A Theoretical Discussion Of Circular Economy Based On Resource Utility

The sustainable utilization of resources is gradually becoming the core content of man-earth relationship research, and circular economy is drawing increasingly interest in promoting sustainable utilization of natural resources. Whether it is theoretical research or applied research, abundant publications have come out in circular economy research. However, a canonical theoretical system for circular economy research has not been established so far. The theoretical kernel for circular economy is not clear, which leads to the state of "drift" and "dilemma" with regard to circular economy research. Therefore, exploring the theoretical kernel of circular economy and the main research areas for deepen research of circular economy by combing different research achievements in related research area has vital significance in improving the theory, promoting the discipline and advancing the practice of circular economy.The data used in this study retrieved from the Chinese CNKI Academic Library and the ISI Web of Science, is applied to formulate significant literature list by using bibliometric analysis. Based on these significant literatures, the related research achievements for circular economy are systematically reviewed, evaluated and rethinked by employing the logical positivism and the historicism as research method while the literature research&comparative analysis is adopted as specific analysis methods.Conclusions:(1) The crises of resource scarcity and environmental degradation is intensifying while the human society’s corresponding crises awareness is rising, which indicates that circular economy research will develop rapidly again in the near future.(2) Circular economics is an emerging multidisciplinary discipline which focuses on how to maximize resource utility of economic agent and how to achieve optimal allocation of resource utility between economic agents and how to balance the two kinds of targets under the existing technical and economic conditions.(3) Resource utility is the kernel of circular economy research. It will be an inevitable trend for value system to transform from capital-oriented to resource-oriented.(4) RSVC (product use right&resource property right separation and resource value conversion) system needs to be brought into research agenda and policy discussion. Separation and pricing of property right is the core of RSVC system, while virtual currency account could be a possible way for RSVC system to run marketized.Innovation points:(1) Resource utility hypothesis is put forward as the kernel for circular economics by pushing the limitations of eco-efficiency, which builds a starting point for deepen research of circular economy, furthermore, provides a new method for quantitative research of circular economy.(2) A conceptual analysis model for resource consumption and resource saving is built based on resource utility, based on which, three ways for resource saving are in turn proposed, which include "circularly use of resources, governance of overconsumption, governance of overproduction", in another sense, expand the research area of circular economy.(3) RSVC system is built rudimentally, which provides a possible way for the transformation from traditional economy to circular economy.(4) Models for the evaluation of resource saving potential and resource appreciation potential from the perspective of horizontal comparison of different economic agents are built by breaking through the limitations of vertical comparison of the same economic agent based on historical data.