The battle of the buzzwords

The battle of the buzzwords: A comparative review of the circular economy and the sharing economy concepts

Henry, Marvin (Universiteit Utrecht)
Schraven, D.F.J. (TU Delft Integral Design & Management)
Bocken, Nancy (Lund University; Universiteit Maastricht)
Frenken, Koen (Universiteit Utrecht)
Hekkert, Marko (Universiteit Utrecht)
Kirchherr, J.W. (Universiteit Utrecht)

2021

Circular economy (CE) and sharing economy (SE) are much discussed concepts but potential links between them have not been examined systematically so far. The concepts’ popularity coupled with a lack of definitional consensus may hinder their potential to advance sustainability transitions. Hence, the first comparative bibliometric study of these two concepts was carried out. It was found that they share notable links in the fields of sustainability, business models, sustainable consumption and governance. Business model literature reveals links mostly in the realms of platform- and service-based activities. The field of SE has a strong consumer focus but, unlike CE, barely addressed rebound effects so far. Governance literature shows a general top-down dynamic driving CE, while SE is considered to be bottom-up. SE is conceptualized as a subset of CE which opens possibilities for mutual enrichment. The findings aim to provoke more dialogue between the CE and SE communities.

Bibliometrics
Business models
Circular economy
Governance
Keyword analysis
Sharing economy
Sustainable development

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:135008d8-3739-47d9-83c3-a35b8f915566

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2020.10.008

2210-4224

Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 38, 1-21

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2021 Marvin Henry, D.F.J. Schraven, Nancy Bocken, Koen Frenken, Marko Hekkert, J.W. Kirchherr