Publicação
Circular economy through innovation within business networks : a case study on returnable bottles
| Resumo: | Innovating is extremely important to companies, even more so when innovation aligns with sustainability. The circular economy is substituting the classic linear model to increase the product life cycle. A productive circular economy is necessarily a well-coordinated business network. The difficulty in implementing a business model that benefits from these relationships between innovation, sustainability, circular economy, and business networks is a key factor for companies. This study aims to explore the relationship between innovation and circular economy from a business network perspective. A case study of a refreshing drinks company that follows a returnable bottle strategy was developed and supported by a semi-structured interview. In this company, all the innovation projects go through a filter that gives a sustainability score (A, B, C, and D), considering several environmental factors such as sustainable packaging, water, energy, resources consumed, and consumer perception. Returnable packaging currently constitutes, for the company, more than 85% of what is sold in bars, cafes, and restaurants. Additionally, ecological concern has contributed to changing consumer behavior, as they are much more attentive to today's products. Consumers increasingly demand sustainable packaging, which puts pressure on the company, as it will impact its sales and reputation. Finally, the company maintains relationships with several companies and favors nearby suppliers to mitigate the C02 footprint. These relationships have mutual benefits because they often challenge suppliers or vice versa, which always results in process optimization and continuous improvement. |
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| Autores principais: | Carmo, Miguel Penas do |
| Assunto: | Sustainability Innovation Circular Economy Business Networks Sustentabilidade Inovação Economia Circular Redes de Negócio |
| Ano: | 2023 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | dissertação de mestrado |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | Innovating is extremely important to companies, even more so when innovation aligns with sustainability. The circular economy is substituting the classic linear model to increase the product life cycle. A productive circular economy is necessarily a well-coordinated business network. The difficulty in implementing a business model that benefits from these relationships between innovation, sustainability, circular economy, and business networks is a key factor for companies. This study aims to explore the relationship between innovation and circular economy from a business network perspective. A case study of a refreshing drinks company that follows a returnable bottle strategy was developed and supported by a semi-structured interview. In this company, all the innovation projects go through a filter that gives a sustainability score (A, B, C, and D), considering several environmental factors such as sustainable packaging, water, energy, resources consumed, and consumer perception. Returnable packaging currently constitutes, for the company, more than 85% of what is sold in bars, cafes, and restaurants. Additionally, ecological concern has contributed to changing consumer behavior, as they are much more attentive to today's products. Consumers increasingly demand sustainable packaging, which puts pressure on the company, as it will impact its sales and reputation. Finally, the company maintains relationships with several companies and favors nearby suppliers to mitigate the C02 footprint. These relationships have mutual benefits because they often challenge suppliers or vice versa, which always results in process optimization and continuous improvement. |
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