Circular supply chain orchestration to overcome Circular Economy challenges: An empirical investigation in the textile and fashion industries (original) (raw)
Related papers
International Journal of Production Research, 2019
Despite companies face several challenges when redesigning their supply chain for the Circular Economy, the literature lacks a systematisation of such challenges and of the ways to overcome them. Through a systematic literature review, this paper identifies and systematises 24 challenges that may hamper a supply chain redesign for the Circular Economy. Sixteen among these challenges are well known from research in related topics. On the contrary, the remaining eight are relatively new or take a different relevance within the Circular Economy context. A multiple case study in the household appliance supply chain is carried out, to explore how these challenges appear in practice and how companies may tackle them. The cases analysed involve actors at different supply chain levels, and findings suggest that a great degree of vertical integration by one actor in the supply chain is not a necessary condition for Circular Economy implementation. The empirical study, in conjunction with the literature analysis, leads to the development of a framework linking the challenges to specific levers that companies may pursue to overcome them. The framework can be seen as a reference for managers undertaking the path towards Circular Economy
Energies, 2021
The concept of the circular economy (CE) is receiving encouraging attention among scholars and practitioners, as a convenient solution to move away from the linear economy concept without neglecting the goals of sustainable development. The main goals of the CE are the closing of resource loops and the keeping of resources in the system for as long as possible at the highest utility level. However, as a result of the lack of internationally accepted definitions of the CE and several unsolved barriers, an excessive and inconsistent number of different CE applications exist. Most fields are mainly focusing on making a linear system circular instead of applying the CE principles in a holistic way. This paper presents a strategy to close the mentioned inconsistency gap, by contrasting currently discussed CE barriers and goals and thereof deriving two areas with a need for action (1. identifying the needed collection, sorting, and recovery infrastructure, and 2. developing circular produ...
Enablers to Implement Circular Initiatives in the Supply Chain: A Grey DEMATEL Method
Global Business Review, 2020
Circular economy (CE) is impacting the contemporary supply chain via transforming the production system, delivery method and product life solutions. CE models of a supply chain are relatively new, and organizations are trying to adopt circular practices to shift towards a CE. The primary aim of this study is to identify and investigate key enablers that assist organizations in taking initiatives towards the implementation of circular practices. In order to accomplish this objective, the key enablers of circular initiatives are identified through a comprehensive review of the available literature and then finalized through experts’ opinions. This study identifies ten significant enablers of circular initiatives and evaluates them appropriately through grey DEMATEL. The adopted methodology is to develop causal relationships among the identified enablers of circular initiatives. Further, it also categorizes the enablers of circular initiatives into cause and effect groups. The findings...
The anatomy of circular economy transition in the fashion industry
Social Responsibility Journal, 2020
Purpose Unsustainable fashion consumption and wasteful practices have recently garnered attention in practice and academia; however, research in this field is limited. This study is based upon an extensive review of the literature and aims to fill this gap by providing an in-depth understanding of various drivers and actors operating in the closed-loop fashion value chain. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework of transformation from the linear economy (LE) to the circular economy (CE) for the fashion industry based on “transition theory.” Design/methodology/approach This study is conducted in two phases. In Phase 1, a bibliographic compilation on the given subject is done. In Phase 2, data about the case company is collected through trade media and semi-structured interviews with the founder and the designers. Findings The study found that key drivers for the closed-loop fashion value chain are collaboration with partners, innovation, waste management system, customer ...
Human Systems Engineering and Design (IHSED 2023): Future Trends and Applications, 2023
The contribution aims to investigate integrated supply chain models in Italy. Through the analysis of some case studies, it aims to provide an initial mapping of territories where the involvement of communities in the production chains of local companies has generated sustainable circular supply chain models. In addition to the need to take action on carbon emissions (Coccia, 2022), there is a clear need to focus attention on a local dimension of textile and fashion production, capable of conceiving its own doing as part of a totality in which all the living beings that belong to a specific territorial ecosystem move, understood as a set of relations between an environmental system and a human society, which, organised also with evolved urban structures, find in that environmental system most of the fundamental resources for life, developing culturally and producing a system of relations, symbols, knowledge. The concept of the territorial ecosystem becomes fundamental for practicing...
Analysis of the implementation of changes in supply chains towards a circular economy
Scientific Papers of Silesian University of Technology. Organization and Management Series
Purpose: The purpose of the publication was to present the opportunities offered by the implementation of Cleaner Production projects in terms of improving the efficiency of supply chains, in accordance with the principles of transformation to the circular model, and to review indicators characterizing green supply chains, indicating the direction of further, in-depth research in a given area. Methodology: Fourteen entities that implemented implementation projects under the Cleaner Production Academy were analyzed. On this basis, the degree of adaptation of selected enterprises to functioning in the circular model in such areas as transport, reverse logistics, cooperation, and eco-design was discussed. The economic account related to the above was balanced. implementations, then the results of the projects were summarized in the form of economic, environmental, and social indicators. Findings: Confrontation of the ways of implementing changes in the area of improving the efficiency ...
The circular economy calls for a coordinated redesign of production and consumption patterns, ensuring that cascading material and product resource use continues for as long as possible. Moving away from the 'take, make, use and dispose' paradigm, the circular economy aims to extract the maximum value and utility from resources and products, encouraging principles such as zero-waste design, product-life extension and resource recovery, as well as repair and remanufacture services. Beyond waste reduction and recycling, a more circular textile sector needs to involve industrial, commercial and policy-making communities; spurring new forms of collaborations between and across traditionally linear value chains. Indeed, whilst technology innovation is crucial, with the search for new and improved ways to sort, separate, decontaminate and recycle textile fibres, the importance of process and business innovations must not be overlooked. This paper looks at the Horizon 2020 funded research project Resyntex, which strives to implement a circular redesign in the textiles sector. Within Resyntex, the authors have conducted stakeholder consultations in four geographically distinct regions throughout Europe, which utilise different approaches to the collection of textile waste, sourced from consumers, industry and institutions. The consultations took place in participatory, multi-stakeholder focus groups, whereby careful attention was paid to ensuring a balanced participation, bringing in diverse viewpoints and experiences and overcoming issues around competition and commercial sensitivity. Examining textile waste routes and their corresponding mosaic of collectors, sorters and recyclers, this paper identifies the key drivers and opportunities for textile waste collectors for a transition to more circular value chains. Through stakeholder engagement, the research proposes how conditions for collectors' adoption of circular practices can be improved, while avoiding sectoral disruption and ensuring maximum effectiveness of the redesigned chain of secondary textiles.