Waste-to-Energy in the Circular Economy Transition and Development of Resource-Efficient Business Models

Dzintra Atstaja (), Natalija Cudecka-Purina (), Viktor Koval, Jekaterina Kuzmina, Janis Butkevics and Hanna Hrinchenko
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Dzintra Atstaja: Faculty of Social Sciences, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
Natalija Cudecka-Purina: Department of Management, BA School of Business and Finance, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia
Viktor Koval: Department of Business and Tourism Management, Izmail State University of Humanities, 68601 Izmail, Ukraine
Jekaterina Kuzmina: Department of Management, BA School of Business and Finance, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia
Janis Butkevics: Department of Management, BA School of Business and Finance, LV-1013 Riga, Latvia
Hanna Hrinchenko: Department of Automation, Metrology and Energy Efficient Technologies, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, 61022 Kharkiv, Ukraine

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 16, 1-23

Abstract: The consistent rise of the per capita waste generation rate has led to an escalation of waste quantities and the need to expand waste disposal methods. Efforts to develop clean and affordable energy systems are increasingly linked to waste-to-energy as part of the transition to a circular economy (CE). A resource-efficient waste-to-energy business model within a CE offers a variety of environmentally friendly waste management options based on their overall environmental impacts but also makes efficient use of available resources and technologies to convert different types of waste into energy, which helps reduce the adverse effects on the environment and create additional energy sources. This research aims to identify innovative waste management solutions to foster the implementation of CE and a more resource-efficient business model. The research methodology is based on qualitative and quantitative research, triangulation, material flow assessment, and systems dynamics. The value of this study is within the analysis of existing waste-to-energy plant case studies to identify a set of recommendations and appropriate business models for the countries that are at an early stage of evaluation of such facilities. This study found that waste-to-energy plants are critical to achieving the EU’s waste disposal targets by 2035. The findings highlight the importance of supporting mechanisms in the waste sector, such as structural funds, as the industry primarily focuses on societal health and safety and environmental protection, alongside resource efficiency and circularity potential.

Keywords: business models; circular economy; sustainable development goals; waste to energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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