Reframing Circular Economy Targets: A Strategic Approach to Advancing beyond Recovery and Recycling
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajirb.v4i1.5466Keywords:
Beyond Recycling, Circular Economy Governance, Circular Economy Targets, Resource Efficiency, Strategic Circular Economy FrameworkAbstract
The traditional focus on circular economy (CE) goals has primarily emphasized recovery and recycling. However, such techniques, while prevalent, only partially address the systemic adjustments needed for a truly circular shift. This study critically reframes the function of CE targets by taking a broader and more strategic approach that goes beyond the traditional focus on end-of-life waste management. This study, which is based on ten circular methods (recover, recycle, repurpose, remanufacture, refurbish, repair, reuse, reduce, rethink, and discard), evaluates both existing and newly proposed CE targets in a methodical manner. The findings show that an overreliance on recovery and recycling may harm rather than support circular objectives because of their limited ability to maintain resource value and close production cycles. The study calls for the incorporation of upstream and design-oriented solutions such as reuse, repair, and rethink, which are more effective in promoting resource efficiency and economic value preservation. By proposing an expanded and strategic set of CE targets, this paper offers fresh insights to scholars and decision-makers aiming to steer governance and policy frameworks toward a more impactful and holistic circular economy transition.
Downloads
References
Abu-Bakar, H., & Charnley, F. (2024). Developing a strategic methodology for circular economy roadmapping: A theoretical framework. Sustainability, 16(15), 6682.
Abu-Bakar, H., Charnley, F., Hopkinson, P., & Morasae, E. K. (2024). Towards a typological framework for circular economy roadmaps: A comprehensive analysis of global adoption strategies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 434, 140066.
Boas, I., Biermann, F., & Kanie, N. (2016). Cross-sectoral strategies in global sustainability governance: towards a nexus approach. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 16, 449-464.
Botti, A., & Baldi, G. (2025). Business model innovation and Industry 5.0: A possible integration in GLAM institutions. European Journal of Innovation Management, 28(1), 27-49.
Çetin, S., & Kirchherr, J. (2025). The Build Back Circular Framework: Circular Economy Strategies for Post-Disaster Reconstruction and Recovery. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1-38.
Chenavaz, R. Y., & Dimitrov, S. (2024). From waste to wealth: Policies to promote the circular economy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 443, 141086.
Chizaryfard, A., Trucco, P., & Nuur, C. (2021). The transformation to a circular economy: Framing an evolutionary view. Journal of Evolutionary Economics, 31, 475-504.
Chabowski, B. R., Gabrielsson, P., Hult, G. T. M., & Morgeson III, F. V. (2025). Sustainable international business model innovations for a globalizing circular economy: a review and synthesis, integrative framework, and opportunities for future research. Journal of International Business Studies, 56(3), 383-402.
Domenech, T., & Bahn-Walkowiak, B. (2019). Transition towards a resource efficient circular economy in Europe: policy lessons from the EU and the member states. Ecological Economics, 155, 7-19.
Dolunay, A., & Temel, A. C. (2024). The relationship between personal and professional goals and emotional state in academia: a study on unethical use of artificial intelligence. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1363174.
Graessler, S., Guenter, H., de Jong, S. B., & Henning, K. (2024). Organizational change towards the circular economy: A systematic review of the literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 26(4), 556-579.
Ho, O., Iyer-Raniga, U., Sadykova, C., Balasooriya, M., Sylva, K., Dissanayaka, M., ... & Sivapalan, S. (2024). A conceptual model for integrating circular economy in the built environment: An analysis of literature and local-based case studies. Journal of Cleaner Production, 449, 141516.
Kedward, K., & Ryan-Collins, J. (2021). A green new deal: opportunities and constraints. In Economic policies for sustainability and resilience (pp. 269-317). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Kirchherr, J., Yang, N. H. N., Schulze-Spüntrup, F., Heerink, M. J., & Hartley, K. (2023). Conceptualizing the circular economy (revisited): an analysis of 221 definitions. Resources, conservation and recycling, 194, 107001.
Lüdeke‐Freund, F., Gold, S., & Bocken, N. M. (2019). A review and typology of circular economy business model patterns. Journal of industrial ecology, 23(1), 36-61.
Mallik, S. K. (2025). The impact of monetary policy on the performance of the commercial bank Malawi balance sheet in Southeast Africa. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, (ahead-of-print).
Mallik, S. K., Islam, M. R., Uddin, I., Ali, M. A., & Trisha, S. M. (2025). Leveraging artificial intelligence to mitigate money laundering risks through the detection of cyberbullying patterns in financial transactions. Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Advances, 22(01), 094-115.
Mallik, S. K. (2024). Microcredit’s effects on household’s Bangladeshi perspective on fish producers’ earnings and expenses.
Mallik, S. K. (2024). Analyzing Banking Sector Risk and Capital Allocation: A Study on the Improvement of Risk-Weighted Assets and CRAR Compliance in 2023.
Mallik, S. K., & Rahman, M. A. (2024). An analysis of business students learning styles to improve the effectiveness of teaching methods.
Mallik, S. K., & Rahman, M. A. (2024). Smart agriculture as a driving technology for sustainability in intensive greenhouse production within smart manufacturing systems.
Mohd Firdaus, R., Abdul Mulok Oon, N., Aroua, M. K., & Gew, L. T. (2025). The P-graph approach in optimal synthesis and planning of waste management towards achieving sustainable development goals: A systematic review. Waste Management & Research, 43(4), 455-473.
Meuleman, L., & Niestroy, I. (2015). Common but differentiated governance: A metagovernance approach to make the SDGs work. Sustainability, 7(9), 12295-12321.
Mesa, J. A., Sierra-Fontalvo, L., Ortegon, K., & Gonzalez-Quiroga, A. (2024). Advancing circular bioeconomy: A critical review and assessment of indicators. Sustainable Production and Consumption.
Mendelson, M., Lewnard, J. A., Sharland, M., Cook, A., Pouwels, K. B., Alimi, Y., ... & Laxminarayan, R. (2024). Ensuring progress on sustainable access to effective antibiotics at the 2024 UN General Assembly: a target-based approach. The Lancet, 403(10443), 2551-2564.
Pan, Y., & Hashemizadeh, A. (2023). Circular economy-based assessment framework for enhancing sustainability in renewable energy development with life cycle considerations. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 103, 107289.
Petrovics, D., Huitema, D., Giezen, M., & Vis, B. (2024). Scaling mechanisms of energy communities: A comparison of 28 initiatives. Global Environmental Change, 84, 102780.
Rajayya, A., Nair, R., & Karthiayani, V. P. (2025). India’s Transition to a Circular Economy Towards Fulfilling Agenda 2030: A Critical Review. Sustainability, 17(6), 2667.
Roblek, V., & Dimovski, V. (2024). Essentials of ‘the Great Reset’through Complexity Matching. Systems, 12(6), 182.
Sarkar, A. (2022). Minimalonomics: A novel economic model to address environmental sustainability and earth’s carrying capacity. Journal of Cleaner Production, 371, 133663.
Sharma, M., Singh, P., & Tsagarakis, K. (2024). Strategic pathways to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 12 through Industry 4.0: Moderating role of institutional pressure. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(6), 5812-5838.
Tan, J., Tan, F. J., & Ramakrishna, S. (2022). Transitioning to a circular economy: A systematic review of its drivers and barriers. Sustainability, 14(3), 1757.
Tegethoff, T., Santa, R., Bucheli, J. M., Cabrera, B., & Scavarda, A. (2025). Navigating Industry 4.0: Leveraging additive technologies for competitive advantage in Colombian aerospace and manufacturing industries. PloS one, 20(2), e0318339.
Zils, M., Howard, M., & Hopkinson, P. (2025). Circular economy implementation in operations & supply chain management: Building a pathway to business transformation. Production Planning & Control, 36(4), 501-520.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hasibur Rhaman, Debuttam Datta, Shuvo Kumar Mallik, Md Morshedul Hasan
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
