Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

In the last 50 years the issue of eutrophication has become more and more prevalent. The increasing input of phosphorus into the Baltic Sea had led to an increase of algae and plant growth which caused an oxygen depletion, changes in the composition of species as well as increased grime. Furthermore, the algae growth has favoured the development of dead zones across the Baltic Sea. To stop the excess input of nutrients into the Baltic Sea many strategies have been discussed, one being the concept of circular economy. This concept is defined as economic system that focuses on a restorative and regenerative design. It replaces the ‘end-of-life’ concept with restoration, shifts towards the use of renewable energy, eliminates the use of toxic chemicals, which impair reuse, and aims for the elimination of waste through the superior design of materials, products, systems, and, within this, business. In 6 semi-structured interviews various stakeholders involved in the phosphorus economy in the Baltic Sea region with connection to the Commission for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea in have been asked to give their perspective on certain topics to gather information the answer the research questions:

Q1: How is the concept of a circular phosphorus economy within the Baltic Sea region understood and made sense of by members and partner organizations of the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission?
Q2: How do these stakeholders frame collaboration regarding the establishment of a circular phosphorus economy and possible difficulties that might hinder a successful implementation?

To make sense of the findings a frame analysis has been conducted to understand how the stakeholders view the concepts resulting in the formulation of two frames, defining circular phosphorus economy as a system based on processes that recycle and reuse nutrients rather than import new ones as well as focusing on how responsibly use existing phosphorus sources and apply measurements to determine where which amount of phosphorus needed and where waste can be avoided. Furthermore, the framing process has been examined, showing that the professional environment greatly impacts the understanding of circular economy. Regarding the framing of possible challenges regarding establishing collaboration between stakeholders it could be concluded that the main hindrances perceived by the actors include lack of trust and motivation as well as language barriers. Future research is recommended to focus on examining the perspectives of a wider range of stakeholders.