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Business models and supply chains for the circular economy

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

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Authors

Geissdoerfer, Martin  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0789-4428
Morioka, SN 
de Carvalho, MM 

Abstract

The Circular Economy is increasingly seen as a possible solution to address sustainable development. An economic system that minimises resource input into and waste, emission, and energy leakage out of the system is hoped to mitigate negative impacts without jeopardising growth and prosperity. This paper discusses the sustainability performance of the circular business models (CBM) and circular supply chains necessary to implement the concept on an organisational level and proposes a framework to integrate circular business models and circular supply chain management towards sustainable development. It was developed based on literature analysis and four case studies. The proposed framework shows how different circular business models are driving circular supply chain in different loops: closing loops, slowing loops, intensifying loops, narrowing loops, and dematerialising loops. The identified circular business models vary in complexity of the circular supply chain and in the value proposition. Our research indicates circular business and circular supply chain help in realising sustainability ambitions.

Description

Keywords

circular business models, circular supply chain, sustainable business models, sustainable development, circular Economy, business model innovation

Journal Title

Journal of Cleaner Production

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0959-6526
1879-1786

Volume Title

190

Publisher

elsevier
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/I033351/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/L019914/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/N508949/1)
This work was supported by the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability [grant number EP/I033351/1]