Dr. Catharina Bening

Dr. Catharina Bening a tenured senior-scientist and group leader at the the Chair for Sustainability and Technology. Further, she is a steering committee member of Downloadsus.labvertical_align_bottom, the sustainability-in-business lab at ETH Zurich. Catharina is responsible for the group’s research and practice activities in the area of sustainable circular economy and is especially interested in investigating the implications of different circular strategies and policies for nature conservation. In her current projects, she explores the transformative potential of sustainable technological innovations and the essential shifts in institutional frameworks and regulations needed to reduce resource consumption and foster the regeneration of nature.

Catharina’s research spans the entire value chain, encompassing production, product usage, and end-of-life considerations. She examines these aspects from both corporate and policy standpoints and applies them to industries like packaging, retail, building and construction, textiles and the bio-economy. In particular, she has long-standing expertise on environmental policy towards circular plastics in the chemical and the retail industry, a topic for which she is frequently called upon as advisor to governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Catharina’s past and present research includes projects on the institutional foundations of a sustainable circular economy (funded by the DownloadSwiss National Science Foundationvertical_align_bottom), on plastics packaging in retail (funded by the DownloadSwiss Innovation Agencyvertical_align_bottom), on plastic waste reduction in developing countries (DownloadAlliance to End Plastics Wastevertical_align_bottom), on industry restructuring in plastics packaging (funded by an Downloadindustry consortium and the EUvertical_align_bottom), on the potential of circular business models and digitalization in the construction industry (funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation), on the need for data transparency to monitor and eliminate food waste (funded by the MTEC Foundation), and on drafting a framework to assess the role of microplastic and additives in a circular economy (funded by DownloadNCCR Catalysis: sustainable chemistry for a carbon-neutral societyvertical_align_bottom).

Catharina has broad teaching experience in ETH Zurich’s Departments of Environmental System Science DownloadD-USYSvertical_align_bottom, Humanities, Social and Political Sciences DownloadD-GESSvertical_align_bottom and Management, Technology and Economics DownloadD-MTECvertical_align_bottom. Her current teaching focuses on “Business Models for a Circular Economy”, a course she also teaches at DownloadSciences Po Paris School of International Affairsvertical_align_bottom. She has been honored to serve as main convenor and content partner for ETH Week 2023 “Circular Realities”, the main cross-departmental teaching activity on project-based learning at ETH Zurich.

Catharina holds a Lic. oec. (MSc level) and PhD in economics from the DownloadUniversity of St. Gallen (HSG)vertical_align_bottom. Before joining ETH Zurich, she was an exchange student in Singapore (DownloadNUSvertical_align_bottom) and Rotterdam (DownloadErasmus Universityvertical_align_bottom) and spent one year at the Department of Comparative Human Development and at the Economics Department of Downloadthe University of Chicagovertical_align_bottom with a personal research grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation. In 2022-23 she was a visiting researcher at Downloadthe Material Sciences and Metallurgy Department of the University of Cambridgevertical_align_bottom, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and DownloadUKRIvertical_align_bottom.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

• Zepa, I., Grudde, V., Bening, C. R. (2024): Legitimising technologies for a circular economy: Contested discourses on innovation for plastics recycling in Europe, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, Volume 50, 2024, 100811, ISSN 2210-​​4224, Downloadhttps://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13346vertical_align_bottom. 
  
• Kuhlmann, M., Meuer, J., & Bening, C. R. (2023). Interorganizational Sensemaking of the Transition Toward a Circular Value Chain. Organization & Environment, 36(3), 411–441. Downloadhttps://doi.org/10.1177/10860266231162057vertical_align_bottom
  
• Kulakovskaya, A., Wiprächtiger, M., Knoeri, C., Bening, C. R. (2023). Integrated environmental-economic circular economy assessment: Application to the case of expanded polystyrene. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 197, 107069. Downloadhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107069vertical_align_bottom.
  
• Kuhlmann, M., Bening, C. R., & Hoffmann, V. (2022): How incumbents realize disruptive circular innovation - Overcoming the innovator’s dilemma of the circular economy. In Business Strategy and the Environment, p. 1-​16. Downloaddoi:10.1002/bse.3109vertical_align_bottom
  
• Kahlert, S.; Bening, C.R. (2022): “Why pledges alone will not get plastics recycled: Comparing recyclate production and anticipated demand” Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Vol. 181, June 2022. Downloaddoi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106279vertical_align_bottom
  
• Bening, C.R.; Kahlert, S.; Asiedu, E. (2022): “The true cost of solving the plastic waste challenge in developing countries: The case of Ghana”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 330, January 2022. Downloaddoi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129649vertical_align_bottom
  
• Leipold, Sina & Petit-Boix, Anna & Luo, Anran & Helander, Hanna & Simoens, Machteld & Ashton, Weslynne & Babbitt, Callie & Bala, Alba & Bening, Catharina & Birkved, Morten & Blomsma, Fenna & Boks, Casper & Boldrin, Alessio & Deutz, Pauline & Domenech, Teresa & Ferronato, Navarro & Gallego Schmid, Alejandro & Giurco, Damien & Hobson, Kersty & Xue, Bing. (2021): "Lessons, narratives and research directions for a sustainable circular economy." Downloaddoi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-429660/v1vertical_align_bottom
  
• Bening, C.R.; Pruess, J.T.; Blum, N.U. (2021): "Towards a Circular Plastics Economy – Interacting Barriers and Contested Solutions for Flexible Packaging Recycling", Journal of Cleaner Production. Downloaddoi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126966vertical_align_bottom
  
• Blum, N.U.; Haupt, M.; Bening, C.R. (2020): "Why “Circular” doesn't always mean “Sustainable”" Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Vol. 162, November 2020, Downloaddoi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105042vertical_align_bottom
  
• Kahlert, S.; Bening, C.R. (2020): "Plastics recycling after the global pandemic: resurgence or regression?" Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Vol. 160, September 2020. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104948call_made
• Schmidt, T.S., Blum, N.U., Bening, C. R. (2020). «Comparing Renewable Energy Micro- Grids in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Laos: A Technological Innovation Systems Approach”. In: Adenle, A. A., Chertow., M.R., Moors, E.H.M., Pannell, D.J. (Eds.). Science, Technology and Innovation for Meeting SDGs. Oxford University Press. Downloaddoi: 10.1093/oso/9780190949501.003.0005vertical_align_bottom
  
• Stephan, A., Bening, C.R., Schmidt, T.S., Schwarz, M., Hoffmann, V.H. (2019): "The role of inter-​sectoral knowledge spillovers in technological innovations: The case of lithium-​ion batteries" Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 148, 119718. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2019.119718call_made
• Frei, F.; Loder, A.; Bening, C. R. (2018): „Liquidity in green power markets – An international review.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 93, 674-690. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.05.034call_made
• Ossenbrink, J.; Finnsson, S.; Bening, C.R.; Hoffmann, V.H. (2018): "Delineating policy mixes: Contrasting top-down and bottom-up approaches to the case of energy-storage policy in California." Research Policy. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.respol.2018.04.014call_made
• A. Stephan, T.S. Schmidt, C.R. Bening, V.H. Hoffmann (2017): "The sectoral configuration of technological innovation systems: Patterns of knowledge development and diffusion in the lithium-ion battery technology in Japan.” Research Policy, 46, 709-723. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.respol.2017.01.009call_made
• Bening, C.R.; Blum, N.U.; Schmidt, T.S. (2015): "The need to increase the policy relevance of the functional approach to technological innovation systems." Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 16, 73-75. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.eist.2015.07.007call_made
• Blum N. U., Bening C. R., Schmidt T. S. (2015): "An analysis of remote electric mini-grids in Laos using the Technological Innovation Systems approach." Technological Forecasting and Social Change. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2015.02.002call_made
  
• Wu G., Inderbitzin A., Bening C. (2015): "Total cost of ownership of electric vehicles compared to conventional vehicles: A probabilistic analysis and projection across market segments." Energy Policy, 80: 196-214. external pagedoi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2015.02.004call_made external pageVideo Abstractcall_made

Presentations and conference contributions (selection):

• Bening, C. R.; Kahlert S. (2021): “Making a case for circular resources”, World Resource Forum 2021 Conference: “A Green Deal for Sustainable Resources”, Dübendorf, Switzerland.
• Kahlert, S.; Bening, C. R. (2021): “True Cost Approach to Recycling in Accra, Ghana. Eliciting the cost base for EPR schemes”, Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI) of Ghana – GIZ EPR-Webinar: Managing financial flows, fees and payments within an EPR scheme, Accra, Ghana.
• Bening, C. R. (2021): “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle - nachhaltige Verpackungslösungen auf dem Prüfstand”, Circularity Conference; Berlin, Germany.
• Haupt, M.; Blum, N.; Bening, C. R. (2020): "Ensuring a Sustainable Circular Economy using Life Cycle-based tools", Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Conference (ICEC) 2020, at the University of Freiburg, in Freiburg, Germany.
• Bening, C. R. (2019): “Sustainable Circular Economy”, ISO/TC 323 Inaugural meeting for new ISO norm on Circular Economy, Paris, France.
• Bening, C. R. (2019): “Der Supersack aus dem Reagenzglas? Von neuen Materialien bis zu innovativen Geschäftsmodellen”, 11. Migros Konsumententagung, Zurich, Switzerland.
• Bening, C. R. (2019): “Closing the loop for plastic packaging. What prevents industry to move forward faster?” Sustainability in Packaging, Barcelona, Spain.
• Bening, C. R. (2019): “Plastik – Anwendungen und Alternativen”, Impulsvortrag economiesuisse, Working group "Environmental policy", Zurich, Switzerland.
• Bening, C. R. (2019): “Closing the loop for plastic (packaging). What role can Design for Recycling play?”, seminar “SprechenÜber” at Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin, Germany.