2020 (17), №2

Theoretical and Applied Aspects of the Concept of Circular Economy

For citation: 

Grebenkin, A. V., & Vegner-Kozlova, E. O. (2020). Theoretical and Applied Aspects of the Concept of Circular Economy. Zhurnal Economicheskoj Teorii [Russian Journal of Economic Theory], 17 (2), 399-411

Abstract:

The actual problems of combining economic interests with the preservation of the natural balance of the ecological system and rational nature management encourage us to address the analysis of opportunities and barriers of transition to the model of circular (cyclic) economy. The concept of circular economy, synthesizing the achievements of various research areas (including: ecological economics, sustainable development theories, ‘cradle to cradle’(C2C), ‘green and blue economies’, industrial ecology, etc.), involves the reorientation of economic activity to maximize the conservation of the cost of products, materials and resources and minimize the amount of waste and polluting emissions by reduce, reuse, refurbish, remanufacture, recycle and other elements of the framework. Despite its popularity, the paradigm of circular economy has not been adequately formed. There is not a systematic multifaceted analysis of its conceptual foundations in the scientific literature. The purpose of the article is to analyze the existing theoretical and practical aspects of the circular economy concept for a more adequate understanding of its content. This article investigates the content and meaning of the concept, as well as analyzes the prospects and limitations of the transition to a nonlinear scheme of production and consumption.

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Anatoliy Viktorovich Grebenkin — Doctor of Economics, Professor, Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation; e-mail: avgrebenkin48@yandex.ru).

Ekaterina Olegovna Vegner-Kozlova — PhD in Economics, Institute of Economics of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation; e-mail: katya.human@mail.ru).

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