Repository logo
 

Circular business models: a review

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Geissdoerfer, Martin 
Pieroni, Marina PP 
Pigosso, Daniela CA 
Soufani, Khaled 

Abstract

The Circular Economy is gaining traction in academia, industry, and policy making as an alternative model that minimises resource depletion, waste, and emissions. To implement the concept on the organisational level, business models are an important leverage. A body of literature has emerged investigating the notion of circular business model and circular business model innovation, however, there is considerable lack of clarity about their theoretical conceptualisation. To address this and systematise the state-of-the-art of the nascent field of circular business models and circular business model innovation, we have reviewed this literature, employing systematic database searches and cross-reference snowballing. Our contributions to conceptual clarity are: (1) an overview of the history of the concepts of circular business model and circular business model innovation, (2) an overview and synthesis of definitions of circular business model and circular business model innovation, and (3) an overview and synthesis of conceptual frameworks for circular business model and circular business model innovation.

Description

Keywords

Circular business model, Business model innovation, Sustainable business model, Circular economy, Review

Journal Title

Journal of Cleaner Production

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0959-6526
1879-1786

Volume Title

277

Publisher

Elsevier BV
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/I033351/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/L019914/1)
UKRI funding relates to co-authors: This work was supported by the EPSRC Centre for Innovative Manufacturing in Industrial Sustainability, grant number EP/I033351/1 and the EPSRC project Business Models for Sustainable Industrial Systems, grant number EP/L019914/1, as well as studentships from the EPSRC and the Foundation of German Business. This work was also supported by the research project CIRCit (Circular Economy Integration in the Nordic Industry for Enhanced Sustainability and Competitiveness), which is part of the Nordic Green Growth Research and Innovation Programme (grant number 83144) and jointly funded by NordForsk, Nordic Energy Research, and Nordic Innovation.