Essay briefing
N1602
Enterprise in the Circular Economy
 Answer 1 of the 5 essay questions set
 Word count: 2000 words (+/- 10%, includes in-text citation, excludes bibliography)
 Demonstrate: Knowledge and understanding through wider reading, application and
independent research; Critical engagement with the CE concepts; Presentation and
Structure (answering the question, referencing throughout the report, use of credible
sources)
 Formatting: Calibri Font 12 (main body), 1.5 space and 2.5 page margin
 E-submission: CANVAS submission, save your file according to the question, i.e:
 Question 1 – Decouple CE;
 Question 2 – Design;
 Question 3 – Technology;
 Question 4 – Promise of the CE;
 Question 5 - Collaborations
Guidelines
1. Critically analyse whether circular economy has the potential to decouple economic activity from
an increase in natural resource consumption?
2. More than 80% of all environmental impacts from products are determined at the design stage.
Critically discuss this statement from the perspective of circular design and its role in making
products last longer and ensuring continuous flow of resources.
3. Critically discuss the role of technology in enabling a shift towards the circular economy. Discuss
the limitations of technology and wider considerations required for technology adoption in the
circular economy.
4. Critically discuss the promise of the circular economy in addressing the challenges of
environmental degradation and social inequalities and creating economic value. Use at least
three workshop activities to illustrate your arguments.
5. Fostering collaboration is crucial to obtain system-level solutions in transforming linear systems
into circular systems. Critically analyse this statement from the perspective of managing supply
chain relationships in the circular economy.
Essay Questions
 This question has two parts:
1. Current challenges of the linear economy
 Discuss resource exploitation and other consequences from different sectors for economic growth
 Provide examples of challenges it has brought and whether it can continue
 Revisit the core assumptions of the linear economy
2. CE as the potential to decouple economic activity
 In what ways can CE continue with economic growth without negatively impacting natural resources.
Critically analyse this statement by exploring other impacts and lack of consideration of supply demand,
rebound, social issues etc.
 Engage with various aspects as incentives for business, society, environment, job creation etc, with
new business models of value creation.
 Use examples to highlight the successful case of businesses.
1. Critically analyse whether a circular economy has the potential to
decouple economic activity from an increase in natural resource
consumption?
 This question has two parts:
1. Role of design in general
 Why is design important?
 Examples from industry to illustrate importance of design and advantages it has brought
 Discuss the environmental challenges brought by design
2. Design in the context of value creation in the circular economy
 How might design influence in slowing, intensifying and closing resource loops.
 Provide examples
 Critically analyse the question focusing on the limits to design, systemic interactions and
relations.
2. More than 80% of all environmental impacts from products are determined at the design
stage. Critically discuss this statement from the perspective of circular design and its role in
making products last longer and ensuring continuous flow of resources.
 This question has two parts:
1. Role of technology in the transition to the CE
 Explain how and in what ways technology can play an important role in the transition to the CE (focus on
different types of technology and their function in enabling the transition, such as improved information
to make decision, transparency, material information etc.)
 Provide examples from wider sector where technology has facilitated in the reduction of waste or better
utilisation of resources, or other issues relevant to CE.
 Don’t just mention technology, also explain how it supports the implementation of circular actions.
2. Limitations of technology
 Discuss how certain technology development have contributed to wider (micro as well as macro)
problems.
 Provide examples.
 Critically analyse the question considering the rebound impacts and other considerations.
3. Critically discuss the role of technology in enabling a shift towards the
circular economy. Discuss the limitations of technology and wider
considerations required for technology adoption in the circular economy.
 This question has two parts:
1. Current challenges in the social and environmental domain
 What has contributed to the challenges
 Focus on the cause and implications of the problem to set up second part of the question
 Use examples from industry linking to the environmental problem,
 Discuss the limitations of the linear systems and link to CE as a new system for reducing such problems
2. Promise of the CE, based on the workshop activities
 Focus on how and in what ways CE provides solution to the problem
 Link to CE concepts
 Provide three activities to discuss CE as a solution.
 Critically analyse the question, considering limitations of CE and whether solutions need to
consider the practicality, other issues that needed to be taken into account etc.
4. Critically discuss the promise of the circular economy in addressing the challenges of
environmental degradation and social inequalities and creating economic value. Use at
least three workshop activities to illustrate your arguments.
 This question has two parts:
1. Importance of supply chain relationships in the CE
 Discuss the reconfiguration required, why and in the context of the CE
 Use examples to illustrate your main arguments.
2. Collaboration to obtain system level solutions
 Why is collaboration required? Where might collaborations support CE transition?
 IN what ways collaboration plays an enabling role in the CE to transform linear to the circular systems?
 Use examples to illustrate your main arguments.
 Critically analyse the question from the perspectives of power dynamics, control, influence and
transparency.
5. Fostering collaboration is crucial to obtain system-level solutions in transforming linear
systems into circular systems. Critically analyse this statement from the perspective of
managing supply chain relationships in the circular economy.
 Every question has two parts – Theory and practice.
 Content should relate directly to the essay question, focussing on critical analysis of the
main concepts and applications of the concepts.
 Don’t just mention what it is, but also how it might support.
 Linkages to the CE concepts is very important
 Examples are very important.
Should be relevant to what is being discussed, for instance, if it is about design discussions
should consider design aspects, if it is technology, examples should be provided of current
technology that can facilitate transition to the CE Not any general discussion of technology.
 Literature beyond the readings list, don’t over-rely on a limited number of resources
Useful Tips
 Characteristics: eliminate waste, renewable energy, diversity, true
cost, systems thinking
 Principles: natural capital regeneration, keeping products in use,
design out negative externalities
 Building blocks: circular design, business models, reverse cycles,
enabling conditions (policies, collaboration, technology….)
Consider linkages with the Core CE
Concepts
 Avoid searching WWW using random key words.
 Use Google Scholar to find relevant articles and examples from reupdated websites, for
example, BBC, Guardian, Reports, Edie, World Economic Forum, EMF.
 Don’t use students paper from Google, it shows in Turnitin.
 Don’t use essay mills as there are reports of blackmailing of students.
 Read articles for examples, applications of CE and also criticism to develop your points.
Avoid Plagiarism
Referencing
Single author (Lewandowski, 2016)
Two authors (Mestre and Cooper, 2017)
Multiple authors (Bocken et al. 2016)
Webpage If authors, use author and
year
If no authors, use footnote
In-text citation examples
Bocken, N. M., de Pauw, I., Bakker, C., & van der
Grinten, B. (2016). Product design and business model
strategies for a circular economy. Journal of Industrial
and Production Engineering, 33(5), 308-320
Lewandowski, M. (2016). Designing the business
models for circular economy—Towards the conceptual
framework. Sustainability, 8(1), 43.
Mestre, A. and Cooper, T. (2017). Circular product
design. A multiple loops life cycle design approach for
the circular economy. The Design Journal, 20 (sup1),
S1620-S1635
Bibliography
Include complete information, such as full authors,
Journal name, Volume, Issue and pages