The Forgotten Entrepreneurs of the Circular Economy
Description
This book challenges dominant narratives of the circular economy by spotlighting informal entrepreneurs in marginalised contexts. Over 2 billion informal workers worldwide-waste pickers, repair artisans, and recyclers-recover 15-35% of urban waste in low- and middle-income countries, yet remain invisible within policy frameworks that privilege formal-sector innovation. This volume examines the "recognition paradox," whereby informal circular practices are simultaneously operationally central to urban metabolism, institutionally invisible within governance structures, and discursively misrecognized in policy narratives. Through seven empirical chapters spanning Ghana, Sub-Saharan Africa, Peru, Turkey, Mexico, Indonesia, and Zambia, the authors demonstrate how necessity-driven circularity constitutes a parallel system with its own logics and efficiencies. Essential reading for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to govern circular transitions through inclusive, justice-based frameworks that dismantle colonial epistemologies of modernisation.
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Persons
Viktor Prokop serves as an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Administration, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic. He has authored or co-authored over 70 articles indexed in prestigious Scopus and Web of Science databases. His scholarly contributions include serving as an editor for Business Models for the Circular Economy: A European Perspective, published by Springer. His current research interests encompass circular economy, sufficiency, and the twin-transition of innovation ecosystems. His research has appeared in top-tier journals including Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Energy Policy, Business Strategy and the Environment, and Journal of Cleaner Production.
Susanne Durst is a Full Professor of Management at Reykjavik University, Iceland where she was ranked number one in Iceland on Research.com's ranking of best scientists in Business and Management in 2025. Her research focuses on responsible knowledge management, responsible digital transformation, and sustainable business development in smaller entrepreneurial organizations. Her scholarly excellence has been recognized through the Transeo Academic Award in 2012 and the Emerald Literati Award for "Outstanding Paper" in 2020 and 2023. She serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Bottom Line and Editor of Knowledge Management Research and Practice.
Tarlan Ahmadov is a researcher affiliated with the Society for Inclusive and Collaborative Entrepreneurship (S4ICE) in Stuttgart, Germany. His research specialises in circular economy transitions in small and medium-sized enterprises, stakeholder dynamics, and inclusive entrepreneurship models. He has published extensively on SME transitions to circular economy practices and conducted fieldwork across Europe, Asia, and Latin American contexts. His current research agenda investigates how small, informal, and marginalised entrepreneurs contribute to circular economy outcomes in resource-constrained settings.
Jens Horbach is Professor of Economics at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg. His research concentrates on the empirical analysis of determinants, performance, and employment effects of eco-innovations and the circular economy. He demonstrates particular interest in analysing how regional and location factors influence sustainable development. His scholarly work has been published in distinguished journals such as Research Policy and Ecological Economics. His expertise bridges theoretical economic analysis with practical applications in environmental innovation and circular economy transitions.
Content
Introduction to The Forgotten Entrepreneurs of the Circular Economy.- Invisible Architects of Circularity: Mapping Policy and Scholarly Recognition of Informal Waste Entrepreneurs in Ghana.- Not by Design: The Hidden Circular Economy of Used Goods in Informal Teen-Entrepreneurship in Sub-Saharan Africa.- Women's Roles in Sustainability Practices within Informal Circular Economies: Insights from Emerging Contexts.- Circular Survival: Resource Sharing Networks Among Syrian Refugees in Istanbul.- The Role of Informal Waste Entrepreneurs in Mexico's Circular Economy.- Reframing Formalization of Informal Recycling in Circular Economy Transition: A Case Study in Palu, Indonesia.- Circularity from Below-Informal Entrepreneurs in Zambia's Marginalized Urban Informal Settlements.- Inclusive and Just Circular Economy Transitions.