Exploring Backcasting as a Tool to Co-create a Vision for a Circular Economy: A Case Study of the Polyurethane Foam Industry

Abstract

The pursuit of Circular Economy (CE) principles in industrial activities is crucial for mitigating environmental impacts, particularly in relation to plastic consumption and waste. While desirable, such a transition is incredibly challenging for many industries. Using the polyurethane (PU) foam industry as a starting point, a participatory planning process called backcasting was used to engage diverse stakeholders and explore the potential for CE implementation and transition. Usually applied in policy-making contexts, this study used a particular approach (“ABCD-method”) to facilitate a workshop of industry representatives from across the PU foam value chain: recyclers, chemical suppliers, manufacturers, academia, and governments. Through the process, participants discussed, developed and agreed upon 78 CE Pathways, categorizing these as short-, mid-, and/or long-term priorities, and assigning them to respective and appropriate PU foam value chain members. These co-created CE Pathway priorities, such as the development of industry-wide material specifications, simplified chemical formulations, and innovation in feedstock sourcing, may contribute to increased industry awareness about potential opportunities for transition to the CE within PU foam value chain. CE Pathway priorities from this work are informing the strategic roadmap for the PU foam industry’s transition to CE. Further, this work suggests the efficacy of participatory backcasting as a potential method for facilitating voluntary industry discussion and visioning across diverse sectors and value-chains.