Completed NRP 73 research project: Towards a sustainable circular economy

 

We investigated how a sustainable circular economy could improve the Swiss economy both in respect of resources and from a socio-economic perspective. To do so, we developed new indicators for measuring the environmental and economic sustainability of the circular economy. We used case studies to assess the environmental and socio-economic impact of thermal insulation, furniture, clothing (environmental impact only) and plastics.

The results show that the greatest potential for the thermal insulation industry lies in implementing circular strategies by adopting approaches such as recycling. Furthermore, furniture restoration, including return systems, and mending clothes showed great potential as ways of reducing environmental impact. Moreover, we found that rebound effects (i.e. the money saved is spent on other goods or services) reduce the positive effect of reduced consumption or longer use of clothes or furniture. An examination of the plastic packaging industry showed that government needs to be more familiar with the full range of regulatory options for reducing obstacles to a circular economy and that it needs to understand the effects associated with them. This is the only way that government can help drive motions towards a circular economy.  

Thus disruptive cycle innovations and consideration of economic, environmental and social factors play an important role in creating and realigning value chains towards a sustainable circular economy.

 

• Wiprächtiger, Maja; Haupt, Melanie; Rapp, Martina; Hellweg, Stefanie (2021). Waste not, want not – ambiguities around waste and waste prevention
   
• Kahlert, Sebastian; Bening, Catharina R. (2022). Why pledges alone will not get plastics recycled: Comparing recyclate production and anticipated demand.
   
• Wiprächtiger, Maja; Rapp, Martina; Hellweg, Stefanie; Shinde, Rhythima; Haupt, Melanie. (2022). Turning trash into treasure: An approach to the environmental assessment of waste prevention and its application to clothing and furniture in Switzerland.
   
• Bening, Catharina R.; Kahlert, Sebastian; Asiedu, Edward. (2022). The true cost of solving the plastic waste challenge in developing countries: The case of Ghana. 
   
• Klotz, Magdalena; Haupt, Melanie; Hellweg, Stefanie. (2022). Limited utilization options for secondary plastics may restrict their circularity. 
   
• Wiprächtiger, Maja; Haupt, Melanie; Heeren, Niko; Waser, Eliane; Hellweg, Stefanie (2020). A framework for sustainable and circular system design: Development and application on thermal insulation materials.

 

Prof. Dr. Volker Hoffmann
Group for Sustainability & Technology
ETH Zürich
+41 446 32 05 40
vhoffmann@ethz.ch