Circular Economy and Cooperativism
a review of the literature on the contribution of inter-cooperation to transformation
Faced with the major challenges posed by climate change, such as the disappearance of natural resources and excess waste, it is possible to analyse valuable experiences of cooperatives that strive to incorporate the principles of the circular economy into their management. In this way, cooperatives link caring for people, which is at the heart of their activity, with their concern for the environment.
To understand these experiences and how business models are being developed to achieve this incorporation, a literature review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, focusing on business models and inter-cooperation strategies.
The analysis of the selected literature is developed in relation to four main thematic areas: vision and concept of the circular economy; the role of companies; the case of cooperatives; and collaborative paths, i.e., industrial symbiosis, networks and clusters, and inter-cooperation.
The results suggest that, although cooperatives are better placed than conventional companies to face the transformations required by a vision, concept and practices that transform the circular economy, overcoming barriers requires collaboration between cooperatives and, above all, other actors.
To this end, a legal framework is needed to facilitate such collaboration, as well as detailed documentation of experiences in different contexts to enable dialogue and learning from each other about the use of tools that facilitate the path towards the transformation of their business models.
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Cooperativismo & Desarrollo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
As the author of the article declares that is an original unpublished work exclusively created by me, that it has not been submitted for simultaneous evaluation by another publication and that there is no impediment of any kind for concession of the rights provided for in this contract.
In this sense, I am committed to await the result of the evaluation by the journal Cooperativismo & Desarrollo before considering its submission to another medium; in case the response by that publication is positive, additionally, I am committed to respond for any action involving claims, plagiarism or any other kind of claim that could be made by third parties.
At the same time, as the author or co-author, I declare that I am completely in agreement with the conditions presented in this work and that I cede all patrimonial rights, in other words, regarding reproduction, public communication, distribution, dissemination, transformation, making it available and all forms of exploitation of the work using any medium or procedure, during the term of the legal protection of the work and in every country in the world, to the Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia Press.
Ada, E., Muhittin, S., Askin, R., & Blacioglu, I. (2021). Analysis of barriers to circularity for agricultural cooperatives in the digitalization era. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-12-2020-0689 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-12-2020-0689
Albanese, M. (2024). Are worker cooperatives green? Some reflections in terms of governance. En N. Warren, L. Biggiero, J. Hübner, & K. Ogunyemi (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of cooperative economics and management (pp. 481–488). Routledge. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003449850-39
Amato, C., Buraschi, M., & González, S. D. (2024). Waste pickers’ cooperatives: Social and environmental impacts in the recycling value chain in Córdoba, Argentina. Development in Practice, 34(5), 537–554. https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2024.2355550 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2024.2355550
Barcelos, S., Salvador, R., Vetroni Barros, M., de Francisco, A., & Guedes, G. (2021). Circularity of Brazilian silk: Promoting a circular bioeconomy in the production of silk cocoons. Journal of Environmental Management, 296, 113373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113373 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113373
Basterretxea, I., Fernández-Sainz, A., Gutiérrez-Goiria, J., & Santos-Larrazabal, J. (2024). Eco-innovation in worker cooperatives and investor-owned industrial firms: A comparative analysis. Revista de Economía Mundial, (67), 145–173. https://doi.org/10.33776/rem.vi67.8089 DOI: https://doi.org/10.33776/rem.vi67.8089
Bauwens, T., Hekkert, M., & Kirchherr, J. (2020). Circular futures: What will they look like? Ecological Economics, 175, 106703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106703 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106703
Becerra, L., Carenzo, S., & Juarez, P. (2020). When circular economy meets inclusive development: Insights from urban recycling and rural water access in Argentina. Sustainability, 12(23), 9809. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239809 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239809
Birchall, J. (2014). The governance of large co-operative businesses. Co-operatives UK. http://staging.community-wealth.org/sites/clone.community-wealth.org/files/downloads/report-birchall14.pdf
Bocken, N. M. P., 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. https://doi.org/10.1080/21681015.2016.1172124 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21681015.2016.1172124
Calisto Friant, M., Vermeulen, W. J. V., & Salomone, R. (2020). A typology of circular economy discourses: Navigating the diverse visions of a contested paradigm. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 161, 104917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104917 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104917
Castilla-Polo, F., & Sánchez-Hernández, M. (2021). La orientación internacional de las cooperativas agroalimentarias más reputadas en España en el contexto de la economía circular. En A. Monfort & N. Villagra (Coords.), Docencia e investigación para el cumplimiento de la Agenda 2030: Memoria académica curso 2020–2021 (pp. 61–80). Universidad Pontificia Comillas. https://investigacion.ujaen.es/documentos/61f04422231cc058a9f4abce
Cavicchi, C., & Vagnoni, E. (2021). The role of performance measurement in assessing the contribution of circular economy to the sustainability of a wine value chain. British Food Journal, 124(5), 1551–1568. https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2021-0920 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2021-0920
Cea Valencia, J., Villegas Huencho, A., & Sion Sierra, R. (2020). Barriers and opportunities for the transition to a circular economy: A case study of Chilean cooperatives. Journal of Business, Universidad del Pacífico, 12(1), 64–81. https://doi.org/10.21678/jb.2020.1428 DOI: https://doi.org/10.21678/jb.2020.1428
Codina, L. (2018). Revisiones bibliográficas sistematizadas: Procedimientos generales y framework para ciencias humanas y sociales. Universitat Pompeu Fabra. https://repositori.upf.edu
De Bernardi, C., Corsini, F., Annesi, N., & Frey, M. (2024). Unveiling the impact of territorial and network embeddedness on circular economy adoption in cooperatives. Business Ethics, the Environment and Responsibility, 34(4), 1300–1315. https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12711 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12711
Efron, S. E., & Ravid, R. (2019). Writing the literature review: A practical guide. Guilford Press.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2015). What is the circular economy? https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview
Esfandiari, S., Firoozzare, A., Jaghdani, T. J., & Dourandish, A. (2024). Intervention strategies for the safe use of semi-treated wastewater by Iranian farmers: An approach to safe food production in the circular economy. NJAS: Impact in Agricultural and Life Sciences, 96, 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/27685241.2024.2335376 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/27685241.2024.2335376
Evans Muriuki, T., Ingasia Ayuya, O., & Odhiambo Oloo, B. (2024). Towards a circular production system in the coconut value chain: Actors, roles, linkages and constraints in Kilifi County, Kenya. Cogent Social Sciences, 10(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2362903 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2024.2362903
Foorthuis, W. (2017). Area Cooperative Westerkwartier: A practitioner’s overview. Hanzehogeschool. https://research.hanze.nl/en/publications/area-cooperative-westerkwartier-a-practitioners-overview
Frenken, K. (2018). Economías políticas y futuro ambiental para la economía colaborativa. Papeles de relaciones ecosociales y cambio global, (141), 117–140.
Garcia-Garcia, G., Parra-López, C., Lin, C. S. K., Maalej, H., & Fatma, S. (2024). Improving waste management strategies in the food sector: Case studies from Spain, Tunisia and Hong Kong. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 26, 2265–2277. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-024-01965-z DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-024-01965-z
Gil-Lamata, M., & Latorre-Martínez, M. P. (2022). The circular economy and sustainability: A systematic literature review. Cuadernos de Gestión, 22(1), 129–142. https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.211492mg DOI: https://doi.org/10.5295/cdg.211492mg
Guerreschi, A., & Díaz, F. (2023). Bibliometric analysis on cooperatives in circular economy and eco-innovation studies. Sustainability, 15(21), 15595. https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115595 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115595
Guzmán, P., Fiorillo, G., Fúquene, C., Álvarez, J., Fiorillo, A., & Castro, M. F. (2023). Análisis de la experiencia transformadora en el sector solidario con perspectiva para el desarrollo sostenible: Caso Cooperativa Nido USME. EIEI ACOFI. https://doi.org/10.26507/paper.3442 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26507/paper.3442
Hernández, A., Gentile, A., & González, B. (2023). Participación juvenil para el desarrollo alimentario en Cuba: El caso de Cifuentes (Villa Clara). Encrucijadas, 23(1), 1–24. https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/encrucijadas/article/view/96826
Imaz, O., & Eizagirre, A. (2020). Responsible innovation for sustainable development goals in business: An agenda for cooperative firms. Sustainability, 12(17), 6948. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176948 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176948
Imaz, O., Uriarte, L., & Iñurrategi, I. (2022). La gobernanza de los ODS en las cooperativas del grupo Mondragón. Congreso Internacional CIRIEC. http://ciriec.es/valencia2022/wp-content/uploads/COMUN-130.pdf
Jonker, J., & Faber, N. (2021). Organizing for sustainability: A guide to developing new business models. Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-78157-6
Lajara-Camilleri, N., Mateos-Ronco, A., & Vendrell, I. (2023). Las cooperativas agroalimentarias y la sostenibilidad de la actividad agraria: Una propuesta de indicadores [Ponencia]. XXII Congreso de la Asociación Española de Contabilidad y Administración de Empresas (AECA). https://xxiicongreso.aeca.es/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/86i.pdf
Lancaster, M. (2002). Principles of sustainable and green chemistry. En H. Clark & D. Macquarrie (Eds.), Handbook of green chemistry and technology (pp. 10–27). Blackwell Science. https://www.academia.edu/96540363/Principles_of_Sustainable_and_Green_Chemistry DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470988305.ch2
Lang, S., Minnucci, G., Muller, M., & Schlaile, M. (2023). The role of consumers in business model innovations for a sustainable circular bioeconomy. Sustainability, 15(12), 9573. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129573 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129573
Larrazabal, S. (2019). The synergy between employment policies and cooperatives with regard to new forms of work: An overview based on Spain constitutional law. Boletín de la Asociación Internacional de Derecho Cooperativo, (54), 55–74. https://doi.org/10.18543/baidc-54-2019pp55-73 DOI: https://doi.org/10.18543/baidc-54-2019pp55-73
Leyva, M. (2021). El papel de la cooperativa en el desarrollo territorial: El caso de la cooperativa agraria cafetalera San Fernando (Región Cusco, Perú). En J. Márquez & L. Pelayo, ODS en tiempos de COVID-19: Justicia social y sostenibilidad ambiental (pp. 153–162). Universidad de Huelva.
Lozano, R. (2020). Analysing the use of tools, initiatives, and approaches to promote sustainability in corporations. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 27(2), 982–998. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1860 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1860
Monciardini, D., Rocca, L., & Veneziani, M. (2023). Virtuous circles: Transformative impact and challenges of the social and solidarity circular economy. Business Strategy and the Environment, 33(2), 642–660. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3505 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3505
Murray, A., Skene, K., & Haynes, K. (2017). The circular economy: An interdisciplinary exploration of the concept and application in a global context. Journal of Business Ethics, 140(3), 369–380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2693-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2693-2
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., … Brennan, S. E. (2021). Declaración PRISMA 2020: Una guía actualizada para la publicación de revisiones sistemáticas. Revista Española de Cardiología, 74(9), 790–799. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rec.2021.07.010
Parra Miranda, I., Fidelis, R., De Souza Fidelis, D., Pilatti, L., & Picinin, C. (2020). The integration of recycling cooperatives in the formal management of municipal solid waste as a strategy for the circular economy: The case of Londrina, Brazil. Sustainability, 12, 10513. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410513 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410513
Pedersen, C. S. (2018). The UN sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a great gift to business! Procedia CIRP, 69, 21–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2018.01.003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2018.01.003
Perdana, T., Kusnandar, K., Hasna, H., & Rahayu, F. (2023). Circular supply chain governance for sustainable fresh agricultural products: Minimizing food loss and utilizing agricultural waste. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 41, 391–403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2023.09.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2023.09.001
Pieroni, M. P. P., McAloone, T. C., & Pigosso, D. C. A. (2019). Business model innovation for circular economy and sustainability: A review of approaches. Journal of Cleaner Production, 215, 198–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.036 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.036
Prieto Sandoval, V., Mejía Villa, A., Jaca, C., & Ormazábal, M. (2021). The case of an agricultural crop business association in Navarra as a circular economy intermediary. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1, 713–729. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-021-00116-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-021-00116-y
Ribeiro-Navarrete, B., Saura, J., & Simón-Moya, V. (2023). Setting the development of digitalization: State-of-the-art and potential for future research in cooperatives. Review of Managerial Science, 18(5), 1459–1488. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-023-00663-8 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-023-00663-8
Ridley, D. (2012). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Sánchez Hernández, I., & Castilla Polo, F. (2022). Integración cooperativa agroalimentaria: Análisis en Extremadura frente a los retos del Plan de Acción de la UE para la Economía Social. CIRIEC-España, Revista Jurídica de Economía Social y Cooperativa, (41), 85–114. https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-JUR.41.25475 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/CIRIEC-JUR.41.25475
Sarpong, S., & Alarussi, A. S. (2022). Waste to wealth: Enhancing circularities in the Malaysian economy. Technological Sustainability, 1(3). https://doi.org/10.1108/TECHS-01-2022-0001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/TECHS-01-2022-0001
Sauka, J., & Silva, C. (2023). O fortalecimento de cooperativas de reciclagem e oportunidades para um desenvolvimento territorial sustentável. Informe GEPEC, 27(2), 26–47. https://doi.org/10.48075/igepec.v27i2.31056 DOI: https://doi.org/10.48075/igepec.v27i2.31056
Scheyvens, R., Banks, G., & Hughes, E. (2016). The private sector and the SDGs: The need to move beyond “business as usual”. Sustainable Development, 24(6), 371–382. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1623 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.1623
Sellitto, M., & De Almeida, F. (2019). Strategies for value recovery from industrial waste: Case studies of six industries from Brazil. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(2), 867–885. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-03-2019-0138 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-03-2019-0138
Siepmann, L., & Nicholas, K. A. (2018). German winegrowers’ motives and barriers to convert to organic farming. Sustainability, 10(11), 4215. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10114215 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su10114215
Utting, P. (2018). Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through social and solidarity economy: Incremental versus transformative change (pp. 1–56) [Working paper]. Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy. https://knowledgehub.unsse.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/WorkingPaper1_PeterUtting.pdf
Vetroni Barros, M., Gomes de Jesus, R. H., Silva Ribeiro, B., & Moro Piekarski, C. (2023a). Going in circles: Key aspects for circular economy contributions to agro-industrial cooperatives. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 3, 861–880. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-022-00211-8
Vetroni Barros, M., Salvador, R., Gallego-Schmid, A., & Moro Piekarski, C. (2023b). Circular measurement of external resource flows in companies: The circular flow tool. Waste Management, 158, 136–145. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.01.001
Vetroni Barros, M., Salvador, R., & Moro Piekarski, C. (2023c). How to add value and close loops with external flows of material and energy in a rural context: A tool based on circular economy initiatives. Springer Nature Switzerland. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36121-0_76
Warren, J. N., Biggiero, L., Hübner, J., & Ogunyemi, K. (Eds.). (2024). The Routledge handbook of cooperative economics and management (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003449850 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003449850-1
Zhou, M., Long, X., & Govindan, K. (2024). Unveiling the value of institutional pressure in socially sustainable supply chain management: The role of top management support for social initiatives and organizational culture. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 31(4), 2629–2648. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2710 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2710
Ziegler, R., Poirier, C., Lacasse, M., & Murray, E. (2023). Circular economy and cooperatives: An exploratory survey. Sustainability, 15(3), 2530. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032530 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032530
