Transition to the circular economy: the story of four case companies
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2020

Shifting from a linear sales model to a circular service-based business model is far from straightforward. Many challenges accrue in the transition process, including finding the right market for the recirculated product/service, setting up the reverse supply chain, selecting the right partners, and making sure the new business model is sustainable in the short, medium and long term. This paper discusses the challenges of four companies trying to close the loop while preserving current profit levels. It describes their initial ideas on how the circular business model should be designed, the process they went through, challenges faced, and the eventual outcome. Based on the learnings of the four case companies, we summarise recommendations about preparatory steps required before making the transition towards a circular business model.

transition paths

circular economy

sustainability

closed-loop supply chains

Författare

Patricia van Loon

Chalmers Industriteknik (CIT)

Luk N. Van Wassenhove

INSEAD Europe

International Journal of Production Research

0020-7543 (ISSN) 1366-588X (eISSN)

Vol. 58 11 3415-3422

Ämneskategorier

Produktionsteknik, arbetsvetenskap och ergonomi

Transportteknik och logistik

Miljömedicin och yrkesmedicin

DOI

10.1080/00207543.2020.1748907

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Senast uppdaterat

2021-05-06