IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/circec/v5y2025i4d10.1007_s43615-025-00559-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Circular Economy Model of Sustainable Growth

Author

Listed:
  • Jhy -Yuan Shieh

    (Soochow University)

  • Brian Chi-ang Lin

    (National Chengchi University)

  • Jhy-Hwa Chen

    (Tamkang University)

Abstract

A circular economy is in essence a closed system in which all goods produced have become inputs to sustain the system in the long run. By taking some of the key principles of a circular economy such as reducing waste and pollution, increasing recycling, and improving the natural environment into consideration, this paper provides a general equilibrium analysis of a circular economy model (CEM) in which the recycling of output waste is endogenously determined. When a unique steady-state balanced-growth path exists in a circular economy, consumption, the waste stock, and the pollution stock all grow at the same rate. Theoretically, this paper also shows that the government can implement a negative income tax and a positive pollution tax to optimally allocate all resources in a market economy and sustain long-term economic growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Jhy -Yuan Shieh & Brian Chi-ang Lin & Jhy-Hwa Chen, 2025. "A Circular Economy Model of Sustainable Growth," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(4), pages 2679-2701, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:circec:v:5:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s43615-025-00559-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s43615-025-00559-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43615-025-00559-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43615-025-00559-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Romer, Paul M, 1986. "Increasing Returns and Long-run Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(5), pages 1002-1037, October.
    2. Soumyananda Dinda, 2020. "A circular economy approach for sustainable economic development," International Journal of Green Economics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 14(2), pages 174-189.
    3. Walter R. Stahel, 2016. "The circular economy," Nature, Nature, vol. 531(7595), pages 435-438, March.
    4. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    5. Stephen J. Turnovsky, 2000. "Methods of Macroeconomic Dynamics, 2nd Edition," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262201232, December.
    6. Yong Geng & Joseph Sarkis & Raimund Bleischwitz, 2019. "How to globalize the circular economy," Nature, Nature, vol. 565(7738), pages 153-155, January.
    7. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    8. Lans Bovenberg, A. & de Mooij, Ruud A., 1997. "Environmental tax reform and endogenous growth," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 207-237, January.
    9. Brian Chi-ang Lin, 2024. "The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Institutional Change," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 58(2), pages 511-516, April.
    10. Elbasha, Elamin H. & Roe, Terry L., 1996. "On Endogenous Growth: The Implications of Environmental Externalities," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 240-268, September.
    11. Winans, K. & Kendall, A. & Deng, H., 2017. "The history and current applications of the circular economy concept," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 825-833.
    12. John A. Mathews & Hao Tan, 2016. "Circular economy: Lessons from China," Nature, Nature, vol. 531(7595), pages 440-442, March.
    13. Kieran P. Donaghy, 2022. "A Circular Economy Model of Economic Growth with Circular and Cumulative Causation and Trade," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 461-488, September.
    14. Philippe Michel & Gilles Rotillon, 1995. "Disutility of pollution and endogenous growth," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 6(3), pages 279-300, October.
    15. Bongers, Anelí & Casas, Pablo, 2022. "The circular economy and the optimal recycling rate: A macroeconomic approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C).
    16. Brian Chi-ang Lin, 2020. "Sustainable Growth: A Circular Economy Perspective," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(2), pages 465-471, April.
    17. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ricci, Francesco, 2007. "Channels of transmission of environmental policy to economic growth: A survey of the theory," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(4), pages 688-699, February.
    2. Kudakwashe, Chinyanganya & Regret, Sunge, 2021. "Growth Effects of Foreign Direct Investments in Zimbabwe: Do Sources Matter?," African Journal of Economic Review, African Journal of Economic Review, vol. 9(4), September.
    3. Innocent .U. Duru & Bartholomew .O.N. Okafor & Millicent Adanne Eze & Gabriel .O. Ebenyi, 2020. "Foreign Aid and Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Nigeria," Growth, Asian Online Journal Publishing Group, vol. 7(1), pages 35-50.
    4. Ayres, Robert U, 2001. "The minimum complexity of endogenous growth models:," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 26(9), pages 817-838.
    5. Ben Fine, 1998. "Endogenous Growth Theory: A Critical Assessment," Working Papers 80, Department of Economics, SOAS University of London, UK.
    6. Kwamie Dunbar, 2009. "Stochastic Business Cycle Volatilities, Capital Accumulation and Economic Growth: Lessons from the Global Credit Market Crisis," Working papers 2009-36, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics.
    7. Chu, Hsun & Lai, Ching-chong & Liao, Chih-hsing, 2016. "A Note On Environment-Dependent Time Preferences," Macroeconomic Dynamics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(6), pages 1652-1667, September.
    8. Dagmar Nelissen & Till Requate, 2007. "Pollution-reducing and resource-saving technological progress," International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 6(1), pages 5-44.
    9. Maxime Menuet & Alexandru Minea & Patrick Villieu & Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2020. "Economic Growth and the Environment: A Theoretical Reappraisal," DEOS Working Papers 2031, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    10. Chen, Jhy-hwa & Shieh, Jhy-yuan & Chang, Juin-jen & Lai, Ching-chong, 2009. "Growth, welfare and transitional dynamics in an endogenously growing economy with abatement labor," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 423-437, September.
    11. Jhy-hwa Chen & Ching-chong Lai & Jhy-yuan Shieh, 2003. "Anticipated Environmental Policy and Transitional Dynamics in an Endogenous Growth Model," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 25(2), pages 233-254, June.
    12. Zhengai Dong & Lichen Zhang & Houjian Li & Yanhui Gong & Yue Jiang & Qiumei Peng, 2022. "Knowledge Mapping and Institutional Prospects on Circular Carbon Economy Based on Scientometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-25, September.
    13. Shieh, Jhy-yuan & Chen, Jhy-hwa & Chang, Shu-hua & Lai, Ching-chong, 2014. "Environmental consciousness, economic growth, and macroeconomic instability," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 151-160.
    14. Rao, B. Bhaskara, 2010. "Estimates of the steady state growth rates for selected Asian countries with an extended Solow model," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 46-53, January.
    15. Prof. Dr. Adem KALCA & Resc. Assist. Atakan DURMAZ, 2012. "Diaspora As The Instrument Of Humane Capital," International Journal of Business and Social Research, LAR Center Press, vol. 2(5), pages 94-104, October.
    16. Kawalec Paweł, 2020. "The dynamics of theories of economic growth: An impact of Unified Growth Theory," Economics and Business Review, Sciendo, vol. 6(2), pages 19-44, June.
    17. Kar, Sabyasachi & Pritchett, Lant & Raihan, Selim & Sen, Kunal, 2013. "Looking for a break: Identifying transitions in growth regimes," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 38(PB), pages 151-166.
    18. Kumar, Sanjesh & Singh, Baljeet, 2019. "Barriers to the international diffusion of technological innovations," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 74-86.
    19. Carine Nourry, 2012. "Dasgupta, D.: Modern growth theory," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 105(1), pages 97-100, January.
    20. Fofack, Hippolyte, 2008. "Technology trap and poverty trap in Sub-Saharan Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4582, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:circec:v:5:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s43615-025-00559-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.