The Role of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment in the Implementation of Circular Economy Principles in Organizations

Niero, Monia; Rivera, Ximena C. Schmidt

doi:10.1016/j.procir.2017.11.022

Cited by 58 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Thus, LCA is not only a dynamic capability but also an essential tool or prime source for sensing a CE opportunity. Our finding on the role of LCA implies that firms aiming towards CE should adopt LCA (Niero & Rivera, ). Indeed, the significance of LCA has been also observed in the development of green products (Dangelico & Pujari, ), sustainable innovations (Mousavi & Bossink, ), and industrial symbiosis (Daddi et al, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Microfoundations of dynamic capabilities: Insights from circular economy business cases

2020

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Circular economy is a key strategy to achieve corporate sustainability. However, so far, most firms are unable to translate the concept of circular economy into their corporate strategies, business models, and operations. Some scholars have argued that firms need to develop new (and dynamic) capabilities for circular economy implementation. Yet there is a little discussion on how firms can develop such capabilities. Notably, there is a paucity of research on specific skills, processes, and organizational activities (microfoundations of dynamic capabilities) that may facilitate circular economy implementation. To address this knowledge gap, using a multiple‐case studies approach, we explore microfoundations of dynamic capabilities in successful circular economy business cases. Our findings indicate that dynamic capabilities positively contribute to circular economy implementation. Our case studies show that case firms identified circular economy opportunities by using four microfoundations of sensing capability. Further, case firms acted on the identified opportunities by using simultaneously three microfoundations of seizing capability and four microfoundations of reconfiguring capability. This paper contributes to the literature on the relations between dynamic capabilities and corporate sustainability by providing insights on how sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring dynamic capabilities act in successful operationalization of circular economy strategies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Microfoundations of dynamic capabilities: Insights from circular economy business cases

2020

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“…The baseline of this concept is the development of the economic loop mechanism [10, [14][15][16][17] in which waste becomes the raw materials of the future. It consists of important pillars including Industrial symbiosis and ecology, regenerative design, performance economy, and cradle to cradle subject [10,16,[18][19][20][21][22].…”

Section: Circular Economy Principles and Key Requirements Within The mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Stakeholders’ Perspective within the B Corp Certification for a Circular Approach

et al. 2019

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A circular economy has been gaining momentum as the most innovative approach in business. Its proposed model, based on sustainability and new product-driven differentiated strategies of production and organizational exchange, has brought to light the need to better understand the relevance of stakeholders as a critical factor in the creation of new added value in business management. The primary purpose of this paper is to investigate how the B-Corp Certification System could contribute to a process of awareness raising in business organizations. It also focuses on the stakeholders’ commitment, within the framework of circular economy principles, and demonstrates that those companies who are adopting the certification concerning “recycling service and waste management” strongly contribute to the development in the direction of the circular economy. The analysis of the case studies shows two possible scenarios describing the circular approach in business and the different roles of stakeholders in the activation of such a virtuous path. “Social recycling” considers the key role of social participation and contribution in circular-economy related activities of primary and secondary stakeholders, and “highly regenerative recycling” aims to involve qualified stakeholders to start inter-organizational symbioses within the circular process of waste recycling. Key factors, such as industrial symbiosis, tax benefits, financial incentives, legislative harmonization, and the consumers’ behavior, represent the tenets of the circular economy model An awareness-raising perspective and the capacity on the part of companies to understand the relevance of stakeholders and the way to transform their role into the most effective lever to reinforce competitiveness is therefore necessary. Accordingly, the whole system of Benefit Corporation certification could boost business towards new business models involving stakeholders in several directions.

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“…These can be classified as actions oriented either towards effects or towards causes on economic, social, and environmental aspects. Among the actions oriented towards effects, the most representative techniques include life cycle assessment (LCA) [5,6], remanufacturing [7], recycling [8], etc. About second actions are those which are oriented to causes, such as, cradle to cradle (C2C) [9] or biodesign [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Standardization Framework for Sustainability from Circular Economy 4.0

et al. 2019

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The circular economy (CE) is widely known as a way to implement and achieve sustainability, mainly due to its contribution towards the separation of biological and technical nutrients under cyclic industrial metabolism. The incorporation of the principles of the CE in the links of the value chain of the various sectors of the economy strives to ensure circularity, safety, and efficiency. The framework proposed is aligned with the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development regarding the orientation towards the mitigation and regeneration of the metabolic rift by considering a double perspective. Firstly, it strives to conceptualize the CE as a paradigm of sustainability. Its principles are established, and its techniques and tools are organized into two frameworks oriented towards causes (cradle to cradle) and effects (life cycle assessment), and these are structured under the three pillars of sustainability, for their projection within the proposed framework. Secondly, a framework is established to facilitate the implementation of the CE with the use of standards, which constitute the requirements, tools, and indicators to control each life cycle phase, and of key enabling technologies (KETs) that add circular value 4.0 to the socio-ecological transition.

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The Role of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment in the Implementation of Circular Economy Principles in Organizations

Cited by 58 publications

References 17 publications

Microfoundations of dynamic capabilities: Insights from circular economy business cases

Microfoundations of dynamic capabilities: Insights from circular economy business cases

The Stakeholders’ Perspective within the B Corp Certification for a Circular Approach

Standardization Framework for Sustainability from Circular Economy 4.0

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