1. Mapping the Landscape : A Literature Review on Circular Economy AdoptionAnkita Pandey, Himanshu Mohan, 2026, original scientific article Abstract: The circular economy (CE) has emerged as a strategic framework to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation through resource efficiency, waste reduction, and closed-loop systems. The current study uniquely integrates the PRISMA protocol with the 5W1H analytical framework and bibliometric triangulation to bridge conceptual, behavioural, and policy perspectives within CE research. This study conducts a systematic literature review of 332 peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science, applying the PRISMA methodology and the 5W1Hb analytical framework. Bibliometric and thematic analyses reveal five core research themes: technological innovation, circular business models, policy mechanisms, behavioural insights, and supply chain optimisation. While the United Kingdom and India lead in scholarly and policy contributions,the CE research landscape remains fragmented. Key gaps persist in digital nudging, behavioural adoption, and sector-specific applications. The study emphasises the need for interdisciplinary approaches and model-driven frameworks to foster systemic CE transitions. By mapping conceptual trends, theoretical linkages, and regional participation, this study provides a novel integrative synthesis and actionable implications for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to accelerate CE adoption.
Keywords: circular economy, CE adoption, CE practices, sustainable development, literature review
Published in RUP: 10.04.2026; Views: 251; Downloads: 4
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2. From cinema to knowledge hub : circular economy and social innovation at the University of Primorska LibraryJonatan Vinkler, Jana Hojnik, 2025, professional article Abstract: This paper presents a transformative initiative undertaken by the University of Primorska to centralise and modernise its library services. Through the implementation of a user-centric approach, the initiative reimagines the library as an inclusive, 24/7 accessible space that meets legal, operational, and social innovation standards. The revitalisation of a historic cinema complex into a dynamic library hub exemplifies circular economy principles (reusing and repurposing instead of building something new), while the initiative’s transdisciplinary methodology ensures scalability and replicability. A detailed SWOT analysis and impact analysis highlight the strengths, challenges, impact and long-term vision of the initiative, positioning it as a model for inclusive academic infrastructure.
Keywords: circular economy, social innovation, University of Primorska, University Library
Published in RUP: 11.03.2026; Views: 309; Downloads: 7
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3. Universities as Drivers of Social Innovation and Circular Economy : Insights from the University of TriesteRubina Romanello, Salvatore Dore, original scientific article Abstract: Universities are main actors capable of fostering social innovation (SI) and advancing circular economy (CE) practices through education, research, community engagement, and internal governance practices. This article examines the University of Trieste (UNITS) as a case study to explore how universities can promote synergies between SI and CE. By analysing in-depth secondary and primary data, our study maps the activities implemented by the University to spread the two paradigms by specifically organizing them in four fields: teaching and student engagement; research and knowledge transfer; third mission and societal outreach; and sustainability practices. Through this mapping activity, this study identifies five benchmark activities that are considered highly impactful in spreading both SI and CE paradigms: the PhD Program in Circular Economy, the RUS Food Working Group, the AReTS water project, the adaptive reuse of the Ex-Ospedale Militare, and the Innovators Community Lab. Our results provide food for thought for policy makers and practitioners, showing some activities that might be replicable among higher education institutions worldwide.
Keywords: university, social innovation, circular economy, sustainability, higher education
Published in RUP: 11.03.2026; Views: 323; Downloads: 7
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4. Exploring Resilience through Blockchain and Circular Economy : A Review from a Cross-Sectoral PerspectiveTatiana Tolusso, 2025, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: Resilience has become a strategic capability for organisations facing global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, and socio-economic instability. The Circular Economy (CE) offers regenerative models to reduce waste and optimise resources, while Blockchain (BC) provides digital infrastructures that enhance transparency, traceability, and trust across supply chains. Despite their growing relevance, research on CE, BC, and resilience remains fragmented and under-integrated. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of 37 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2025, mapping how CE and BC intersect to strengthen resilience. The review identified several recurring themes, highlighting how the convergence of CE principles and BC technology can bolster resilience across three crucial dimensions: 1) adaptive; 2) organisational; and 3) systemic. Among the most relevant contributions, several central aspects also emerge, including the following: a) the enhancement of eco-efficiency; b) the role of BC in reducing information asymmetries and enabling greater transparency; c) the critical importance of cooperation and shared value co-creation, fostering a glocal approach to resilience that emphasises collaboration among stakeholders. These findings offer valuable observations for facilitating the transition to CE through BC, while also highlighting important avenues for future research such as the dynamics of glocal cooperation and the latent resilience within organisations.
Keywords: circular economy, resilience, eco-efficiency, blockchain
Published in RUP: 04.03.2026; Views: 348; Downloads: 9
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5. Gender role reversal in gig economy households : a sociological insight from Southeast Asia with evidence from PakistanDaraz Umar, Štefan Bojnec, Younas Khan, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: The rapid growth of the gig economy and digital platforms is challenging traditional gender roles, particularly in developing countries where structural inequalities continue to shape labor and household dynamics. Despite growing global interest in gender equity and digital inclusion, limited research has examined how gig work, digital access, and women’s income contributions interact to influence household gender dynamics within culturally conservative contexts. This study aimed to investigate the multidimensional impacts of women’s participation in gig work on time use redistribution, intra-household decision making, gender ideology, and role reversal within households in Pakistan. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from a representative sample of married couples engaged in the gig economy across urban and peri-urban areas of Pakistan. A quantitative analysis was conducted employing a combination of an analysis of variance, ordinal logistic regression, hierarchical multiple regression, and structural equation modeling to evaluate the direct and indirect relationships between constructs. The findings revealed that women’s gig work participation significantly predicted enhanced digital access, greater income contributions, and increased intra-household decision-making power. These, in turn, contributed to a measurable shift in gender ideology toward equality norms and a partial reversal of traditional gender roles, particularly in household labor division. The study concludes that the intersection of economic participation and digital empowerment serves as a catalyst for progressive gender restructuring within households. Policy implications include the need for gender-responsive labor policies, investment in digital infrastructure, and targeted interventions to support empowering women in non-traditional work roles.
Keywords: gig economy, digital inclusion, women's empowerment, gender ideology, intra-household decision making, role reversal
Published in RUP: 04.02.2026; Views: 371; Downloads: 3
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6. Reusing timber for a circular, low-carbon future : challenges and the path forwardMohammad Derikvand, 2026, other scientific articles Abstract: Load-bearing timber is usually not reused in a second structural application after its first service life, not due to proven inadequacy, but largely because prevailing standards recognize only first-use material. When buildings are dismantled, the recovered timber is typically routed toward energy recovery, re- or down-cycling, or disposal, while functionally equivalent components for new construction are manufactured from newly harvested logs. The current regulatory framework favors virgin timber, even where reused elements could technically perform the same structural functions. Therefore, one of the primary barriers to structural timber reuse is the absence of codified pathways for qualification, certification, and market acceptance.
Keywords: timber, reuse, reclaimed timber, circular economy, standards and certification
Published in RUP: 03.02.2026; Views: 457; Downloads: 5
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8. Reducing Food Waste and Boosting Profits through Inventory Management : The Case of Small Slovenian BakeriesŠpela Lipnik, Žiga Čepar, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: This article explores the role of inventory management in reducing food waste and improving economic performance in selected Slovenian bakeries, contributing to a more efficient, environmentally responsible and sustainable economy. Using semi-structured interviews with key bakery personnel and an in-depth analysis of business documentation, our study applies the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) model and News vendor model to test the following two hypotheses: (H1) improving inventory management at Bakery 1 can reduce total annual procurement costs by more than 15% without causing spoilage or raw material waste, and (H2) minimizing food waste at Bakery 2 may not necessarily align with maximizing profit. The findings confirm that applying these models can enhance production and procurement planning, demonstrating that while cost reductions and waste minimization are achievable, they may not always be fully aligned. The study underscores the importance of strategic inventory management in balancing financial and environmental objectives in small bakeries.
Keywords: EOQ and Newsvendor inventory management models, inventory optimization, food waste minimization, sustainable economy
Published in RUP: 18.12.2025; Views: 489; Downloads: 1
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9. Economy of Death: The Grey Zone, CannibalWar Machine and Capitalist Accumulation in Latin AmericaAntonio Fuentes Díaz, Panagiotis Doulos, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: This article argues, based on the analysis of extortion and criminal governance in México, that criminal activities should be understood as a key component of contemporary capital accumulation. This criminal accumulation of capital requires the suspension of restrictions on illegal activities, generating zones of legal-illegal indistinction that allow profitability, shared sovereignties and cannibal war machines that, through violence, generate the extraction of goods, income and bodies in line with the neoliberal enterprise. This means that criminal capital carries out, in an extreme and nihilistic way, the logic of value.
Keywords: extortion, criminal governance, criminal capitalism, war
machine, economy of death, neoliberalism, Latin America
Published in RUP: 17.12.2025; Views: 491; Downloads: 3
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10. Socialist entrepreneurship and integrated peasant economy : failed collectivization in Yugoslavia (1949–1953)Lev Centrih, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: This article explores the specific features of collectivization in socialist Yugoslavia, focusing on Slovenia as one of its constituent republics. Through a bottom-up approach, it examines selected cases from the countryside surrounding the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, between 1949 and 1953. Unlike the Soviet and broader Eastern European cases, the Slovene/Yugoslav regime stemmed from both a socialist revolution and the National Liberation War. Alongside coercion, it used pragmatic strategies to win over the peasantry—allowing wealthier peasants to join labour cooperatives and promoting ‘entrepreneurship’, a value rooted in capital- ism, as a socialist principle. While aiming to preserve the industriousness of petty commodity production, the authorities sought to achieve this within a new environment: no longer in private enterprises, but in state or collective (cooperative) ones, protected from the destructive consequences of capitalism. Drawing on case studies, the article demonstrates that collectivization failed: Support from revolutionary activists proved insufficient, peasants rejected the proposed entrepreneurial model, and they con- tinued to pursue individualistic family farming. It explains the persistence of traditional agriculture through the concept of the integrated peasant economy, in dialogue with theories of pluriactivity and petty commodity production.
Keywords: collectivization, entrepreneurship, integrated peasant economy, peasant cooperatives, petty commodity production, Slovenia
Published in RUP: 30.09.2025; Views: 722; Downloads: 14
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