Circular and Sharing Economy Practices and Their Implementation in Russian Universities

Abstract

This article is devoted to the consideration of the impact of the digital age on modern Russian society in the environmental aspect, the basis of the study were the materials describing the environmental initiatives carried out today by students at universities across the Russia. It should be noted that the most important impact of digitalization is the access of the population, especially young people, to information on examples of best practices to resolve environmental problems abroad. It is this access that made it possible for young people to initiate projects that are more advanced than what the Russian state offers today in the field of waste management. The second important aspect of the impact of digitalization on the solution of environmental problems is the possibility of using virtual communication for the organization of circular economy and sharing economy practices that contribute to the reduction of waste. Despite the high potential of virtual platforms in the optimization of reverse logistics, modern Russian society has not yet matured to make full use of it. This becomes especially clear when comparing the best practices available in Russia, implemented by student teams, with what is proposed by different institutions of the EU. The article points out that transformation of organizational culture of universities would be more important than optimization of waste management, and it may have more significant environmental, economic and social benefits. However, to reach this level, it is necessary to develop a specific sustainable systems thinking.