Product/Service‐Systems for a Circular Economy

The Route to Decoupling Economic Growth from Resource Consumption

Bibliographic Data

ID19469201
AuthorsLouise Laumann Kjaer (0000-0002-7711-6533, Engineering Design and Product Development Department of Mechanical Engineering Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark, corresponding author), Daniela C A Pigosso (0000-0001-7277-0360, Engineering Design and Product Development Department of Mechanical Engineering Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark), Monia Niero (0000-0001-6275-6944, Quantitative Sustainability Assessment Department of Management Engineering Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark), Nynne Marie Bech (NIRAS Allerød Denmark), Tim C McAloone (0000-0002-9776-3340, Engineering Design and Product Development Department of Mechanical Engineering Technical University of Denmark Lyngby Denmark)
Year2019
Volume23
Issue1
Pages22-35
Publication date2019-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Industrial Ecology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1088-1980 • E-ISSN: 1530-9290
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/jiec.12747
OpenAlexW2792156022
LanguageEN
Citations received42
References cited56

Product/service‐systems (PSS) that focus on selling service and performance instead of products are often mentioned as means to realize a circular economy (CE), in which economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption. However, a PSS is no implicit guarantee for a CE, and CE strategies do not necessarily lead to decoupling economic growth from resource consumption in absolute terms. Absolute resource decoupling only occurs when the resource use declines, irrespective of the growth rate of the economic driver. In this forum paper, we propose a two‐step framework that aims to support analyses of PSS and their potential to lead to absolute resource decoupling. In the first step, we present four PSS enablers of relative resource reduction that qualify as CE strategies. In the second step, three subsequent requirements need to be met, in order to successfully achieve absolute resource decoupling. Conditions and limitations for this accomplishment are discussed. Danish textile cases are used to exemplify the framework elements and its application. We expect that the framework will challenge the debate on the necessary conditions for CE strategies to ensure absolute resource decoupling

Business · Circular economy · Commerce · Economics · Environmental economics · Industrial ecology · Industrial organization · Natural resource economics · Resource consumption · Sustainability · Computer Science · Engineering · Mathematics · Service and Product Innovation · Sustainable Industrial Ecology · Sustainable Supply Chain Management · Ecology · Marketing

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