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Recently, 181 CEOs of notable corporations signed a joint statement at the Business Roundtable (2019) on the “Purpose of a Corporation” – declaring its aim as the creation of benefits for “all stakeholders.” This will likely accelerate the circular economy transition process. Harmonizing the interests of various stakeholders is essential for managing successful organizations and supply chains, which is similar to the first principle of using natural ecosystem thinking. According to that principle, it is essential to strike a balance between the producers, consumers, scavengers, and decomposers. We draw on stakeholder theory to identify various challenges and risks that restrict businesses from building sustainable circular systems. We turn our attention toward increasing the numbers of “scavengers” and “decomposers” in the system for attaining sustainable growth. Our emphasis is on (1) empowering organizational life cycle stages, (2) designing for “decomposability” and “scavengers,” and (3) suggesting the use of advanced optimization models for harmonizing stakeholder relationships.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the technical aspects of using the Edventure Builder platform to create UC San Diego’s scalable, interactive, online library orientation activity, which was designed for the university’s new First Year Experience program.

This paper examines a case study using a successive approximation model for the build process of a mobile library scavenger hunt.

The Edventure Builder software is intuitive, scalable and provides a variety of options to users, including flexibility in question format, a WYSIWYG interface, and branching logic. The main limitation is that analytics is still in beta testing and users must request that data be sent in an Excel spreadsheet via e-mail.

This paper is of interest to information professionals who would like to create a mobile library orientation activity using the Edventure Builder platform.

The purpose of this study is to explore the psychological well-being of people living around landfills, which constitutes a preliminary case study localized in Samarinda city, Indonesia.

This current study used a descriptive, participatory case study design. For data collection, interviews and participatory observation were used. Specifically, this case study took place in Samarinda City, Indonesia.

The psychological well-being of the people living around landfills was indicated very low in the light of psychological well-being such as personal growth, life’s goals and self-acceptance dimensions.

Psychological well-being is part of an attitude of gratitude, thus making individuals happy and satisfied in life. The results of this study point to the fact that people who live around landfills have low psychological well-being due to lack of support from the community and government. In addition, with this research, people who live near landfills are very happy because they feel cared for and care about their condition. People who live near landfills expect the government and surrounding communities to know about their situation so that they become prosperous and well-being. In addition, providing medical team services, sending clean water and providing good solutions can help people who live near landfills. The limitation of this preliminary study was that researchers could deeply explore the lives of people in the next research. Besides, the next research can provide a camera or voice recorder in the state of only observation. In addition, the researcher can analyze more deeply in the next research. The final limitation was that participants could not have enough time to interact with, thus, the researcher could not collect the data to explore further.

Base on the result in this study, the government needs to have the policy to take care of those people who stay near landfills, for example, improving drinking water, establish the health management and giving a right to people to stay near landfills.

By improving the growing environment, the people live near landfills can have some changes in their life. In addition, the negative stereotype and prejudice can be decreased and establish a more friendly society and increasing their well-being.

The participants were found to be problematic, primarily in managing their environment and influencing their personal growth. On top of that, the participants appeared to possess a lack exposure of to social interaction with other communities, which might cause them social gap and lack of caring perceived toward the surrounding environment, lack of better life’s goals, the disappointment of current conditions due to low educational and skill backgrounds. Nonetheless, the participants were still of gratefulness upon the situation for they were still granted health for studies to support their families. Besides, the participants did not show any positive attitudes toward themselves because of the disappointment of their condition and personal qualities.

Despite the systemic nature of circular economy (CE), theorisation that draws from a supply network perspective is only incipient. Moreover, the operations and supply chain management (OSCM) field has engaged in little dialogue with circularity. This study explores social network analysis (SNA) to depict how the shift from linear to circular not only leads to higher rates of resource economy, repair and recycle but also reshapes governance dynamics and network structure of supply networks.

The study departs from a systematic review of the literature and draws from core concepts in OSCM, CE and SNA to offer theoretical propositions that articulate how social network metrics can depict supply network circularity. The framework is illustrated with examples from fashion and electronics industries.

Four theoretical propositions enlighten how betweenness centrality, eigenvector centrality and network density can explain the shift from linear to circular supply networks across the three CE strategies of narrowing, slowing and closing.

The combination of biomimicry, CE, the push–pull dichotomy and social network metrics offer a theory-driven framework for supply network circularity.

The purpose of this research paper focused on studying the role of activated carbons (ACs), which were synthesized from long-chain aldehyde-based xerogels (Xs-AC), as benefit additives to enhance the application of a low-cost urea formaldehyde (UF) adhesive for production of rice straw (RS) composites complying with both the standard specifications of particle-board type and the board produced from using conventional adhesive of RS fibers (methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, MDI). The results are supported by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis, which indicated the curing and interaction of RS fibers with the adhesive systems.

RS-based composites of particle-board type were prepared from applying new Xs-AC–UF adhesive systems to RS particles. For comparison, particle boards by using commercial UF and 4 per cent MDI were also prepared. To clear the beneficial effect of X-ACs as new HCHO (formaldehyde)-scavengers, the properties of the resulted boards were compared with those produced from the previous investigated scavenger: amide-containing starch-UF (AM/St–UF), and treated RS. DSC analysis was performed on the RS adhesive system, to follow the curing and the interaction behavior of UF with fibers in the presence of Xs-ACs.

The promising results obtained of RS particle boards from using the investigated new HCHO-scavenger are modulus of rupture (MOR) = 17.2 MPa, modulus of elasticity (MOE) = 4,689 MPa and internal bond (IB) strength = 0.49 MPa. While, the thickness swelling (TS) and maximum reduction in free-HCHO are 48.5 and 44.6 per cent, respectively; this reduction value specified the particle-board of E1-E2 type.

The X-AC-UF adhesive systems and treated RS provided particle boards with mechanical properties (MOR, MOE and IB) that met the standard specification values (class M-2 according to ANSI standard and P-2 according to EN standard requirements), together with maximum reduction in toxicity of UF. However, the resistance in water swelling property is weak and needs further study to be solved.

The incorporation of small percentage of new HCHO-scavenger (X-AC) to UF is an effective way to improve its thermal behavior. Moreover, the mechanical properties of agro-based composites based on the treated RS waste together with the X-AC-UF system exceeded those values of panels produced from (AM/St-UF) and also from (4 per cent MDI).

Incorporating the Xs-AC to commercial UF will be of benefit for saving the health of wood co-workers and motivating the wood mill to export its wood products, as well as minimizing the export of MDI.

This paper was based on enhancing the potential utilization of both undesirable RS agro wastes and environmentally unacceptable low-cost UF adhesive in the production of agro-composites that comply with the International Standard Specifications of particle board type. In this respect, a new HCHO-scavenger was synthesized and applied, based on AC from non-conventional xerogels. This study presents a solution to protect the environment from pollution, as a result of burning the undesirable RS, as well as to protect the workers and users of wood panels from exposure to the toxic and carcinogenic gas (formaldehyde). It also benefits in replacing the high cost of the RS adhesive (MDI) by using low-cost modified UF.

The Panamanian Government wants to spur economic development along the shores of the Panama Canal, but inadequate waste disposal capabilities discourage substantial investment. Squatters and scavengers now also live on the largest landfill in the area and their living conditions pose serious public health risks to the entire region. Unchecked trash disposal actually threatens the physical operation of the Panama Canal, essential to the country's and world economy, because clogged rivers and streams prevent the flow of water required to move ships through this passageway connecting Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. A governmental task force is charged with addressing these problems and they have summoned a team of American consultants to recommend an action plan for modernizing and improving the waste management system of the entire inter‐oceanic region. This paper aims to examine this.

Data were collected through field research.

In their research, the IDG consultants found that the typical urban Panamanian had a casual attitude towards waste. Littering was common practice. The waste management industry all over the world seemed to have its share of shady deals, corruption and scavenger activity coupled with atrocious living conditions. The Panamanian situation was no different. The IDG team struggled with the issues and their recommendations for recycling and waste management along the Panama Canal. The four Panamanian governmental representatives would have ultimate authority in deciding whether to implement their recommended course of action.

This field‐based case study explores the range of public and private institutions that might play a role in resolving the waste management problems of the country.

The paper is case study of environmental issues in an emerging market.

A circular economy perspective embraces a systemic, cradle-to-cradle notion that everything is designed to be reused as long as possible and then recaptured and repurposed when reuse is no longer possible. Designing for a circular economy ecosystem requires a holistic, integrative viewpoint, spanning all aspects of design and development and considering many supply chain actors, far beyond that of traditional supply chains. This edited book adopts a biomimetic lens, highlighting the need for cross-industry flows and need for different actors (beyond producers and consumers) in circular value cycles. Enablers such as incentives and/or legislation are also discussed. While biomimicry provides the structure for organizing this book, individual chapters build on other theoretical lenses and concepts, such as stakeholder theory, etc. The intent is to move beyond a dyadic (buyer–supplier) view, embracing a holistic network or ecosystem view, to consider a cross-industry system perspective, where there is a diversity of actors (covering four actor groups: producers, consumers, scavengers, and decomposers) needed for a working ecosystem. This edited book offers a comprehensive overview of system components and actors, including how the circular economy adds value, the role of producers and consumers, the spectrum of recovery possibilities to return products back to the consumption supply chain, and the essential role of information management.

To create circular economies, we need supply systems to convey materials between their use lives. Often, though, it is not possible to control an entire supply network. Without a coordinator to implement circular economy principles, how can circular supply systems come to be? This chapter sets out to build on complex adaptive systems (CAS) theory and circular economy research to conceptualize how information flows between actors can facilitate the emergence of a circular supply system. It begins by outlining why a supply network can be considered a CAS, as well as the CAS progression from information to adaptation to emergence. Next, it argues that information on local supply networks, extended supply systems, and biosphere impacts is particularly important for circular production. Finally, it concludes with two potential types of emergence that can stem from these information flows: (1) new actor roles and networks and (2) new spatial and temporal patterns. Ultimately, this conceptual overview aims to give researchers and practitioners a CAS frame for thinking about how continual adaptation to information flows can enable change toward circular supply systems.

This case study shows how Osklen, a 30-year-old fashion brand in Brazil that focuses on Brazilianness and sustainability, has been facing challenges in the last 10 years pioneering the adoption of recycled cotton in its products. By taking the lens of biomimicry and supply networks that encompass vertical, horizontal, and diagonal ties, the case exposes how the weak links in the transition to circular fashion limit advancements. In a field such as sustainability where lack of transparency prevails and there is decoupling between practices and communication, consumers are often unaware of what is being done behind the scenes, and pioneer fashion brands may not benefit from sustainable and circular fashions. Besides the challenges at the consumer front, the shift to circular fashion is hindered by having scavengers as the weak link in the supply network given the lack of financial incentives, excessive informality, and misguided marketing from larger brands.