Recycling of plastics: A materials balance optimisation model

At present the volume of solid waste produced in modern consumer societies is increasing, requiring policy measures to reduce the volume of waste to be dumped or incinerated. In this article a materials balance optimisation model for the recycling of plastics is developed to analyse the impact of policy measures that stimulate recycling. The study presents the structure of the optimisation model and it gives the results of a charge imposed on the dumping and incineration of plastics. The calculations show that considerable effort should be made to reach the recycling targets for plastic that have been set by the public authorities for the year 2000.     

对绿色消费模式推进路径的思考

2008年6月1日起,我国实施＂限塑令＂,这是改变传统消费模式、倡导绿色消费模式的新开端。文章在对西方绿色消费模式建立条件阐述的基础上,提出进一步推进我国绿色消费模式的现实路径。     

PMI硬质泡沫塑料的研究与应用

本文综述了聚甲基丙烯酰亚胺（PMI）泡沫塑料的制备方法以及结构和性能，PMI由于具有良好的力学性能、热变形温度和化学稳定性，是高性能夹层结构复合材料的理想芯层材料。针对目前国外PMI的研发现状，介绍了一些调变PMI性能和改进制备工艺的方法，希望对国内PMI的研究起到借鉴的作用，最后对PMI的应用做了简单的介绍。     

Is productive inefficiency a fatal disease? The effects of technical and scale efficiency in firm exit: the case of the Greek rubber and plastic industry

This article presents an integrated framework for testing the effects of productive efficiency, i.e. technical efficiency (TE) and scale efficiency (SE), on firm exit, facilitating the identification of the effects, causing a firm's operation at increasing or decreasing returns to scale. A panel data set of firms in the plastics and rubber industry of the Greek manufacturing sector is used to study the effect that TE and SE may have on a firm's probability to exit. Results reveal that technical efficiency is the most critical factor influencing firm exit, while SE exerts a quadratic effect on the probability to exit.     

Recycling and Waste Diversion Effectiveness: Evidence from Canada

In this paper, we investigate the relationship between recycling policy options and recycling behavior to study the most effective methods of diverting post-consumer waste from landfills. We employ data from a unique, micro-data set collected from households in communities across Ontario, Canada. We estimate the relationships between several commonly recycled materials (newsprint, glass, plastics, aluminum cans, tin cans, cardboard, and toxic chemicals) and individual household characteristics, recycling program attributes, and garbage collection financing methods. We find that user fees on garbage collection have significant impacts on recycling levels for all materials except toxic chemicals, and mandatory recycling programs on particular items have significant effects on recycling for almost all materials. Limits on the amount of garbage that can be placed at the curb, and providing free units under user fee systems, however, generally have a negligible or detrimental impact on recycling.JEL classification: D10, H23, Q28     

Evolution of network relations,enterprise learning,and cluster innovation networks: the case of the Yuyao plastics industry cluster

Industrial clusters have become a crucial carrier of economic globalisation. However, constrained by the nation’s industrial development model, clusters in China have long been relegated to a low-end position. This study, based on the perspective of focal enterprises, analysed the relationships among network relations, enterprise learning, and the evolution of cluster innovation networks and explored the three formation stages of a cluster innovation network by examining the example of the Yuyao plastics industry cluster. The results showed (1) that focal enterprises exert spin-off effects on enterprise learning and are critical for innovation networking and (2) that weak network ties facilitate exploratory learning, whereas strong ties influence exploitative learning. In addition, tie strength showed a coevolutionary feature. Furthermore, the results showed that (3) this evolutionary process demonstrated a phase-changing characteristic, with government policy exhibiting substantial effects on focal enterprises, organisational learning mechanisms, and cluster innovation networks.     

European Alliance and Knowledge Networks1

This paper presents an exploratory exercise to characterize the nature of inter-organizational networks and the strategic positioning of companies in five industrial sectors: pharmaceuticals, plastics, computers, electronics and instruments. Two types of networks in each sector are analysed: knowledge networks based on patent citations and technology alliance networks based on strategic partnerships. Three sets of results with significant policy and strategy implications underline both the need for better understanding of the social/competitive context within which companies operate and the utility of social network analysis in achieving this goal. First, apparent differences in the networking behaviour in ‘simple technology’ sectors (pharmaceuticals) vis-à-vis networking behaviour in ‘complex technology’ sectors (computers, electronics and instruments) are indicated. Second, a difference between knowledge and alliance networks across all examined sectors is pointed out in terms of their effectiveness as channels of knowledge communication. Third, apparent differences in the competitive positioning of European firms and firms from the United States and Japan in the examined sectoral knowledge networks may reveal significant variance in inter-continental business strategy.     

Backcasting energy futures using industrial ecology

Backcasting has been widely used for developing energy futures. This paper explores the potential for using industrial ecology to guide the development of energy futures within a backcasting framework. Building on the backcasting work of Robinson [1], a seven step method is presented to embed industrial ecology principles within the development and assessment of future scenarios and transition paths toward them. The approach is applied to the case of backcasting regional energy futures in the Latrobe Valley, near Melbourne, Australia. This region has substantial brown coal deposits which are currently mined and used in coal-fired power stations to generate electricity. Bounded by a sustainability vision for the region in a carbon-constrained world, regional industrial ecologies in 2050 were backcast around three themes: bio-industries and renewables (no coal usage); electricity from coal with carbon capture and storage (low to high coal usage); and coal to products such as hydrogen, ammonia, diesel, methanol, plastics and char (demonstrating medium to high overall coal use relative to current levels). Potential environmental, technological, socio-political and economic impacts of each scenario across various life cycle stages were characterised. Results offer a platform for regional policy development to underpin deliberation on a preferred future by the community, industry and other stakeholders. Industrial ecology principles were found to be useful in backcasting for creatively articulating alternative futures featuring industrial symbiosis. However, enabling the approach to guide implementation of sustainable transition pathways requires further development and would benefit from integration within the Strategic Sustainable Development framework of Robèrt et al. [2].     

Identification of regional fundamental economic structure (FES) of Chilean economy: A field of influence approach

This study contributes to the understanding of the regional structure of the Chilean economy utilizing the fundamental economic structure (FES) approach. The regional FES construct implies that selected characteristics of an economy will vary predictably with economic size, as measured by regional: domestic product, population, total value added, and total sector output. The overarching problem addressed in this research is if identifiable patterns of relations among regional macro aggregates and economic transactions can be revealed via regional input-output tables. Jensen, West and Hewings discuss the tiered, partitioned, and temporal approaches to the identification of FES using regional input–output table and spatial economic data. This research addresses the following four research questions: (1) Does a regional FES exist for the Chilean economy? (2) What proportions of the cells are predictable? (3) Can stability patterns in the intermediate transaction table be identified for Chilean regional economy? (4) Which economic transactions are most important across regional economies in Chile? Four regression models: linear-linear, linear-logarithmic, linear-inverse, and linear-logarithmic of inverse are run to identify the largest proportion of predictable FES cells for the Chilean regional economy. The regional input–output tables (1996) for the 13 regions compiled by the National Institute of Statistics of Chile provide data for the analysis. A FES analysis shows 75% cells are predictable, 34% are stable, and 25% are important for Chilean regional economies. Further, 7% of the total fundamental economic activities are predictable, stable and important simultaneously. These strong FES based economic activities consist of chemicals, rubber, petroleum, and plastics as well as public services among several other fundamental industries.     

MEASUREMENT OF TOTAL FACTOR INPUT, TECHNICAL CHANGE AND OUTPUT BY INDUSTRY IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY 1958–1968

This paper deals with some results of an extended investigation which was carried out by the German Institute of Economic Research, Berlin, and the Ifo-Institute, Munich, and financed by the Stiftung Volkswagenwerk. For 29 sectors of manufacturing Cobb-Douglas production functions have been calculated, based on quarterly figures 1958–1968 of value added, input of hours worked, input of utilized capital stock (net of scrappage), and of potential value added, potential labor input and total capital stock. The income distribution is used as production elasticities. For each of the 29 sectors 12 time series of quarterly indices of total factor input and technical change have been computed, using utilized data (variation 1-6) and capacity data (variation 7-12). Two different time series of α are used, taking quarterly interpolated data (variation 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) and the geometric mean 1958–1968 (variation 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12). Moreover three different parameters of homogeneity are introduced, taking r= 1 (variation 1, 2, 7, 8), r= 1.1 (variation 3, 4, 9, 10) and r= 1.25 (variation 5, 6, 11, 12). Seven of the 29 sectors show a very high sensitivity of the rate of technical change due to the assumed r, six sectors a rather high sensitivity. Ten of the 29 sectors show a rather small sensitivity of technical change due to the assumed r, six sectors a very small or even negative sensitivity, i.e. an increasing r creates an increasing technical change. These results can be explained by taking account of the fact that total factor input in many branches increased very slowly or even decreased (labor input alone decreased in nearly all branches). A hierarchy of technical change has been calculated; this hierarchy is difficult to explain, because fast growing industries as well as industries with a small or a negative growth rate of output rank in both the leading and the last group of technical change. Very high rates of output result in high rates of technical change (chemicals, mineral oil refining, plastics manufactures), but some industries with a rather small growth of output (shipbuilding, fine ceramics, steel drawing, and cold rolling mills) show a high rate of technical change too.     

并购中主并公司的可预测性——基于交易成本视角的研究

本文将交易成本划分为显性交易成本和隐性交易成本,认为主并公司进行并购的目的是为了节约显性和隐性交易成本。在此基础上,我们以2003年发生并购的上市公司为样本,采用因子分析法和Logistic回归建立了主并公司的预测模型,发现资产专用性越强,显性交易成本越高,公司发生并购的可能性越大;中间产品市场的不确定性越高,显性交易成本越高,公司发生并购的可能性越大;公司的成长能力越强,成长能力与盈利能力之间的不平衡程度越高,隐性交易成本越高,公司发生并购的可能性越大。     

创业环境动态性、创业学习与创业机会识别关系研究

通过引入创业环境动态变化频率和变化幅度,以及实用主义、顺从主义、贯融主义3种创业认知学习方式,扩展了现有创业机会识别仿真模型,研究了创业环境动态性、创业学习与创业机会识别之间的作用机制。仿真结果表明：在发现观视角下,实用主义是一种高效但不稳定的学习方式;顺从主义是一种效率一般但较为稳定的学习方式;贯融主义是一种低效的学习方式。为了提高创业机会识别能力,创业者需要根据环境类型选择不同学习策略。在变化慢、变化小的环境中,创业者的最佳学习策略是采用实用主义并保持较快的个体学习速率;在变化慢、变化大和变化快、变化小的环境中,创业者的最佳学习策略是采用实用主义并保持较慢的个体学习速率;在变化快、变化大的环境中,创业者的最佳学习策略是采用顺从主义并保持较快的个体学习速率。     

对几种典型企业组织的规模差异评析

基于从本质到现象的分析路线,我们可以更清楚地认识企业规模：社会合理规模与企业的有效性相对应,取决于企业的组织成本和协调收益;而企业的现实规模则与特定个体的效率相对应,效率不仅取决于协调收益也与转移收益有关。一般地,企业的决策权为不同人所掌握,就会产生不同的收益转移效应,从而产生了多姿多彩的企业形态：（1）不同社会文化伦理中的收益转移效应差异会影响企业规模。一般地,社会信任度越高,企业规模就越合理;而信任度不高的那些社会中,企业规模往往走向两个极端。（2）不同的分配制度中的收益转移效应差异也会影响企业规模。利润分享制企业的剩余索取权往往为所有员工所分享,从而其规模往往小于泰勒制企业。（3）在工人自治型企业中,由于工人主导了剩余索取权的分配,从而使得企业的规模相对较小。（4）中央计划体制下国有企业是极端化的经理管理型企业,经理们所追求的社会收益与企业规模联系在一起,因而这类企业的规模较大。     

时间是具有单向度双重意义否定的存在

时间既是抽象的存在,亦是具体的虚无,它是人的自我描影。人的生存意义在于对自我的否定,这个否定是包括同质和异质的否定。人的存在在于把周围世界对象化为为我世界,这个过程和结果就是文化,文化的本质就是人化,是人将自己的本质在时空中刻印。文化作为系统化的有机体,是个产生、发展和没落的过程。文化的发展是呈螺旋状的上升。文化作为一个系统,由各种要素组成也受到种种干扰,要促进文化的发展,需要不断增强文化的免疫力。     

县域视角下的贫困、金融发展与经济增长*——基于系统GMM方法的再检验

本文以内生区域金融发展理论为基础构建动态面板模型,同时引入贫困因素进一步识别区域金融与经济的非线性关系,将实证对象细化到县域层面,运用系统GMM方法检验贫困与非贫困县域金融对经济增长影响的差异。本文研究发现,信贷层面上的金融发展对经济增长的推动效应普遍存在,而储蓄层面金融发展的效应则存在地区差异,非贫困县的储蓄与经济无关,贫困县的储蓄与经济增长负相关。因此本文指出,区域信贷配给和区域信贷创造理论更适于解释贫困地区的金融发展问题,贫困县域储蓄的负效应是本地储蓄外流和转化效率低下的结果,与我国银行业跨     

环境规制强度、企业规模对技术创新质量的影响

运用2007-2016年中国工业企业省级面板数据建立门槛回归模型,分别以企业规模和环境规制强度为门槛变量,研究环境规制强度、企业规模与环境规制强度交互项对技术创新质量的影响。结果表明：以企业规模为门槛变量时,东部、中部和西部地区环境规制强度与技术创新质量间存在单门槛效应。当企业规模低于门槛值时,东部地区环境规制强度能够有效促进技术创新质量提升,中西部地区促进效果并不显著;当跨越门槛值后,均可有效促进技术创新质量提升,并且东部地区促进效果增强;以环境规制强度为门槛变量时,东部、中部和西部地区环境规制强度与技术创新质量间存在单门槛效应;当环境规制强度低于相应门槛值时,东部地区促进效果显著,而中西部效果不显著;达到门槛值后,促进效果均显著,但东部地区促进程度稍有减弱;企业规模会间接影响环境规制强度对技术创新质量的促进作用。     

中国城乡差距的三维解读

中国城乡差距呈现出三维特征:政治维度的城乡差距是最深层次的,以政府治理为研究对象;经济维度的城乡差距居于中间,以产业发展水平差距为代表;表层次的社会维度的城乡差距以公共产品资源配置失衡为标志。从三者之间的关系看,城乡政治差距是总源头,城乡经济差距和城乡社会差距是结果。因此,彻底解决中国城乡差距,必须从消除城乡政治差距入手,以缩小城乡经济差距为重心,以实现城乡公共服务均等化为落脚点。     

从自然资源经济学到可持续经济学

随着物质生活水平的快速提高,人类也面临着诸如森林退化、土地荒漠化、物种多样性丧失以及温室效应恶化等生存环境问题。可持续发展问题日益受到人们的关注,通过经济学的视角来研究可持续发展的可持续经济学得到了快速的发展。本文从经济学的角度界定了自然资源的概念,回顾了经济学对自然资源的研究历程,对自然资源经济学的起源、发展进行了评述;论证了自然资源经济学和可持续经济学的关系,指出在可持续发展问题研究中融合自然资源经济学和环境经济学的必然性,以自然资源经济学和环境经济学为重要元素的可持续经济学是可持续问题经济研究的高级阶段,文章进一步探讨了可持续经济学的分析框架、发展现状及存在的问题。     

对劳动密集型产业发展相关问题的思考

我国处于工业化中期。劳动密集型产业的发展仍然是必要的选择。从产业发展优势的角度看,我国的劳动密集型产业的发展有其自身的比较优势,但仍然存在附加值低、劳动生产率低和企业自身竞争力弱、劳动力便宜的比较优势只是相对的、劳动力技能整体偏低等隐患,因而必须把握好劳动密集型产业的发展方向。     

论探究可持续发展战略伦理基础的哲学依据

社会发展不仅是受利益驱动规律作用的纯自然历史进程,也是内含着道德价值意蕴的社会历史进程。可持续发展战略的实现不仅需要相关制度、政策的安排,更重要的是需要与之相适应的伦理基础,运用道德的约束力,依靠内在信念和社会舆论的作用,以人类发自于内心的自觉行为来保证人与环境的共同协调发展。可持续发展战略的伦理基础是其充满生机和活力的精神源泉。