Limits to Sustainable Development Goals: Discussing Lessons from Case Studies in (Un)sustainable Production

Closed-loop production strategy, which aims to retain the highest utility and value of products, components, and materials at all times, aims to address resource depletion as part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12, concerned with “responsible consumption and production.” The circular economy is based on the 9R principles, supporting closed-loop systems, such as the circular economy and Cradle to Cradle (C2C), promising absolute decoupling of resource consumption from economic activity. However, while the SDGs single out “inclusive economic growth” as an overarching aim, economic growth is the cause of unsustainability, and absolute decoupling is impossible. This chapter addresses broader lessons from the critical assessment of products that strive toward or claim full circularity. This chapter discusses some supposedly “circular” or C2C products analyzed by business students. These case studies have taught the students more significant lessons concerning the limitations and paradoxes of production. The discussion section delves into the subject of how applying “ideal” and “realistic” circularity principles can help students to develop critical thinking about the SDGs in general and “responsible production and consumption” in particular.