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The Effects of Incentive Systems in Encouraging Consumers to Participate in Circular Consumption: An Extended Literature Review
No full textConsumers play a significant role in a circular economy - ensuring the circulation of materials and decreasing the waste disposed of into the environment. However, consumer engagement is a common challenge among circular economy-driven countries. The main objective of this study is to determine how incentive systems influence participation in circular consumption by conducting an extended literature review, highlighting the state of the art in the field. This study will dive into how countries implement the circular economy, the effects of incorporating circularity in waste management, market failures in waste management, and identifying incentive systems in a circular economy. It will shape a synthesis that would contribute to the discussion on circular economy and the case of the Philippines. An extended literature review was conducted for this study, where 269 pieces of literature were reviewed and recorded as part of the bibliometric data. The literature review process was guided by a framework, keywords, and outline to ensure relevance and a coherent flow of information.
Four economic incentives were found in the bibliographic data: deposit-refund system, pay-as-you-throw schemes, extended producer responsibility, and bans on specific products. These economic incentives enabled countries to increase recycling and recovery rates and decrease waste generation. Previous literature also revealed several factors that drive user acceptance and engagement: awareness, positive image of circular products, product-perceived safety, product design, and circular economy strategies and systems.
This study revealed that circular economy-driven countries utilize action plans, laws and regulations, and incentive systems to become circular societies. Most countries implement the circular economy in waste management as it can reduce waste burden, decrease harmful emissions, promote environmental-friendly activities, and maximize resources and productivity. However, market failures in waste management were identified -inequality, information asymmetry, and negative externalities -which can be solved through economic incentives and technological innovation.
Concluding the study, the 269 pieces of literature emphasized the significance of the circular economy, especially in promoting sustainability and resource efficiency. Other countries\u27 successes and mistakes in the circular economy could help the Philippines find ways to improve waste management and boost sustainability. This study would be helpful for governments and firms in having a deeper understanding of the circular economy, consumption, and incentive systems, which can be incorporated into plans, frameworks, and policies
Farmer and community perceptions of the new rural land reform policy impacts in Henan Province, China
Get PDFThe household contract responsibility system which was the land reform policy from 1978 to 2008 in China revealed shortcomings in terms of its goals. This system veers away from the commune system (1958 -1978) and endows land use and management responsibility to households. The New Rural Land Reform Policy that started in 2008 aims to create a more market led policy and it captured adjustments to correct these shortcomings. This New Rural Land Reform Policy signals a significant policy change. This paper uses Lewin\u27s change theory as a framework and Henan province in China as a case to determine the perceived socio-economic impacts of China\u27s new rural land reform policy. Both quantitative data through farmer survey and qualitative data from focus group discussions and key informant interviews among community members were gathered to explain the perceived impacts of the new policy. Both economic and social variables were investigated. The paper reports on the results of respondents\u27 perceptions regarding both the potential economic i.e., willingness to rent out land and other uses of land and social i.e., social structure, organizational development, community development impacts of the newly minted set of policies, which aims to improve the 1978 land reform policy. Results show that there remain challenges to contend with such as confirming ownership and contract and management rights for the new policy to be effective. Suggestions are advanced to solve these difficulties
Attachment of potential cultivable primo-colonizing bacteria and its implications on the fate of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastics in the marine environment
No full textPlastics released in the environment become suitable matrices for microbial attachment and colonization. Plastics-associated microbial communities interact with each other and are metabolically distinct from the surrounding environment. However, pioneer colonizing species and their interaction with the plastic during initial colonization are less described. Marine sediment bacteria from sites in Manila Bay were isolated via a double selective enrichment method using sterilized low-density polyethylene (LDPE) sheets as the sole carbon source. Ten isolates were identified to belong to the genera Halomonas, Bacillus, Alteromonas, Photobacterium, and Aliishimia based on 16S rRNA gene phylogeny, and majority of the taxa found exhibit a surface-associated lifestyle. Isolates were then tested for their ability to colonize polyethylene (PE) through co-incubation with LDPE sheets for 60 days. Growth of colonies in crevices, formation of cell-shaped pits, and increased roughness of the surface indicate physical deterioration. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy revealed significant changes in the functional groups and bond indices on LDPE sheets separately co-incubated with the isolates, demonstrating that different species potentially target different substrates of the photo-oxidized polymer backbone. Understanding the activity of primo-colonizing bacteria on the plastic surface can provide insights on the possible mechanisms used to make plastic more bioavailable for other species, and their implications on the fate of plastics in the marine environment
A new macropterous Nocticola Bolivar, 1892 (Blattodea: Nocticolidae) from Singapore
No full textA new epigean Nocticola Bolivar, N. pheromosa n. sp., is described from Singapore. This serves as the first record of the genus in Singapore. The new species closely resembles N. adebratti Roth in Roth & McGavin, 1994 in terms of macroptery and the shape of the ocelli but differs in terms of wing venations and male genital structure. Nocticola adebratti Roth from Borneo is redescribed. A key to known macropterous Nocticola is provided
Village-level Processing of Pangi (Pangium edule Reinw.) Seeds by the Obu Manuvu Improves the Edibility and Level of Some Nutritional Factors [RESEARCH NOTE]
Get PDFPangi (Pangium edule Reinw) seed is known to be a poisonous material. However, it becomes safe for consumption after processing. This study determined the effect of village-level processing by the Obu Manuvu community of Marilog District, Davao City, Philippines on the antinutrient and nutritional composition of Pangi seeds. Processing methods involved washing with running water for about 15 s, boiling in water for 30 min, and soaking in flowing water in a nearby river overnight. Results showed that after processing, the levels of antinutrients such as cyanogenic glycosides and oxalates were reduced significantly (p \u3c 0.05) by 99.15% and 78.23%, respectively. Further, the tannin content was also significantly reduced by 96.15%. The crude fat content significantly increased (p \u3c 0.05) by about 54%. Crude ash and fiber decreased, while protein did not change significantly (p \u3c 0.05). Minerals such as calcium and zinc increased (p \u3c 0.05) by 221.43% and 64.39%, respectively while the iron and manganese levels remained unaffected. Findings of the study suggested that the processing method by the Obu Manuvu effectively reduces the level of antinutrients, thereby improving the edibility and safety of Pangi seeds. Further, the processing method improves the level of some nutrients, specifically crude fat, calcium, and zinc
Feasibility Study of Establishing a Sapinit (Rubus Rosifolius) Processing Plant in Lucban, Quezon
No full textThe idea of establishing a sapinit processing plant in Lucban, Quezon is proposed by the Quezon Agricultural Experimental Station since sapinit fruit is highly perishable. This
processing plant will prolong the shelf-life of the sapinit by processing it to more value- added products such as the wine, jam and juice. They are planning to build one-storey sapinit processing plant in Brgy. Palola Lucban, Quezon. The project can provide income for the farmers or co-operators from whom the processing plant will procure the major raw materials. It will create employment in Lucban since the processing plant is an organization that needs workers, employees and staff to function orderly.
The study aims to investigate and evaluate the viability and possibility of establishing a sapinit processing plant in Lucban, Quezon. Specifically, it aims to present the sapinit processing plant and its planned area of operation; to identify potential risks and problems to be encountered in the establishment of sapinit processing plant and give recommendations. Primary data were composed of interview from researchers in QAES and co-operators in Lucban. It also includes survey from owners of business establishments such as bakeries, wine shop, pasalubong centers and groceries. There were 51 business establishment surveyed: twenty-six (26) bakery owners, three (3) wine shop owners, twelve (12) pasalubong center owners and ten (10) grocery owners. Secondary data were consisted of websites available in the Internet, data and information from Lucban Municipal Office, old thesis and special problems.
The survey results showed that 67% of the respondents are unaware of sapinit. Out of the 22 respondents who answered the survey, 16 are willing to buy the products. The expected demand in a year is 2,040 bottles of wine; 3,300 jars of jam and 4,920 bottles of juice given that the volume of order per month of the target market is the same every month. The most common reasons why they like to buy were because of the taste and its health benefits. Based from the results from the perceived value pricing, the cost price of the buyers for wine, jam and juice is P250, P75 and P30, respectively.
The sapinit processing plant will operate 8 hours per day, twice a week from November to April. It will operate forty-eight (48) days in a year. It is open during Monday and Thursday since harvesting is also done during the same day. Monday and Thursday are the days of operation since a three-day interval is required for every harvest. The processing plant will manufacture 150 kg of sapinit fruit per week which equally divided for the production of each sapinit product. The project will start in March 2013 and the actual operation will start in November 2013 since that is the harvesting season of the sapinit.
QAES will supervise first the management of the processing plant but it will be transferred and managed by the association when it is stable. The organization is headed by the general manager or the associate president. There will be six divisions in the association headed by the following: plantation foreman, processing foreman, marketing head, finance head, records officer or association secretary and purchasing or supply officer. There will be no specific job qualifications as long as the person is a member of the association.
The total initial investment for the establishment of the sapinit processing plant includes the pre-operating expenses, fixed assets investment and working capital investment. The total initial investment for the processing plant is P 651,050.00 wherein forty-four percent (44%) is working capital investment, fifty-four percent (54%) for the fixed asset investment and the remaining two percent (2%) is for the pre-operating expenses.
Based from the sensitivity analysis, the proposed project is acceptable in base scenario and scenario 1 since they have positive NPV and IRR greater than the cost of capital. The project is financially viable and worth investing into. However, if the projected sales decreased by 5% the investment will yield negative NPV of (P 185,688.14) and an IRR less than 12% which is -3.51%.
As shown in the marketing aspect, there is a potential market for these sapinit products. The demand for healthy and nutritious products like sapinit is increasing because of the trend towards healthy lifestyle. The project is technically viable since it can be manufactured into many products.
Potential risk and problems to be encountered in the establishment of the sapinit processing plant are unawareness of the market on sapinit, smallness of demand, lack of supply of sapinit fruit and six months of non-operation in the processing plant. Some of the recommendation for these risks and problems are aggressive promotion, distribution the excess supply of sapinit products to other nearby towns, looking for possible cooperators to increase production and using of other raw materials for wine, jam and juice when sapinit is not available
Effects of the Pandemic and Adaptation Strategies of Processed-Ube (Discorea alata) Enterprises in San Pablo City, Laguna
No full textSan Pablo is well-known not just among residents but also among tourists from neighboring towns and provinces for its processed-ube products, particularly the ube halaya. Demand has been increasing over the years. However, the situation has radically changed, attributable mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic that occurred in March 2020. This worldwide health crisis impacted a variety of problems in agriculture and MSME sectors including the processed-ube enterprises in San Pablo City, Laguna. Travel bans and limitations on face-to-face transactions had adversely reversed the increasing demand of processed ube products.
This research was conducted specifically to analyze the effects of the pandemic and adaptation strategies implemented by the processed-ube enterprises in San Pablo City. It presented the profile of the processed-ube enterprises in San Pablo City, Laguna. The business operations of the processed-ube enterprises before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were described. The problems and issues of San Pablo City’s processed ube enterprises during the COVID-19 pandemic were determined. On top of that, the adaptation strategies the ube enterprises utilized to respond to challenges brought upon by the pandemic were analyzed. The personal entrepreneurial competencies of the business owners and the possible sources for organizational resilience were related to the adaptation strategies employed by the enterprises. Lastly, adaptation strategies were recommended to enable ube and other processing enterprises to achieve organizational resiliency.
The study used a descriptive method in analyzing the effects of the pandemic and adaptation strategies of the 17 identified processed-ube enterprises in San Pablo city. The official list of registered processed ube enterprises has been acquired from Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) San Pablo. A complete enumeration of the names of enterprises listed was used in the research. Consent was asked from each enterprise for their participation and a self-administered questionnaire was given to them to answer. The contents of the questionnaire are the socio-demographic profile and background of the entrepreneur and their business, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on various business functions, adaptation strategies, and personal entrepreneurial competencies. A comparison of the business operations of the ube enterprises in San Pablo, Laguna before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Frequency analysis and means were employed for data analysis.
Regarding the profile of the enterprise, out of 17 that were included in the study, the majority (76.47%) started operating before the pandemic and the minority (23.53%) started to operate when the pandemic happened. According to the number of employees, 16 enterprises were classified as micro enterprises while only 1 enterprise was categorized as a small enterprise. All 17 enterprises are accredited but the majority of them were accredited to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Almost all enterprises have single proprietorship type of ownership except for one which is owned in partnership. Majority of the processed-ube enterprises owned the place of their store. Almost all enterprises used their savings as the main source for the capital of their business. It was found out that the average age of the business owners was 48 and majority of them were married. About half of them were college graduates. The main reason why the entrepreneurs entered the business was due to the higher monetary reward in owning an ube processing enterprise.
Overall, the pandemic had a significant impact on processed-ube enterprises in San Pablo, Laguna. The top challenges faced by the businesses are 1) the uncertainty of not knowing when the pandemic ends; 2) difficulty in acquiring raw materials; 3) reduced demand for their products/services; 4) and difficulty in delivering products to the customers. Of all the business functions, operations were the most affected as the enterprises were forced to temporarily halt their business as a result of travel restrictions imposed by the government to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. However, once restrictions were lifted, the enterprises were able to operate again. This is when the 4 enterprises entered the industry and started to compete with the 13 enterprises that continued operating. Marketing had the most significant change as enterprises started to incorporate the use of digital platforms for promotional and transactional activities.
To counter the negative effects of the pandemic, the enterprises employed varying adaptation strategies. The study revealed that the entrepreneurs employed several tactics, including 1) modifying prices in response to higher input costs; 2) using digital platforms to reduce physical transactions; 3) utilizing online platforms to promote their offerings; 4) introducing new products to boost revenue; 5) optimizing operations to minimize waste and match demand with supply; 6) optimizing their time to manage the business, and maintaining cash reserves. The majority (82.35%) of processed-ube enterprises implemented a unique combination of these adaptation strategies during the pandemic.
The performance of the processed-ube entrepreneurs was evaluated by taking into account their entrepreneur\u27s sex and age. Although preliminary findings indicate that women often do better in sales than men, other factors may play a role in these findings. Furthermore, it is impossible to draw firm conclusions about the influence of age on sales success due to the dispersed nature of the data. The association between sex, age, and sales success has to be studied in greater detail using a wider variety of factors.
All 17 processed-ube businesses that used any strategy performed well based on their PEC scores, and some businesses that did not adopt that strategy also scored well in the 10 competencies. So, it can be inferred that a high personal entrepreneurial skill score does not ensure that the entrepreneur would use a successful adaptation method. Adaptation strategies were also linked to the sources of organizational resilience, and these were access to financial resources, digitization level, supply chain (SC) collaboration, SC flexibility, and innovativeness.
Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were developed to give further options for adapting to the effects of the pandemic. Ube processors in the city rely on outsourcing from neighboring provinces, increasing costs. Hence, it is recommended to maximize production that could benefit both farmers and processors by increasing profits and reducing input costs. It is recommended for the processed-ube enterprises to delve deeper into digital platforms as it can have other uses besides for promotion and cashless transactions. It is also recommended that the enterprises to strengthen the collaboration among the players within the sector. Expanding the product offerings of ube processors beyond the current options is also recommended as it can provide benefits such as increased flexibility, reduced risk, access to new customer segments, and the ability to capitalize on changing market trends. It is also recommended to enter in collaborative partnerships with institutions like IFST in UPLB. Lastly, it is recommended that the enterprises develop business continuity plans