Urban symbiosis concepts for sustainable circular loops of CRMs containing products

There is a major need to find efficient and innovative solutions on how to stop the loss of resources, including critical materials, in the future economy. High technology products including critical raw materials (CRMs) are not efficiently recycled and their lifetime can be relatively short. Several barriers still hinder the transition towards circular economy and regenerative value chains. More research is needed to recognise the required activities that could ensure more effective material, data, and value flows between different actors as well as novel value co-creation models between the involved actors.
This paper explores new sustainable value co-creation models between multiple actors in cities for increasing the circularity of selected high technology products, containing critical raw materials (CRMs). In this paper, e-bikes have been selected as a use case. Here CRMs (e.g. neodymium, lithium, chromium, silicon) make essential material components of the battery and motor. Pedal-assisted e-bikes dominate the growing market, boosted both by fast technology development. Especially in congested cities, biking has become a competitive mode of more sustainable transportation which many cities reinforce by providing city-bike service. The concept of city bikes has also extended to e-bikes and in 2020, about 70 cities around different continents have committed to increase the modal participation of cycling. This increases the opportunities for the city to support the circularity of such products.
The research aims to create an understanding on the value optimization and operationalization of the chosen disruptive business models involving public and private organisations and consumers. Such, business model transformation for circularity implies generation of positive effects for all involved actors by creation, delivery and capture of value. Our foci are life extending R-processes at the multi-actor context aiming for closer loops of CRMs containing products. Especially, we explore how such networked business models can benefit from public support and what could be the role of city enabling the transition within ecosystems. Based on the 9R framework (Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle and Recover) we aim to identify the emerging business opportunities as well as need for novel actors within the current supply chain. Furthermore, sustainability-oriented value co-creation has expanded to include environmental and social aspects, which are closely connected with the purpose of public actors such as cities.
This paper recognised a variety of circular supply chain configurations that could support urban symbiosis, and contextual conditions under which proposed solutions are effective.