The road towards a social circular economy in Romania

Alina-Monica Danciu; Roxana-Lavinia  Păcurariu; Elena Simina Lakatos; Matthew  Greenley; Alina-Oana  Ciomoș; Laura Bacali

Alina-Monica Danciu 1. Management and Economic Engineering Department, Faculty of Machine Building, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2. Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan”
Roxana-Lavinia Păcurariu 1. Management and Economic Engineering Department, Faculty of Machine Building, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2. Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan”
Elena Simina Lakatos Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan”
Matthew Greenley 1. Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan”
Alina-Oana Ciomoș 1. Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan”
Laura Bacali 1. Management and Economic Engineering Department, Faculty of Machine Building, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2. Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment “Ernest Lupan”

Keywords: Social Circular Economy, Circular Economy, Social Economy

Abstract

The present research is focused on the identification of the main needs of social organizations and the consolidation of circular economy principles in the sector of social enterprises. Also, it approaches the interest to contribute to removing the obstacles which prevent the transition towards a circular economy of the social enterprises, as well as the evaluation of understanding circular economy practices by the social enterprises in Romania. The research method used is the survey with a questionnaire as a research instrument. The questionnaire consists of eighteen questions, and it is drawn up to serve at achieving the above-mentioned objectives. The results show us the decisive role that plays the non-refundable funds in the emergence of social enterprise. The most preferred environmental practices to apply in social enterprises are recycling, the use of renewable energy and selective waste collection, being aware of the opportunities that bring us the circular economy. Special courses in fields related to the social economy like "Financing sources of social enterprises," "Project management," and "The structure and development of a business plan” are needed in order to facilitate the emergence of new social organizations.

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