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Exploring the role of independent retailers in the circular economy: a case study approach
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In the face of a rising global population and the associated growing resource consumption and negative environmental impacts, the fundamental need for an alternative to the traditional linear model of growth has led to the emerging debate about circular economy. While the topic of circular economy has been receiving increasing attention in the literature over the last years, research in this field has been mainly addressed through the manufacturers’ lens. However, as being an interface between the manufacturers upstream
and the consumers downstream, retailers are strategically placed in the value chain to promote more sustainable consumption and production processes. Accordingly, the purpose of the thesis is to investigate the implementation of circular economy through a different lens, the retailers, whose role in the circular economy, to date, has received little empirical attention. Building on a literature review of circular economy and circular business model, a conceptual framework is developed to describe the four main functions of retailers in a circular economy. A case study with an independent retailer was conducted to test the relevance of this framework and to provide a concrete example of its usage as well as future development needs. The main findings of this thesis indicate the potential key role of independent retailers in a transition towards a circular economy.
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... This economic model exhibits a distinctive "take, make, waste" pattern. It is based on two foundational presumptions: the infinite availability of resources (both energy and raw materials) and the inexhaustible regenerative capaci-ty of the Earth (Wautelet, 2018). As the economy develops, the demand for raw materials increases to meet increased production requirements, consequently resulting in the increased depletion of natural resources and generation of waste. ...
... Nonetheless, the foundational principles of the linear model are no longer applicable within the contemporary global landscape. Several pivotal trends now imperil its sustainability, thus precipitating demand for an alternative economic paradigm (Wautelet, 2018). Since the 2010s, scientists around the world addressed this problem by investigating a novel economic paradigm known as the "circular economy". ...
... The rising scarcity of certain raw materials and the potential for geopolitical conflicts over resource access underscored the need for strategies that ensure resource security through recycling and reusing materials. (Wautelet, 2018). ...
The use of a circular economy, as opposed to linear production, allows for optimal waste utilization, reduces the shortage of resources, reduces the negative impact on the environment, and achieves competitive advantages through innovation. The driving force for this transition is a technological development that enables more efficient and rapid change. The study aims to assess the impact of technology on the transition to a circular economy, which gaining prominence amid challenges posed by population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. A combination of quantitative and systematic analysis methods was used in the study, namely exploring, categorizing, and analysing case studies, and industry reports and conducting meta-analysis. The research identified key drivers for transitioning to a circular economy, including awareness of resource depletion, environmental concerns, technological advancements, changing consumer values, and government regulations. The study explored various circular economy definitions and categorized the development of its principles into stages from 1966 to 2023. The exploration into the complex role of technology demonstrated its potential to accelerate the adoption of circular economy principles globally. The research extended beyond conventional boundaries, illustrating technology's capacity to amplify the influence of sustainable practices. As industries balanced economic growth with environmental responsibility, the study provided empirical evidence of technology's efficacy in facilitating the transition to circular economies. This study contributed valuable insights into the critical link between technological development and the circular economy transition. Successful case studies and empirical assessments offered a pragmatic foundation for policymaking, corporate strategies, and ongoing research. The study holds theoretical significance in advancing the understanding of circular economy dynamics. At the same time, it practically informs policy formulation and corporate strategies conducive to sustainable economic transformation
... As illustrated in Figure 2, such economic model is characterized by the take, make, waste pattern and is built on two strong assumptions: boundlessness and easy availability of resources (energy and raw materials) as well as a limitless regenerative capacity of the Earth. Accordingly, as the economy grows, we need more raw materials for the production of goods and we produce more waste, [20]. ...
... The circular economy model is presented in Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates in a simplified way the main phases of a circular economic model, in contrast to a traditional linear economy. In this conceptual diagram, each phase presents opportunities in terms of reducing costs and dependence on natural resources as well as limiting waste and harmful emissions to the environment, [20]. ...
In the actual economic environment, it is more and more important for people to be aware of their impact on environmental aspects, consumption of natural resources and usage of resources several times by recycling and reuse at the initial intended usage or changing the place of usage in opposition to the principle of owning, using and then throwing away.The increasing of waste quantities are the direct consequences of consumption that exceeds real needs and, at the same time, alters the state of the environment as the main provider of resources. In the coming years, approaches of the products’ design and built must be focused to allow for the continued reuse of resources. The introduction of the circular economy is a challenge to the linear economy approach to resource production and consumption. The circular economy is an economy that produces zero waste. The circular economy concept is not so new. European and world decision-making communities have been circulating for years the concept of circular economy, but only now the concept is beginning to gain visibility and applicability. In this paper, a study on the transition of companies from the linear economy to the circular economy is developed. Starting from the fact that current global sustainable development is given special attention, based on the transition from linear to a circular economy, the study provides an image of the degree of knowledge on the concept of circular economy of private companies, highlighting the major discrepancies between the linear and the circular economy, as well as the multidimensional impact of the implementation of the circular economy. It is necessary for more and more companies to experience how the circular economy can help them in the extraction and transport of raw materials, materials and product design, production, distribution, and consumption of goods, repairs, remanufacturing schemes and reuse, waste management and recycling.
... We focus our analysis on the GrecoRoman tradition due to its foundational influence on the development of Western thought across the biological sciences, engineering, and urbanplanning disciplines (Greaves and WallaceHadrill 2022;Malatesta 2006), where knowl edge for contemporary visions of the CE is constructed and mobilized . Most historical accounts of the CE tend to situate its emergence in the middle of the twentieth century (Kovacic et al. 2020;Wautelet 2018), although others have constructed genealo gies leading back to seventeenthcentury thinkers (Murray et al. 2017). While we, too, turn our attention to previous centuries, we neither follow this literature in its search for an origins story, nor lengthen its intellectual history to create a teleology. ...
This article takes a historical coproductionist approach to examine the pivotal claim of novelty on which circular economy (CE) discourse is centered. CE proponents argue that it represents a paradigm shift: concepts from nature—most notably the efficiency of biological cycles posited to be “without waste”—can be productively applied to the linear economy, resulting in a novel partnership that will correct human–nature relationality. We bring a historical perspective to critically appraise this claim, providing examples of how concepts of circularity have been transmitted between medical, economic, and engineering texts across the history of modern thought. We show how these ideas have been coproduced with political agendas, acting as legitimizing forces for powerful normative claims while shaping collective imaginations of right moral order in nature and culture.
... The circular economy is a viable alternative to most nations' business-as-usual or linear model. In this approach, bottled water consumption will be explored in three pathways: water, energy, and materials (Sehnem, Vazquez-Brust, Pereira, & Campos, 2019;Valavanidis, 2018;Wautelet, 2018). The water pathway focuses on improving bottled water quality, thereby reducing the risk of hydrocarbons, fluoride phthalates, and bisphenol (Martínez-Mier et al., 2005). ...
The objective is to analyse bottled water consumption in Mexico in view of a circular economy. The paper evaluates the rates of bottled water consumption and the key causal factors. Furthermore, it compares the role played by the private and public sectors in exacerbating demand for bottled water. The paper implemented a systematic review that identified articles mainly from the Web of Science and Scopus databases from November 01 to December 31, 2022. There were utilised three strategies for the search process, including keying in free-text words, implementing Boolean operators, and citation searching. The systematic review was conducted in line with the PRISMA statement/methodology. Forty-eight articles were identified after the complete search. The summations direct that bottled water consumption is high in Mexico due to the below-par conventional drinking water supply. Most customers cited organoleptic and health reasons as key factors influencing their preference for bottled drinking water. Conversely, the demand for bottled water contributes to high Polyethylene Terephthalate bottles, which contribute to environmental degradation. The implementation of the circular economy can reduce the associated negative effects through decreasing and optimization strategies. There were conglomerates findings from various articles while defining the key gaps and areas for improvement. The paper is seminal in bridging the dearth of knowledge on the circular economy and its application in the water industry while providing recommendations for policymakers.
... Linear economy scheme[12] ...
The article reviews the current state of the art in the field of zinc recycling. The results of model studies of the profitability (profitability) of the process of zinc recovery in precipitation in the form of dusts and sludges are presented. The cost of purchasing waste and the necessary energy and material expenditures were taken into account. It has been shown that access to a cheap source of waste is essential for the profitability of the zinc recovery process.
O estudo visou apresentar os conceitos gerais da Economia Circular e sua aplicação em contextos urbanos, denominada Cidade Circular. Foi utilizada revisão bibliográfica, por meio da base Google Scholar e demais fontes governamentais, acadêmicas e de notícias, aliada à técnica de snowball, para a busca e seleção de artigos e fontes de informação. O presente artigo constitui-se de uma revisão teórica das temáticas de Economia Circular e Cidades Circulares, explorando suas características, formas de implementação, stakeholders, benefícios, desafios e indicadores afins. Em seguida, como estudo de caso, utilizam-se como exemplos de análise as capitais Amsterdã e Paris, as quais fornecem subsídios no contexto de implementação das teorias de cidades circulares, estando na vanguarda da temática, mesmo que as metas propostas nos planejamentos estratégicos iniciais não se encontrem totalmente satisfeitas. Conclui-se que as Cidades Circulares são plataformas interessantes para concretizar ideais ecológicos no contexto urbano, envolvendo as partes interessadas. Entretanto, desafios relacionados a políticas públicas, tecnologia, governança e produção se fazem presentes.
The linear economic system that has been applied in the industrial world poses various risks, one of which can be seen in the increase in the consumption of industrial products. An alternative to the traditional linear economy concept is called a circular economy, which in principle aims to reduce consumption waste by optimizing existing resources. The biggest challenge in implementing a circular economy is the need to shift people's ingrained behavior through the linear economic system. The challenges of implementing a circular economy can be slowly addressed in various ways, one of which is by providing environmental awareness education to the public that raises the importance of switching to green products. The start-up company “Siklus Refill Indonesia” utilizes innovation and digital technology related to the marketing of daily necessities products to end consumers. The business model offered is intended to deal with the problem of plastic waste from the source by replacing the use of sachet packaging by distributing daily goods directly to consumers with a last-mile delivery system, so that consumers can use their containers, and contribute significantly to the preservation of the earth.
Günümüzde üretimde benimsenen doğrusal ekonomi modeli sınırlı, yenilenemeyen ve geri dönüştürülemeyen kaynaklar nedeniyle ekolojik dengeyi bozmaktadır. Bu nedenle, son yıllarda sürdürülebilir kalkınma sorunlarına çözüm sunan bir araç olarak döngüsel biyoekonomi giderek önem kazanmaktadır. Döngüsel biyoekonomi, biyolojik ürünlerin enerji ve malzeme olarak kullanılmasına yönelik süreçlerin geliştirilmesi, üretilmesi ve kullanılması gibi ekonomik faaliyetleri içeren bir modeli ifade etmektedir. Doğal sistemlerin döngüselliğine öykünen bu modelin, doğadaki sistem, strateji ve süreçleri öğrenerek problem çözebilmenin bir yol göstericisi olan biyomimikri ile örtüşmesi kaçınılmazdır. Bu bağlamda bu makale kapsamında biyomimikri yaklaşımının döngüsel biyoekonomi kavramı ile olan ilişkisi ele alınmakta ve biyomimikri ilkeleri ve örnekleri, döngüsel biyoekonomi bağlamında değerlendirilmektedir. Ayrıca, biyomimikri yaklaşımının ilkeleri döngüsel biyoekonomi ilkeleri bağlamında değerlendirilerek, döngüsel biyoekonomi modeli içerisinde biyomimikri yaklaşımının gerekliliği ortaya konulmuştur. Elde edilen bilgiler ışığında, biyomimikrinin, sürdürülebilir tasarımlar, ürünler ve süreçler elde etmek için doğanın döngüselliğinin keşfedilmesine olanak sağlayan döngüsel ve sürdürülebilir bir çevrenin inşasını mümkün kılacağı açıktır.
Tüketiciler, mağaza veya çevrimiçi alışveriş yoluyla ihtiyaçlarını ve isteklerini karşılamaktadır. İnternetin etkisiyle istek ve ihtiyaçları değişen tüketiciler, alışveriş yaptıkları ortama göre farklı ve değişken duygulara sahip olabilmektedir. Bazı tüketiciler mağazadan alışveriş yaptığında kendilerini daha mutlu hissedebileceği gibi, bazı tüketiciler ise çevrimiçi alışveriş esnasında kendilerini daha mutlu hissedebilmektedir. Pozitif duygulardan biri olan mutluluk, tüketicilerin alışveriş ortamını seçmesinde belirleyici bir unsur olabilmektedir. Çalışmanın temel amacı, çevrimiçi ve mağaza alışverişinden hangisinin tüketiciyi daha fazla mutlu ettiğini belirlemektir. Aynı zamanda, tüketicilerin kişiliklerinin yaşam memnuniyetine; yaşam memnuniyetlerinin öznel iyi oluşlarına ve mutluluklarına; alışverişten iyi oluşlarının yaşam memnuniyetlerine ve mutluluklarına etkisinin saptanması amaçlanmıştır. Bu amacı gerçekleştirmek amacıyla, Mersin ilinde yaşayan 400 tüketici ile çevrimiçi anket yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen verilere bağımsız örneklem t-testi ve regresyon analizleri uygulanmıştır. Tüketicilerin pozitif kişilik özelliklerinin, çevrimiçi alışveriş yapan tüketicilerin yaşam memnuniyetlerini olumlu yönde etkilediği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Çevrimiçi alışveriş yapan tüketicilerin alışverişten iyi oluşlarının, yaşam memnuniyetlerini ve mutluluklarını pozitif yönde etkilediği, yaşam memnuniyetlerinin de öznel iyi oluşlarını ve mutluluklarını pozitif yönde etkilediği saptanmıştır.
Describes the pros and cons of why and how Luxembourg uses and
might use materials productivity and quality in the circular
economy to raise employment, competitiveness and savings, and
improve environmental impacts. Includes business opportunities, specific examples of circular activities in and around Greater Luxembourg, and roadmaps for scaling uo. Recommends government policies.
The circular economy concept is a novel economic model aiming to foster sustainable
economic growth, boost global competitiveness, and generate new jobs. In order to make
the circular economy mainstream, radical and systemic innovation is needed. Currently,
a majority of the business modelling tools and methods lack at least some of the identified
and needed elements for innovating business models in a circular economy. In this
article, we build a framework for sustainable circular business model innovation by
adding important perspectives: recognizing trends and drivers at the ecosystem level; understanding
value to partners and stakeholders within a business; and evaluating the impact
of sustainability and circularity. We present the results of a case study with a startup
company, which was designed to test the framework and provide a concrete example of
its usage and future development needs.
The fundamental need for an alternative to the traditional linear model of growth has led to the emerging debate about circular economy (CE), described as an economy with closed material loops. While the topic of CE has been receiving increasing attention in the academic and grey literature over the last years, divergences on what a circular economy entails have led to the different points of view. As a matter of fact, the concept of a circular economy cannot be traced back to one single date or author, rather to different schools of thought. However, getting a common understanding of the concept of CE is crucial as it is a prerequisite for a successful implementation in businesses. Therefore, this paper aims at creating a common point of view on the concept of CE through a review of the different schools of thought and how they have contributed to the development of the concept of CE.
To aid companies in transitioning towards a circular economy and adopting strategies such as reuse, repair, and remanufacturing, the concept of circular business models has been developed. Although the concept draws on contributions from various academic disciplines, and despite its increasingly frequent use, few scholars clearly define what a circular business model is. Understanding about what makes a business model circular is diverse, hampering the theoretical development and practical application of circular business models. This study aims to help frame the field of circular business model research, by clarifying the fundamentals of the concept from the perspectives of resource efficiency and business model innovation. Expanding on these findings, a review of how the concept is used in recent academic literature is provided. It shows that a coherent view is lacking on which resource efficiency strategies classify a business model as circular. This study clarifies which resource efficiency strategies can be deemed as relevant key strategies for circular business models, and suggests a new definition of the concept. With the definition grounded in analysis of the fundamentals in terms of resource efficiency and business models, the study contributes to theoretical advancement and effective implementation of circular business models.
This updated and revised edition outlines strategies and models for how to use technology and knowledge to improve performance, create jobs and increase income. It shows what skills will be required to produce, sell and manage performance over time, and how manual jobs can contribute to reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly aware of the benefits of closing loops and improving resource efficiency, such as saving material costs, creating competitive advantages, and accessing new markets. At the same time, however, various barriers pose challenges to small businesses in their transition to a circular economy, namely a lack of financial resources and lack of technical skills. The aim of this paper is to increase knowledge and understanding about the barriers and enablers experienced by SMEs when implementing circular economy business models. Looking first at the barriers that prevent SMEs from realising the benefits of the circular economy, an investigation is carried out in the form of a literature review and an analysis of a sample of SME case studies that are featured on the GreenEcoNet EU-funded web platform. Several enabling factors that help SMEs adopt circular economy practices are then identified. The paper concludes that although various policy instruments are available to help SMEs incorporate circular economy principles into their business models, several barriers remain. The authors recommend that European and national policies strengthen their focus on greening consumer preferences, market value chains and company cultures, and support the recognition of SMEs’ green business models. This can be achieved through the creation of dedicated marketplaces and communities of practice, for example.
Circular economy (CE) is a sustainable development strategy that is being proposed to tackle urgent problems of environmental degradation and resource scarcity. CE's 3R principles are to reduce, reuse and recycle materials. This study is a review of the rapidly growing literature on CE covering its concept and current practices and assessing its implementation. The review also serves as an assessment of the design, implementation and effectiveness of CE-related policies. It first presents the concept of CE and compares it with the current linear economy. The paper then introduces current practices that have been introduced and discusses standards for the assessment of CE's development and performance. Third, based on an analysis of literature, the paper identifies the underlying problems and challenges to CE in an entrepreneurial perspective. Finally, the review provides a conclusion on CE's current development and gives policy suggestions for its future development.