A taxonomy of circular economy terminologies: insights from the construction industry

Purpose – Numerous barriers have hindered circular economy (CE) implementation in various contexts, in particular, in the construction industry. Among those barriers, the confusion of CE terminologies together with a lack of awareness is identified as one of the main barriers. Hence, this research focuses on differentiating frequently misused CE terminologies based on their definitions to establish a comprehensive understanding and thereby aims to develop a taxonomy for CE terminologies. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach was adopted encompassing a comparative literature analysis followed by an expert validation. To carry out the comparison, the academic definitions from Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries were compared and contrasted with the definitions from universal standards and guides or literature sources related to CE. Subsequently, the consolidated definitions were established for selected terminologies, and based on their cognitive meaning, a conceptual hierarchy of the terminologies was identified. These definitions with the identified hierarchy were validated by a selected panel of experts who had expertise in CE in construction and represented academia, industry and policy development sectors to finally propose the taxonomy of CE terminologies. Findings – The final CE taxonomy presents nine frequently misused terminologies, their definitions and the hierarchical order. This paper further offers examples of the practical usage of each defined terminology based on insights from the construction industry. Originality/value – The proposed taxonomy can be applied to any context and provides significant guidance for any CE researcher or practitioner on the appropriate usage of CE terminologies.