and intergenerational commitments (Mulvihill and Harris Ali 2017; Geissdoerfer et al 2017; George et al 2016).
Both concepts include integrating non-economic aspects such as the environment and society (United Nations Sustainable Development Goas 2019; Lewis and Maslin 2018).
Both concepts undertake an approach which has a global focus such as the Paris Agreement and a national focus (United Nations Climate Change 2019; Blowfiedl and Murray 2014).
Both concepts include the need to undertake a systems-led approach to develop and implement changes in processes and to innovate (Pauli 2017; Moreno et al 2016 Braungart and McDonough 2009).
Both concepts have arisen from a multi-disciplinary research including environmental studies; entrepreneurship; operations management; business; social policy and other areas (Mulvihill and Harris Ali 2017; Geissdoerfer et al 2017; Beder 2006).
Both concepts include the issues of risk and potential cost which include both the potential threat of not undertaking any activity in this area and the opportunity of undertaking activity in this area (Pauli 2017; Moreno et al 2016). These concepts also include diversification in areas such as material and resource use and the value creation and capture which may be produced by this to create competitive advantage (Johnson et al 2018; Crane and Matten 2016).
Both concepts stress the importance of stakeholder collaboration and co-operation to both support the level of knowledge and address uncertainty (Mulvihill and Harris Ali 2017). This stakeholder collaboration includes policy-makers; members of the scientific community; business stakeholders and societal stakeholders (Geissdoerfer et al 2017; Crane and Matten 2016).
Both concepts include the role of regulation and incentives as being fundamental implementation
