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Future-proofing capitalism : the paradox of the circular economy for plastics
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Mah, Alice (2021) Future-proofing capitalism : the paradox of the circular economy for plastics. Global Environmental Politics, 21 (2). pp. 121-142. doi:10.1162/glep_a_00594 ISSN 1526-3800.
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1162/glep_a_00594
Abstract
The marine plastics crisis sparked a wave of corporate interest in the circular economy, a sustainable business model that aims to eliminate waste in industrial systems through recycling, reduction, reuse, and recovery. Drawing on debates about the role of corporations in global environmental governance, this article examines the rise of the circular economy as a dominant corporate sustainability concept, focusing on the flagship example of the circular economy for plastics. It argues that corporations across the plastics value chain have coordinated their efforts to contain the circular economy policy agenda, while extending their markets through developing risky circular economy technologies. These corporate strategies of containment and proliferation represent attempts to “future-proof” capitalism against existential threats to public legitimacy, masking the implications for environmental justice. The paradox of the circular economy is that it seems to offer radical challenges to linear “take-make-waste” models of industrial capitalism, backed by international legislation, but it does not actually give up on unsustainable growth. We need to tackle the plastics crisis at its root, dramatically reducing the global production of toxic and wasteful plastics.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | |||||||||
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| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology | |||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Social responsibility of business, Social responsibility of business -- Environmental aspects, Environmental justice , Petroleum chemicals industry -- Environmental aspects , Plastics industry and trade -- Environmental aspects , Refuse and refuse disposal , Salvage (Waste, etc.), Recycling (Waste, etc.) | |||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Global Environmental Politics | |||||||||
| Publisher: | M I T Press | |||||||||
| ISSN: | 1526-3800 | |||||||||
| Official Date: | May 2021 | |||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 21 | |||||||||
| Number: | 2 | |||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 121-142 | |||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1162/glep_a_00594 | |||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | |||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | |||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | |||||||||
| Date of first compliant deposit: | 15 December 2020 | |||||||||
| Date of first compliant Open Access: | 16 December 2020 | |||||||||
| RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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