Julie Gobert, Romain Allais (p)

Sébastien Bourdin

Recyluse is a research and operational project targeting to better understand the nature of the different resistances against and interests in repair and reuse not only from the citizens but also from the public authorities and waste operators. It questions the collective capacity to build circular networks of reuse and repair, while taking into account local characteristics, path dependences and technical lock-in. In contrast to the current waste management model, which is centralized and subject to the techno-economic imperatives of industrial means of waste processing, it is assumed that the future of waste management is not a unique place but a network of territorialized initiatives based on repair and reuse activities with high social and environmental values.

This project is based on two French case studies (the agglomération Pays Basque and the conurbation (communauté de communes) Coeur de Savoie) and different work sequences (territorial diagnosis, organisation of living labs). It also combines different scientific disciplines: engineering sciences and social sciences and quantitative and qualitative approaches (survey, semi-directive interviews, observation, organisation of living labs).

This communication presents the implementation of an analysis method of territorial projects that considers both temporal and spatial dimensions in addition to stakeholders’ network.

We develop the concept of perimeter of action, defined by the evolution of stakeholders’ network and their mobilization of resources. These resources may be tangible (e.g. wood or machine tool) or intangible (e.g. patent, knowledge), territorial (i.e. specific to a territory), exogeneous or generic but they are all socially built. These resources are assessed thanks to the framework for (im-)material flow analysis that consider resources at multiple analytical levels, described as micro, meso and macro levels. The perimeter of action is dynamic and embedded in a history: both inherited (i.e. previously constructed networks, geographical perimeter, sector ...) and built during the structuring and realization phases of a project.
While analyzing these 2 case studies throughout the methodology presented above, we intend to determine which endogenous, exogenous and generic resources are employed to build projects and particularly repair and reuse networks. We attempt to see how these kinds of short local systems of waste valorization can be implemented and whether they meet the users’ expectations. This should give inputs for decision takers at the local and regional levels.

Danielle Galliano, Amélie Gonçalves (p), Pierre Triboulet

Sébastien Bourdin

Extended abstract uploaded

Even if it is based on several principals, the main one is that circular economy intends to be non-linear, based on the creation of loops (circularities) in which the wastes produced by some actors become resources for other ones. The building of these circularities implies innovations that can take place within different territorial scales. The main goal of our research is to characterize the innovations on which the building of circularities in the agrofood sector is founded. Our question is thus: What are the scales and dynamics of coordination, resources circulation and even resources production in circular economy initiatives held by agrofood actors, and what are their explaining factors? We undertake a comparative analysis of three types of initiatives. The valuation of biomass thanks to collective methanation projects, the valuation of by-product by distilleries and the creation of feed and food products from new circular cooperations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the main actors of 8 initiatives, using a mixed method from economic sociology, the quantified narratives method, particularly suited for the analysis of processes of innovation and their dynamic of embeddedness / decoupling. We observe different dynamics according the nature of the circular economy project. Collective methanation is based on knowledge and some coordination that didn’t exist before on the territory. They imply organisational innovations structured in the long run around the adoption of technical innovations and the absorption of the knowledge that goes with it and is usually brought by non-local actors. The valuation of by-products by distilleries is a more typical diversification strategy founded on internal resources and the absorptive capacity and will of one or two persons in the firm. The feed and food multi-stakeholder projects seems to be “in the middle” as they hybridise the logics of methanation and distilleries projects. Beyond these differences, common characteristics of the projects can be found: importance of already existing local personal networks, of key individuals that carry out the process and of the sector and regulatory contexts. These processes, whatever their nature, are strongly locally embedded, from a relational and geographical point of view. However, they aren’t entrenched in local, as non-local demand and knowledge are essential for them. In other words, the closing of material loops at a local scale remains partial and we can observe local knowledge loops but – rather classically - strongly tied to global pipelines.

Jonathan Lenglet (p), Véronique Peyrache-Gadeau , Julie Dorioz

Sébastien Bourdin

Society’s aspirations for new forms of consumption and practices go along with responsibility with regard to consumption and the eco-efficiency of products and production processes. Both societal expectations and new local development strategies aim at promoting economic and resource management at a territorial level – notably in terms of circuits shortening – as it has been extensively studied in the case of local agri-food systems. However, comparable expectations also raise within the forestry sector and remain scarcely documented.
We here seek to combine diverse approaches from the fields of territorial economics and circular economy in order to analyze the valuation processes of forest-wood resources. We notably focus on timber valuation through certification, labeling and local value chain creation in three French and Swiss regions. We propose to analyze the construction process of the various type of values for forest products within the field of the circular economy; i.e. the valuation of the resource rootedness from the production system and throughout the life-cycle of the product. To this end, we explore the valuation mechanisms in the case of localized forest-wood resources and we investigate the links between timber provenance and consumption made visible by labeling programs.
Labels, certifications, and short supply chain appear to be useful tools to strengthen the territorial coordination between different types of actors, which is often lacking in the forestry sector. Hence, we especially stress the role played by geographical and organized proximities between different actors and resources in constructing new forms of production and consumption systems through local timber valuation and short-circuits. In our view, the analysis of the valuation process in its broadest sense offers fertile prospects to enrich the short and proximity circuits approach. First, it is presented as a relevant means to promote production and consumption relocation, then it also turns out to be a pragmatic analytical framework to clarify the conditions under which resources can be sustainably valued.

Amadou Niang, André Torre (p), Sébastien Bourdin (p)

Sébastien Bourdin

The territories are undergoing major upheavals in terms of changes in production models, territorial competition and pressure on local authorities' budgets. The emerging circular economy model is proposed as a sustainable response that can create territorial development. The circular economy is perceived (i) as a lever for technological, social and organizational innovation and (ii) a new model of design and manufacture of high value-added products that generates new activities and provides jobs and local growth. However, scientific knowledge on the territorial externalities of economic activities associated with the circular economy is not yet equal to the current challenges of sustainable development.
The objective of this research is to have a better understanding of the emergence of circular economy projects and how do they drive the local economy. More specifically, we seek (i) to analyse the spatial concentration of employment in the circular economy, and (ii) to assess the impact of circular economy companies on local growth in employment areas (local territorial unit in France).
First, the geographical distribution of the growth of the circular economy and the existence of possible spatial autocorrelation are observed. Then, we estimate spatial autocorrelation coefficients (at both levels, global and local) in order to analyse the spatial concentration of the circular economy in France. Finally, using spatial econometrics, we explain the factors that contribute to the local growth of the value added between 2008 and 2015 in the circular economy, based on demographic, economic and geographical explanatory variables.