The Smart Prosperity Research Network is building the circular economy by supporting policy-relevant research that defines the key components of a circular economy, considers the opportunities for business competitiveness, and evaluates the policy tools for accelerating the circular transition.
The research highlighted on this page stems from academic research projects selected by an independent Research Network Steering Committee and funded by the Economics and Environmental Policy Research Network (EEPRN) and the Greening Growth Partnership.
Click on the titles below to access working papers, blogs, and analyses from Smart Prosperity Research Network-funded projects completed since 2018. Scroll down to find recent research on other topics.
The case for a circular economy
Planetary Boundaries, Global Material Demand, and the Emerging Circular Economy
Implications for upstream resource producers and primary material exporters.
Priority Industries for a Circular Economy in Canada
The industries in Canada that have a high potential to benefit from transitioning towards a circular economy.
Circular economy policy
Public Policies to Counter the Impacts of Fast Fashion
Why do firms incinerate their deadstock and what public policies could help them move towards better alternatives?
How COVID-19 is impacting the plastics recycling industry
Before COVID-19 hit the world, things were really starting to look up for the plastics recycling industry. How can it regain its investment traction in the face of economic recession?
Extended Producer Responsibility in Canada
How extended producer responsibility incents improvements in how products are designed, manufactured, and managed as waste.
Promoting Smartphone Durability
Developing a reproducible approach to enhancing the durability of products with high rates of innovation will become increasingly important as Canada transitions towards a circular economy.
Product durability is a key aspect of achieving a circular economy. Lengthening a product’s useful life decreases overall resource use, waste, and can save consumers money by minimizing the rate of product replacement.
Mapping material flows
The Chicken Supply Chain in Canada: Material Flow and Supply Chain Structure
Identifying opportunities for improving resource utilization.
The Overlooked Challenges of Reverse Supply Chains
Why are reverse supply chains so difficult to implement? New research details the key logistical and operational challenges that characterize collection, recovery, and recycling processes.
Material Flow in the Ontario Dairy Supply Chain
Exploring the supply management system that governs Ontario's dairy supply chain.
Have you recently completed new research on this topic?
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