The circular economy of the entire natural sciences and social sciences is an interdisciplinary subject that requires the use of knowledge in ecology and economics. Further divisions also involve philosophy, plant and animal ecology, resource economics, and the environment. In terms of economics, ecological economics, industrial ecology and other aspects, the study of circular economic systems often uses material flow analysis (analyzing resource utilization efficiency), life cycle analysis, environmental management systems and other tools. The development concept, development model and industrial form of circular economy are a systematic science.

Circular economy is a scientific study of the ecological laws of human economic activities. Circular economy is based on resource use efficiency and environmentally friendly social production and reproduction activities, which are the characteristics of new production methods. The difference is that the traditional economic growth model: the traditional earth, economic growth in the field of unlimited resource pools and sewage treatment from one end of the earth, a large number of mineral resources, consumer electronics products in the production of a large amount of waste water, waste gas and the environment The other end of the waste residue is inserted into the linear growth model of "resources - products - waste". Circular economy requires the use of all available resources in all aspects of the production and reproduction cycle, improving resource utilization efficiency, material metabolism and/or biological relationships, extending the industrial chain, and abandoning - "resources - products - renewable resources" A form that expresses an intensive growth model. Circular economy is an idea that solves the contradiction between resource constraints and environmental pollution? Development is an effective way for human society to achieve sustainable development.

In recent years, the circular economy has not only been integrated into the central decision-making field in China, but has received unprecedented attention and has also become the focus of research. From the "Circular Economy Growing Up in China", the summary of the practical experience of local industries, the formulation and implementation of the circular economy development plan, in addition to the concept of scientific development of circular economy, the embodiment of coordinated and sustainable development, but also reflects the development of circular economy It is of great significance to improve the efficiency of resource utilization in China, relieve pressure on the environment, and achieve sustainable social and economic development

: A typical case of the Kalundborg model

Ka. Lundborg is a coastal city in Denmark that is a model for the world's most successful industrial ecosystems. The principles of ecology in the flora and fauna of industrial ecosystems are applied to industrial activities, forming the basis for enterprises*. **Existing "industrial chain". In Kalundborg Eco-Industrial Park, different enterprises are closely linked from waste to raw material trade. In Kalundborg Eco-industrial Park, major industrial enterprises, power plants, refineries, pharmaceutical factories and gypsum Plate factory. The four enterprises are the core, and waste or products are used as raw materials for other companies through various forms of trade in the production process, or replace part of the raw materials; this enterprise chain is a greenhouse farm, a breeding farm, a sulfuric acid plant and a heating station. , cement factory, farm.

The connotation and background of circular economy

The ecological meaning cycle of "circular economy" is not the ecological cycle in the economic sense. Material circulation and metabolism in economic activities, which is the focus of the discussion of circular economy, mainly involves material flow circulation in the economic sense, from the perspective of time, reflected in the requirements of regional interaction of circulation, from space

< p>Circular economy is a reflection of the human development model and is a process of continuous development and perfection. Before the first industrial revolution, human beings' ability to interfere with nature was only partial, small, and insignificant. At first glance, its impact is limited. After the industrial revolution, social productivity developed rapidly, the population grew rapidly, the scale of human social activities continued to expand, the ability of nature to extract, and the intervention of the environment became larger and larger, and resource consumption was large and rapid. Rapidly, waste emissions have increased significantly, combined with limitations and subjective understanding of sleep, leading to more and more serious environmental pollution problems, frequent pollution accidents, posing greater threats to human life, property, and social and economic development. In 1962, the American biologist Rachel Carson published the book "Silent Spring", which described horrifying cases of harm to humans and the environment caused by the extensive use of pesticides. The vivid language struck a chord in industrial society. , Environmental Crisis Alert. On April 22, 1970, the United States held a large-scale demonstration to protect the earth's environment. In 1972, a non-governmental academic organization called for people to pay close attention to global environmental issues. Scientists, economists and entrepreneurs - The Club of Rome published the report "The Limits of Growth", formally warning the world for the first time: "If trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food production and resource consumption continue, the limits of growth will Growth on this planet will occur one day in the next hundred years. "This report is considered to be the first systematic study of the relationship between economic growth and population, natural resources, ecological environment, and scientific and technological progress. The report views natural resources and environmental capacity as one-sided and pessimistic, but The extended growth of supply non-compliance points also reminded people that the ecological environment has attracted the attention of the world as a constraint on economic growth. In the same year, the United Nations issued the "Declaration on the Human Environment", "Solemnly declare that there is only one earth and human beings." Develop and utilize nature, but also assume the obligation to maintain nature.

In the 1970s, the three major oil crises made people feel that resource supply during the crisis and improving resource utilization efficiency have become people's pursuit. At the same time, in the rapid growth of solid waste management strategies, it is to develop a circular economy overseas and establish a resource recycling type. First, in the societies of Western countries, a large amount of natural resources are consumed in the process of industrialization, and the industry has experienced a long period of The large amount of waste accumulated in the development of economy, such as scrap steel, old cars, scrap household appliances, waste paper, waste recycling goals require to reduce the cost of economic development. In fact, it is precisely because these wastes are based on recycling before that there is only the material basis for the development of a circular economy.

/>In recent years, China has promoted the research and development of world economic cycles. On the one hand, there are a large number of industrial ecology monographs or articles on ecological and economic aspects published at home and abroad, but there are almost no monographs on circular economy; there is no circular economy in the subject setting of foreign higher education. On the other hand, as of the end of 2004, China had not only published articles, monographs or compilations on circular economy but also published papers recently, and circular economy was a hot topic in its publishing industry in 2005. It can be said that the circular economy is an out-and-out concept. Chinese scholars innovate development theories and development models according to their own national conditions. At the same time, under the economic situation and the increasing globalization, the circular economy is a "Chinese factor" that foreign scholars have proposed It is no exception that the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) is cooperating with foreign experts from Chinese experts to participate in deepening theoretical research on the concept of circular economy in China and the world economy, and foreign experts are promoting the development of circular economy in China. It has attracted the attention of international organizations and foreign governments and has become one of the key areas of cooperation with China.

The implementation of major economic cycles involves every citizen, every family, every community, every enterprise, every region, and even the entire Chinese nation. For example, a household's energy saving, water saving, waste sorting activities; an office building's energy saving, the use of copy paper, toner cartridges, water on the front and back, a clean production enterprise, the development of comprehensive resource utilization industries, Social waste separation and recycling, reuse using solar energy, these activities can have the effect of reducing the material flow of the system and thus the economy of the circular area. As China's industrialization and urbanization are not yet complete, it is possible to achieve material reduction in economic activity unless it will no longer be developed, which is contrary to our proposition and the starting point of promoting a circular economy, which is to say that there is no concentration in China , to promote the development of circular economy. The so-called narrow waste reuse circular economy, circular economy development, is equivalent to "garbage economy", "waste economy within the scope", Japan proposes to build a circular society, emphasizing waste reduction, reuse and recycling, with corresponding veins industry. The so-called "vein industry, waste resource recycling industry, and arterial industry" are formed around it. Arterial industry refers to the development and utilization of natural resources to form an industry.

Research Foundation Circular Economy

Discuss the basis of the discipline circular economy, which cannot be separated from the comprehensive natural sciences and social sciences.

1. Ecological basics

Ecology studies the relationship between biology and environmental science. As a bionics circular economy is based on the study of human natural metabolism, circulation, metabolism and the law of organizing economic activities. The British scholar Tansley (AG Tansley) in 1936 emphasized the concept of ecosystems, emphasizing certain natural organisms. An ecosystem unified by geography, biotic and biotic functions and the abiotic environment, including living organisms and all surrounding spaces and all living organisms that directly or indirectly affect organisms; affects economic growth, development, reproduction, morphological characteristics, physiological functions and geographical distribution Environmental conditions, ecological factors. The legal ecosystem can be summarized as follows: integrity, coordination, circulation, regeneration, areas where ecological laws have been applied, such as agriculture, industry, and the practice of circular economy.

2. Economic basics

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From the birth date of economics, resource allocation, especially the research object of economics in allocating scarce resources. As ecological and environmental conditions become increasingly scarce, it is not surprising that the economy will expand the scope of research on the ecological environment.

Resource economics, resource economics considers the nature of the economy and converts it into natural resources for survival and data. Resources include natural and social resources, social resources, including human resources, knowledge, information, science and technology, as well as accumulated capital and social wealth, whose greatest characteristics are accumulation and variability. Natural resources, including land, forests, grasslands, precipitation, rivers and lakes, energy, and mineral resources, are by their nature limited and certain types of non-renewable resources. The study of circular economy and resource economics includes the relationship between supply and demand, the impact of prices and taxes on supply and demand. The ability of waste to turn into virgin materials 'links between industries to be formed and ultimately determined by resource economics.

Environmental economics. Governments promote the development of circular economy as it relates to external issues The reason. Welfare economics tells us: If the production or consumption of a commodity will bring costs and cannot be reflected in the market price, there will be "external effects". Whether the external impact is harmful or beneficial will not be directly involved in such activities. The production and consumption of some products by businesses or individuals.

One of the beneficial effects of "external economy", otherwise "external diseconomy", the ecological environment is a public product. As a public environment, the "tragedy of the commons" - the overuse of non-exclusiveness Consumption is often due to insufficient supply, resulting in a "free-rider" mentality - often leading to non-competitive consumption. The development of a circular economy can simultaneously improve the efficiency of natural resource utilization and protect the environment. />

3. Industrial Ecology

Industrial ecology imitates the discipline of natural ecology. Yale University and MIT published the world's first "Industrial Ecology Journal" in 1997. Editor's Reed Lifset in the first question: "Industrial ecosystems are a rapidly evolving branch of science, from local, regional and global levels, it is the study of a system of energy flows across products, processes, industrial sectors and industries Economics focuses on research and material flow, the role of industry in reducing pressure on the environment during the product life cycle. "Industrial ecology attempts to imitate the natural material cycle, the nature of system coupling between enterprises, ecological chains, and industrial chains, to achieve multiple." level transmission, material circulation and energy efficiency output and sustainable utilization of resources. In the natural ecosystem, producers, consumers, consumption and regenerative production are relatively simple and stable, but the ecological industrial system, regardless of technological level, is far from reaching the level of connection between the natural world.

4. Ecological Economics

Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary natural science (ecology) of the entire social science (economics). Ecological economics is a science that studies the material circulation, energy conversion, and value diffusion laws and applications between economic systems and ecological systems in the reproduction process. The ecological environment has been transformed from a factor of human survival in a purely natural sense to an economic factor in a social sense, which has two meanings. First of all, in relation to the need for a good ecological environment for human life, the demand for a good environment exceeds supply and has become one of the goals pursued by happy people. Second, the waste absorption capacity of the natural ecological environment may be close to saturation, and in some areas it has even been overloaded. Production that continues to use it must replicate new environmental capacity, so funds need to be invested to "build (ecological restoration and pollution control) good The ecological environment has become a "product" of labor. In other words, a good ecological environment has a dual function from the perspective of production, that is, from the perspective of life, it has become a factor and condition of production

5. Pierce Model

In 1965, American scholar Kenneth Ewart Boulding used a spacecraft similar to Earth (SPASH of Earth) to Ship Boulding's Spaceship Theory) "It is proposed in the article that people should not look at the earth as a garbage dump but as an ecosystem," Recycling Waste Recycling Waste and Circular Flow (Circular Flow), then, to people Viability depends on the relationship between all the elements and people of the global ecosystem but not on the long-term recycling economy but on the centrally planned economy of Boulding in 1966. Published article "Economics of the Future Spaceship Earth (Economics of the Future Spaceship Earth)". These propose the development of the future economy of Spaceship Earth" similar to the "Spaceman" economy. The earth is a lonely spaceship. There will be no unlimited material in the reserve, and it will neither be developed nor polluted. Human beings must find their place in the cyclic ecosystem of material reproduction. Boulding is regarded as ecological economics, and Chinese scholars believe that he is the earliest advocate of the concept of circular economy.

British environmental economists David Pearce and Tunai (Pierce, DW & Turner, RK) first used the term circular economy (circular economy) in 1990. The two authors write about Natural Resources and Environmental Economics, and the second chapter of the book is titled "Circular Economy (Circular Economy)". They are trying to establish resource management rules and material flow models based on the principles of sustainable development. Either loop waste - resource availability has a positive effect, or directly on nature's ability to absorb stress. In the latter case, more than natural waste is discharged directly into the utility or negatively affects the availability of resources, absorbing capacity. Based on this broad concept, including absorptive capacity, Pierce and two rules of natural resource management: the rate at which renewable energy is extracted from a renewable resource is less than the rate at which it is discharged into the environment, the waste stream is smaller than or equal to Absorptive capacity environment. They also proposed the characteristics of resource stocks: the reduction of exhaustible resources (sustainable development) should be compensated by the increase of renewable resources. To achieve a certain standard of living, we must reduce the consumption of resources or renewable resource stocks (improved efficiency).

A circular economy model similar to industrial metabolism, natural circulation and industrial circulation. The reproduction of these two cycles is to provide the material basis for reproduction and consumption; to produce raw materials that exceed the utility of direct consumption (such as the appreciation of beauty). The environment digests waste, and the natural cycle of waste absorption is absorbed into the economic system as an economic source, assuming the natural assimilation capacity of the industrial cycle, and more resources to reduce pressure. Additionally, recycling also helps reduce stress on the environment's assimilative capacity. However, industrial cycles also require capital investment and generate additional pressure assimilation capacity. In other words, secondary pollution leads to a decrease in absorption capacity.

The process of circular economy development in China

The development of circular economy in China has a gradually clear conceptual connotation, expanding the focus and making adjustments, not only for national and performance environmental laws and regulations and standards, and has formulated a series of preferential policies, constraints, and incentives for enterprises to carry out resource conservation and comprehensive utilization, promote the industrial "three wastes", and "squeeze them all." It can be inferred that the circular economy will become one of the ways to achieve sustainable development .

A lot of work has been done in our country to improve the efficiency of resource utilization

>Since the reform and opening up, the country has formulated a series of policies to promote enterprises’ energy, water, land, Material and resource conservation regulations, policies, standards and management measures have been intensified to strengthen structural adjustment and technological transformation to save energy as the main content, promote the development of advanced and applicable technologies, processes and equipment, and the efficiency of resource utilization has been greatly improved. Statistics show that in 2003, China's energy consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP dropped by 65.5% compared with 1980; water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP dropped by 84.7% compared with 1980; comprehensive utilization of industrial "three wastes" 14.6 times the output value in 1985; 12.4 times the total value of scrapped materials in 1985, an organic unity of economic, social and environmental benefits.

First, the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial waste in re-smelting. In 2003, some enterprises in China carried out policy incentives such as tax exemptions and exemptions for scrap steel recycling, and reused cooling water and other measures to carry out corporate resource regeneration or recycling. The output value reaches 4 billion yuan, the comprehensive utilization rate of industrial solid waste reaches 53%, and the comprehensive utilization rate of fly ash and coal gangue is about 56%.

Return to our city. Packaging materials, such as alcohol and tobacco packaging carton recycling, waste material recycling has formed a relatively supply waste stream to retailers, wholesalers, wholesalers and then concentrated return to the production enterprises for reuse, some waste materials are dispersed recycling centralized classification, scrap metal The recycling industry of smelters, old furniture, waste paper, plastics, waste wood, and waste household appliances has formed a network and scale. In 2003, there were more than 5,000 various waste material recycling companies, 160,000 recycling outlets, and more than 3,000 The recycling and processing enterprise has more than 140 employees and the value of renewable resource recycling is about 50 billion yuan. In the process of reusing production and consumption, the development model has adjusted waste and social recycling outlets all over the country. Whether our maintenance team is engaged in the production field of machinery, electrical appliances and other products, or in the consumer field, some companies have begun to explore and practice in recent years, on the one hand, the remanufacturing of scrapped car engines and waste electromechanical products, and the recycling of resources in packaging materials, such as glass The recovery and recycling of containers, cartons, and turnover boxes can improve resource utilization efficiency. On the other hand, it can solve the problem of product updates for old models that have been discontinued. In addition, the country encourages the development of the used goods market. Utilize flea resources to meet the needs of low-income consumer groups.

Fourth, the rapid development of the environmental protection industry. The “end” does not belong to the field of circular economy, but is the content of circular economy. Thermal utilization of municipal solid waste classification, recycling and final disposal of domestic waste composting and landfill gas, waste into energy, forming an industrial chain, the content of the circular economy, in 2003, more than 40 waste-to-energy or thermal utilization enterprises. Accelerate the formation of small and medium-sized enterprises in coastal areas to enter the park, and in the process of centralized sewage treatment model, market-oriented industrial wastewater and domestic sewage treatment. , not only to reduce the funds for sewage treatment, but also some companies have become large local taxpayers.

Efforts to promote circular economy and strengthen publicity for national development have increased in recent years. As a new concept, circular economy has a process of gradual understanding and deepening. In recent years, relevant national departments and news units have strengthened the concept of circular economy. What is this idea? Promote and create a good social atmosphere for the development of circular economy. At the same time, green service industry (tertiary industry), environmental labeling certification system, green schools, green communities, and green government procurement are the directions for promoting circular economy in some places.

Organize pilot demonstrations. China's circular economy pilot work is carried out at three levels. Vigorously promote cleaner production at the enterprise level, establish ecological industrial parks, and develop provincial and municipal pilot projects for circular economy, and have achieved initial results.

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Actively promote cleaner production. China is internationally recognized as a developing country that has achieved relatively good results in cleaner production. In 1993, China used the World Bank to launch a cleaner production pilot project in the brewing, papermaking, chemical and other industries by continuously improving design, using clean energy and raw materials, adopting advanced technology and equipment, improving management and other measures to improve Resource utilization efficiency, reducing or avoiding the generation of pollutants. Relevant national departments have focused on some major cleaner production technology development and industrialization demonstration projects, and have carried out cleaner production audits in more than 20 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities), more than 20 industries, and more than 400 enterprises across the country, and established 20 At industry or local cleaner production centers, more than 10,000 people have participated in different types of training on cleaner production to improve corporate pollution prevention and control capabilities.

Promote the development of ecological industries in concentrated areas.

Industries, economic development zones, actively develop upstream and downstream enterprises of ecological industrial waste raw materials, extend the production chain, organize production from upstream enterprises on the basis of these park ecological principles, and achieve efficient regional or enterprise groups, waste generation, and even The allocation of resources among the minimum amounts of "zero emissions", the State Environmental Protection Administration has approved the construction of 14 types of ecological industrial parks in Jiangsu Province. The parks have different functions, Shanghai's waste lunch box recycling industry chain, and the Tianjin Development Zone have basically formed No waste discharge park. These practices can be summarized and promoted.

Great progress has been made in developing ecological agriculture. Since the 1990s, the Ministry of Agriculture has established 51 ecological agriculture demonstration counties in two groups, approved by the state. After actively exploring the agricultural fields, breeding industry, and agricultural product processing industry, we have summarized hundreds of ecological agricultural models from the contact angle of materials, ecological agricultural models, and material metabolism types. , three categories: industrial production type and hybrid type.

Laws, regulations and policies create an institutional environment

Since the reform and opening up, the Chinese government has adopted laws, regulations, policies, and standards to develop circular economy measures to establish a resource-friendly environment. The introduction of institutional environmental constraints and incentive mechanisms for conservation and environmental protection.

First of all, laws and regulations are constantly improving. Article 9 of the "Cleaner Production Promotion Law" implemented on January 1, 2003 stipulates: "Adjust the industrial structure, develop a circular economy, promote cooperation between enterprises in the field of comprehensive utilization of resources and waste, use it more effectively, and recycle resources." Environmental Impact "Evaluation Law", "Energy Conservation Law" and "Renewable Energy Law" put forward the requirements for the development of circular economy. The "Solid Waste Pollution Prevention and Control Environmental Law" revised in 2004: "National solid waste pollution prevention and control of the environment, implementation of the reduction Solid waste and hazards, the principle of making full and rational use of solid waste and harmless disposal of solid waste, and promoting the development of clean production and circular economy. "The country has also launched energy conservation and long-term planning. Regulations on the recycling of waste household appliances and electronic products, cleaner production audit methods, and outline water-saving technologies were introduced. Local laws and regulations were also introduced around 2003 in Shaanxi, Liaoning, Jiangsu and other provinces and cities such as Shenyang, Taiyuan Local cleaner production policies and regulations have also been formulated and the promulgation and implementation of Guiyang City’s Regulations on Building a Circular Economy Ecological City have laid the foundation for promoting the development of circular economy through preferential policies. Economy. Comprehensive utilization of resources, waste materials, recycling and environmental protection industries, important components of the circular economy, have always been encouraged and supported by the state. In order to mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of enterprises to carry out comprehensive utilization of resources, the state has developed and implemented a series of measures. Preferential policies encourage the comprehensive utilization of resources. For example, the State Economic and Trade Commission and other departments of the State Council approved the 1996 "Opinions" on the further development of comprehensive utilization of resources (Guofa [1996] No. 36), Comprehensive Utilization of National Resources for Economic and Social Development. long-term strategic approach.