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The Circular Economy model 'closes the loop' of industrial supply chains to reintegrate energy and waste by-products into the economic cycle. It thus places the spotlight on the potential of re-use, recycling, and renewable energy sources as part of the overall economy. Knowing about Circular Economy means knowing about the following three, as they are particularly relevant to the Textiles & Clothing business:Research and policies for the Circular Economy, identifying the main actors developing the conceptConcepts and models for the T&C industry, with examples of how specific ideas within the Circular Economy paradigm are particularly relevant to Business Labs.R&D and related initiatives in the T&C industry, with a listing of projects dealing with specific technologies for reducing waste, recycling textiles, etc.Finally, action strategies are listed as suggestions for TCBL business pilots to incorporate the Circular Economy in their activities.A new policy frameworkThe traditional supply chain model for industrial production claims to add value at different steps from raw materials to the end consumer, but fails to adequately account for waste and pollution. In fact, the environment is considered as an infinite resource for raw materials on the one hand, and an infinite sink in which to dump waste and chemical by-products on the other.The Circular Economy model closes the loop by re-connecting linear value chains, considering one process's waste as another process's raw material. The Ellen Macarthur Foundation defines the Circular Economy as follows:"A circular economy is one that is restorative and regenerative by design, and which aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles."The Circular Economy concept has recently been adopted with great emphasis by the European Commission, in a series of Communications and funding programmes launched in December, 2015. This includes proposed directives on waste, packaging waste, landfill, and electrical and electronic waste, the introduction of a specific "cross-cutting focus area" in the H2020 2016-2017 work programme, and policy frameworks for the ESIF (EU Structural and Investment Funds) with a particular eye on Smart Specialisation. Since the Circular Economy appears to be emerging as a new policy framework, it is important to underline it's significant relevance for the T&C industry. First, as a general model, the Circular Economy model transforms environmental policies from a 'punitive' to an 'opportunity' approach, and can thus be used to leverage business innovation in a positive light. Secondly, the Circular Economy provides a framework for many of the qualitative aspects related to innovative T&C approaches: systems resilience, the role of diversity, emotionally durable design, and so forth. Finally, the Circular Economy provides a unifying framework for many specific fields of research and innovation that are ongoing for some time now in the T&C sector. Research and Policies for the Circular EconomySeveral research institutes and foundations have dedicated activities or even been constituted to investigate the Circular Economy, its implications, and related business models. This includes the following organisations.The Ellen Macarthur FoundationEstablished in 2010, this foundation aims to accelerate the transition to the circular economy. The charity's work focuses on four interlinking areas: education, business and government, insight and analysis, and communications. The main global partners include: Cisco, Google, H&M, Intesa Sanpaolo, Kingfisher, Philips, Renault, and Unilever.Circle EconomyThis is a cooperative consisting of two groups: Circle of Action, with members implementing concrete initiatives, and Circle of Consciousness, with a strategic guidance function. Circle Economy is developing a roadmap to make Amsterdam the first truly circular city, and has a varied membership including Mud Jeans, Black Rock, Philips, TNO, the City of Amsterdam, FairPhone, ABN Bank, Click NL, Schipol Airport, Accenture, and KPMG.WRAPThis UK Charity has launched a new five year plan, 'Resource Revolution, Creating the Future' with a specific section on Clothing and Textiles.Circular Economy AwardsWe even have the first awards programme, sponsored by the Forum of Young Global Leaders in collaboration with Accenture.Concepts and Models for the T&C IndustryThe Circular Economy is essentially a framework model encompassing several pre-existing concepts and approaches which can be, individually, of particular relevance to the T&C sector and to the work of the TCBL Business Labs. (headings below from Wikipedia)Waste is foodHere, the logic is to consider separately the biological and technical components of a product and see how they re-fit into value chains. This applies to reasoning behind fibres, in particular to organic fibres.Diversity is strengthThis in the first instance means that diversity contributes to systemic resilience. More specifically, the emphasis is on longer-lasting products, in particular through the strategy of emotionally durable design. This relates directly to ways to address the Fast Fashion trend, ie through initiatives such as WRAP's Love your Clothes.Industrial EcologyThis approach looks at loop processes within business ecosystems. It's relevant to TCBL in that a) it looks as businesses in a more broader transactional setting that supply chains and b) the approach also focuses on social well being.Cradle to cradleThis emphasis a design approach that advocates "service-life extension of goods – reuse, repair, remanufacture, upgrade technologically" as a strategy for waste prevention, regional job creation and resource efficiency in order to decouple wealth from resource consumption. The vision is sustained by five pillars: nature conservation, limited toxicity, resource productivity, social ecology, and cultural ecology.R&D and related initiatives in the T&C IndustryThere are many on-going research and awareness initiatives currently or recently active, each with a specific relevance to Circular Economy goals and methods and many with the involvement of Euratex.ECAP: European Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (2015-2019)The overall objective of the LIFE ECAP project is to adopt a circular approach to divert over 90 000 tonnes/year of clothing waste from landfill and incineration across Europe by March 2018, and to deliver a more resource efficient clothing sector. ECAP will set targets aiming to scale up these savings by 2020 to over 540 000 tonnes/year (€111 million), and by 2030 to over 700 000 tonnes/year(€144 million).ECWRTI: Electro Coagulation for Water Recycling in Textile Industry (2015-)Textile mills can reduce their water consumption by up to 90 percent using the EColoRO concept, which consists of electrocoagulation followed by membrane filtration, to treat their wastewater without using chemicals and then reuse it.Resyntex: a New Circular Economy Concept for Textiles and Chemicals (2015-)RESYNTEX is a research project which aims to create a new circular economy concept for the textile and chemical industries. Using industrial symbiosis, it aims to produce secondary raw materials from unwearable textile waste.EcoProFabrics: Eco innovation programme (2014-)Exploring the market opportunities for a 100% recyclable polyester fabric, known as Returnity, in a range of workwear, demonstrating a fully circular supply and production chain.SET: Save Energy in Textile SMEs (2014-2016)SET project was launched to deliver real added-value solutions for European textile SMEs. SET will assist at least 150 textile companies in determining the right energy saving measures. Future legal obligations, financial incentives and technologies will also be assessed.SESEC: Sustainable Energy Saving for the European Clothing Industry (2011-2015)Based on industry-driven ideas, the SESEC project facilitates energy efficiency in the European clothing production industry. Coordinated by EURATEX, SESEC developed and offered energy efficiency tools and related training for companies to implement measures considering cost-effectiveness.ARTISAN: Reduction of energy consumption and carbon footprint in the European textile industry (2011-2014)The ARTISAN project envisioned significant reductions (at least 10%) in energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the European Textile Industry by integrating data-capturing technologies, process-based energy measurement and real-time optimization of operations. It provided enterprise management systems with services for monitoring and operational decision making, available at each supply chain partner, and, additionally, trading services for energy and carbon permits forging collaboration across supply networks.Moving the T&C industry towards the Circular EconomyThe Circular Economy will clearly influence the development of the TCBL project, in particular by providing a framework for reaching the goal of a 20% ecological footprint reduction by 2025. TCBL Business Pilots can contribute by building Circular Economy guidelines into their innovation strategies, following the three steps below:Find circularities: businesses can individually map their material and energy flows and identify points for possible circularities, together with the business advantages that can be derived.Design circular: businesses can identify aspects of their product design that can maximise the business benefits of the circular concept.Make contact: moving towards circularity by definition involves connecting with others, be they research institutions proposing new technologies or other industries interested in using by-products. TCBL provides the ideal setting for identifying new partners and building new value chains that are based on circular principles.ReferencesEuropean Parliament (2015): Circular economy: the importance of re-using products and materials, link.

Intro -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Editors and Contributors -- Biofuels: Potential Alternatives to Fossil Fuels -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Unsustainable Energy -- 1.2 Renewable Energy Sources -- 2 Promise of Biofuels for Replacing Fossil Fuels -- 3 Biofuels as an Alternative to Fossil Fuels -- 4 Energy Generation from Microalgal Biofuels -- 4.1 Microalgal Biofuels for Internal Combustion Engine -- 4.2 Electricity Production from Microalgal Biomass -- 5 Sustainability Analysis -- 6 Potential Economic Benefits of Biofuel Production -- 7 Potential Economic Disbenefits and Impacts of Biofuel Production -- 8 Carbon Capture and Storage Potential of Biofuels -- 8.1 Environmental Footprint -- 8.2 Carbon Footprint of Biofuels -- 9 Techno-Economic Analysis of Fossil Fuels-Biofuels Transition -- 10 Fossil Fuel-Biofuel Transition for Climate Change Mitigation -- 11 Performance and Emission Characteristics -- 12 Conclusions -- References -- Biofuel Economy, Development, and Food Security -- 1 Introduction -- 2 Current Scenario of Biofuel Economy in Asia -- 3 The Competing Global Demands for Food and Biofuel as the Population Builds up -- 4 Strategies to Manage the Pressure to Address Food Security and Biofuel Sufficiency -- 5 Understanding the Biofuel Landscape Supporting Food Security and Biofuel Sufficiency -- 6 Agriculture 4.0: Its Implications to Food Security and Biofuel Sufficiency -- 7 Conclusions -- References -- Biofuels in Low Carbon Economies and Societies -- 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Depletion of Fossil Resources and Global Warming -- 1.2 The Circular Economy Solution -- 1.3 Energy Consumption -- 1.4 Biofuels Role in the Transformation -- 2 Biofuels -- 2.1 Bioethanol -- 2.2 Biodiesel and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils -- 2.3 Biomethane -- 2.4 Biobutanol -- 3 Case Study.

This book provides a detailed coverage of how the circular economy aims to change the paradigm in relation to the linear economy, by limiting the environmental impact and waste of resources, as well as increasing efficiency at all stages of the product economy. It serves as the sole comprehensive overview of the role of biofuels in the circular economy. It contains updated information on the latest trends of techno-economic analysis of biofuels, economic transitions, low-carbon economies, green circular societies, and life cycle assessment of biofuels. This book delves deep into the economic security of the poor as well as the nexus between biofuel industry and global trade bodies, making it one of the few introductory books without bias toward the contribution of biofuels in circular economy. With its diverse contributions on themes such as biofuels as potential alternatives to fossil fuels, biofuel economics and policies; biofuel standards, blending, and future insecurities; economic transitions from biomass to biofuels; and biofuel economy, development, and food security, the book would be a great resource for a wide and multi-disciplinary readership base ranging from researchers to academics, policy makers, innovators, corporates, and non-profit organizations working in this area.

The circular economy is a paradigm that aims to generate economic prosperity, protect the environment and prevent pollution, consequently, facilitating sustainabledevelopment. The growing interest of governments, industry, and society in the implementation ofthe circular economy has led us to inquire about its direct connection with the ultimate goal ofthis paradigm: sustainability. For this purpose, an analysis of the scientific articles published inthis last century on this concept has been made. As a result, we conclude that the CircularEconomy is a paradigm of action that has evolved from the concept of sustainability and itsapplication in the economy, society, and the necessary care of the environment that surrounds us.Accordingly, the Circular Economy has become a paradigm that seeks sustainable development,proposing different strategies throughout the chain of production and use of products andservices. For this purpose, the article proposes five concrete fields of action and presentsstrategies for sustainable design to achieve the circularity in the processes, allowing theproduction and sustainable consumption. ; La economía circular es un paradigma que tiene como objetivo generarprosperidad económica, proteger el medio ambiente y prevenir la contaminación, facilitando asíel desarrollo sostenible. El creciente interés de gobiernos, industria y sociedad en laimplementación de la economía circular, nos ha llevado a indagar sobre su conexión directa conel fin último de este paradigma: la sostenibilidad. Para ello se ha realizado un análisis de losartículos científicos publicados en este último siglo acerca de este tema. Como resultado seconcluye que la Economía Circular es un paradigma de actuación que ha evolucionado a partirdel concepto de sostenibilidad y su aplicación en la economía, la sociedad, y el cuidado necesariodel ambiente que nos rodea. Así, la Economía Circular se ha convertido en un paradigma quebusca el desarrollo sostenible, proponiendo diferentes estrategias en toda la cadena de produccióny uso de los productos y servicios. Para este propósito el artículo propone cinco campos deacción concretos y presenta estrategias de diseño sostenible para conseguir la circularidad en losprocesos, permitiendo la producción y consumo sostenible.

Ireland is at a turning point for the transition to a circular economy. The 2022 Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy provides the policy framework for the circular economy in the country, and the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill is expected to strengthen waste and circular economy legislation.

Chapter 1: Transition from a Linear to a Circular Economy -- Chapter 2: Circular economy and energy transition -- Chapter 3: Circular Economy and Renewable Energy: A Global Policy Overview -- Chapter 4: Circularity and sustainability performance of hybrid renewable energy systems: exploring the benefits and challenges behind the hybridization of wind farms -- Chapter 5: Circular Economy to Decarbonize Electricity -- Chapter 6: Circular Economy in Materials to Decarbonize Mobility -- Chapter 7: Waste to energy in circular economy -- Chapter 8: Biofuels in Circular Economy -- Chapter 9: Circular Economy and Climate Change Mitigation -- Chapter 10: Circular Economy Indicators and Environmental Quality -- Chapter 11: Circular economy approach to green energy: Agenda-Setting towards Indonesia's Ambitious Renewable Electricity 2030 -- Chapter 12: Biofuel Circular Economy in Environmental Sustainability -- Chapter 13: Accelerating the Transition to a Circular Economy: An Investigation on the Enablers of Blockchain-based Solar and Wind Energy Supply Chains -- Chapter 14: Circular economy and Energy efficiency: The role of the Energy Management Systems (EnMS) in industrial SME -- Chapter 15: Energy decarbonization via material-based circular economy.