| 1. |
- van Loon, Patricia, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Designing a circular business strategy: 7 years of evolution at a large washing machine manufacturer
- 2022
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Ingår i: Business Strategy and the Environment. - : Wiley. - 1099-0836 .- 0964-4733. ; 31:3, s. 1030-1041
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper discusses the development of circular business models for a large white goods manufacturer. A 7-year journey in designing, discussing, adapting, and finally finding a potentially profitable circular offer is summarized, and the barriers that had to be overcome in this process are highlighted. The shift from selling washing machines to repeated leases with remanufacturing steps in-between turned out to be very challenging. Despite the numerous claims in the consulting world that both manufacturers and consumers can benefit from the transition to a circular economy, it took multiple iterations to find a business model with the potential of being economically attractive to both the company and the client. The transformation process of shifting to a circular business model tends to be highly underestimated by companies and involves many issues beyond product design such as customer relationships, return logistics, remanufacturing operations, and service contracts. Researchers will need to work with companies to address the transition issues and to increase the relevance of circular economy research.
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| 2. |
- van Loon, Patricia, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Leasing or buying white goods: comparing manufacturer profitability versus cost to consumer
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Production Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0020-7543 .- 1366-588X. ; 58:4, s. 1092-1106
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Remanufacturing can create opportunities for companies to become more sustainable while remaining profitable. However, not all companies will be able to profit from moving towards a closed-loop business model. This paper investigates the profitability of leasing and remanufacturing washing machines for a large white goods producer based on data provided by them. A simple analytical model is built to simultaneously estimate the costs for consumers and costs and profits for the manufacturer under the leasing system. The results are compared with the costs and profitability of the linear system where premium, economy, and budget washing machines are sold to consumers. A sensitivity analysis is conducted on important factors such as repair, administration and transport costs. Using the replacement chain method, we show that the consumer costs of budget washing machines in the sales system is significantly higher than the costs for premium washing machines. Consequently, those consumers would benefit most from a circular system in which premium washing machines are leased against acceptable fees. However, the additional costs for the manufacturer make it a challenge to generate the same level of profit as in the linear system. The research discusses important cost components companies will have to address when making a move towards a circular business model with leasing and remanufacturing.
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| 3. |
- van Loon, Patricia, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Transition to the circular economy: the story of four case companies
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Production Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0020-7543 .- 1366-588X. ; 58:11, s. 3415-3422
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Shifting from a linear sales model to a circular service-based business model is far from straightforward. Many challenges accrue in the transition process, including finding the right market for the recirculated product/service, setting up the reverse supply chain, selecting the right partners, and making sure the new business model is sustainable in the short, medium and long term. This paper discusses the challenges of four companies trying to close the loop while preserving current profit levels. It describes their initial ideas on how the circular business model should be designed, the process they went through, challenges faced, and the eventual outcome. Based on the learnings of the four case companies, we summarise recommendations about preparatory steps required before making the transition towards a circular business model.
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| 4. |
- Agrawal, Tarun, 1989, et al.
(författare)
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Vehicle and stationary batteries for a sustainable future: recent developments and challenges around second-life applications and recycling
- 2023
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Ingår i: Handbook on Climate Change and Technology; edited by Frauke Urban and Johan Nordensvärd. - 9781800882102 ; , s. 291-301
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Transportation is one of the biggest causes of air pollution in cities and responsible for approximately a quarter of Europe's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To implement a low-emission mobility policy, zero-emission automobiles and the electrification of our transportation infrastructure are essential. For successful electrification, batteries and other readily available energy storage devices are required to accommodate significant amounts of renewable energy whose production varies according to the weather. As a result, the market for batteries for mobile and stationary applications is expanding quickly. Given the significance of batteries in our quest to become carbon neutral, this chapter discusses current advancements in battery technology for stationary and mobile applications, recycling and second life uses and necessity of collaboration, traceability, and transparency in order to create an effective circular supply chain of batteries.
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| 5. |
- Altuntas Vural, Ceren, 1980, et al.
(författare)
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Life after use: circular supply chains for second-life of electric vehicle batteries
- 2024
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Ingår i: Production Planning and Control. - 0953-7287 .- 1366-5871. ; In Press
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the increasing interest in second-life of electric vehicle batteries, the characteristics of supply chains to support such products are yet to be developed. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key supply chain characteristics required to effectively accommodate circular models for second-life electric vehicle batteries. Through a longitudinal case study, we map possible application areas and customer segments, necessary key activities, and potential actors that might emerge in future supply chains for these products. The findings are discussed in relation to product-oriented, use-oriented, and result-oriented circular models. The suggested circular models and their comparisons provide insights into how different supply chain dimensions are configured for different circular business models, and the advantages, disadvantages, and prerequisites associated by each model.
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| 6. |
- Magnerius, Mathias, 1993, et al.
(författare)
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Circular electric vehicle battery supply chains and their performance
- 2022
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This study explores how different circular electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain setups affect performance in terms of economy, environmental impact, logistical efficiency, and full lifecycle battery performance. Through a systematic literature review combined with empirical data from semi-structured interviews and a workshop, it is made evident that a dichotomy of two major trends is emerging and that the implications these have on performance are not well-understood. The massive growth expected in the EV market makes this a pressing issue which requires further study. This paper contributes with an empirically grounded discussion about the current developments and research gaps in this area.
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| 7. |
- Shahbazi, Sasha, et al.
(författare)
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Metal and Plastic Recycling Flows in a Circular Value Chain
- 2021
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Ingår i: Towards a Sustainable Future - Life Cycle Management. - Cham : Springer International Publishing. - 9783030771270 ; , s. 195-206
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Material efficiency in manufacturing is an enabler of circular economy and captures value in industry through decreasing the amount of material used to produce one unit of output, generating less waste per output and improving waste segregation and management. However, material types and fractions play an important role in successfulness of recycling initiatives. This study investigates two main fractions in automotive industry, namely, metal and plastic. For both material flows, information availability and standards and regulations are pivotal to increase segregation, optimize the collection and obtain the highest possible circulation rates with high quality of recyclables. This paper presents and compares the current information flows and standards and regulations of metals and plastics in the automotive value chain.
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| 8. |
- Shahmohammadi, Sadegh, et al.
(författare)
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Comparative Greenhouse Gas Footprinting of Online versus Traditional Shopping for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods: A Stochastic Approach
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Science & Technology. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0013-936X .- 1520-5851. ; 54:6, s. 3499-3509
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Variability in consumer practices and choices is typically not addressed in comparisons of environmental impacts of traditional shopping and e-commerce. Here, we developed a stochastic model to quantify the variability in the greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints of product distribution and purchase of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) via three prevalent retail channels in the United Kingdom (U.K.). We found that shopping via bricks and clicks (click and fulfillment via physical store delivery) most likely decreases the GHG footprints when substituting traditional shopping, while FMCGs purchased through pure players with parcel delivery often have higher GHG footprints compared to those purchased via traditional retail. The number of items purchased and the last-mile travel distance are the dominant contributors to the variability in the GHG footprints of all three retail channels. We further showed that substituting delivery vans with electric cargo bikes can lead to a GHG emission reduction of 26% via parcel delivery. Finally, we showed the differences in the "last mile" GHG footprint of traditional shopping in the U.K. compared to three other countries (China, Netherlands, and the United States), which are primarily caused by the different shares of modes of transport ( walking and by car, bus, and bike).
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| 9. |
- van Loon, Patricia, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Circular products and business models and environmental impact reductions : Current knowledge and knowledge gaps
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Cleaner Production. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0959-6526 .- 1879-1786. ; 288
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The circular economy is billed as a solution to increase economic growth while reducing environmental impact. It is argued that retaining the value of products, components and materials by fostering the “inner loops”, such as reuse, refurbishment and remanufacturing, increases the resource-efficiency. However, published environmental assessments estimating the actual impact of these so-called circular outcomes are inconclusive. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review of previous environmental assessments on circular products and circular business models, focusing on the tighter technical loops including reuse, refurbishment, and remanufacturing. Mapping reveals factors that influence the environmental impact of circular products and other aspects that should be incorporated in environmental assessments. Even though 239 papers were identified that discuss the environmental impact of circular products and/or circular business models, the far majority only considers a traditional product in a traditional sales model that is remanufactured and compares the impacts of remanufacturing with manufacturing new products. While it is important to quantify the impacts of remanufacturing, it is remarkable that product design strategies for circular economy (e.g. design for remanufacturing, upgradability, modularity) and product-service systems or other types of circular business models are usually not considered in the LCA studies. A lack of studies of products with so-called circular designs that are utilized within circular business models is apparent. In addition, many assessments are static analyses and limited consideration is given to future increases in the share of renewable energy. One can thus question how well the available environmental assessments quantify actual circular products/offerings and the environmental performance gains they could provide in a circular economy. The results show that there is an urgent need for more LCAs done in a way that better captures the potential benefits and deficiencies of circular products. Only then will it be possible to make robust claims about the environmental sustainability of circular products and circular business models and finally circular economy in total. © 2020 The Authors
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| 10. |
- van Loon, Patricia, 1987, et al.
(författare)
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Manufacturing firms’ efforts and challenges in digitalization: searching for circularity
- 2023
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- ABSTRACT. Purpose Digitalization creates numerous opportunities including digitally enabled offerings and extended “product lifetime” (Ertz et al., 2022). Manufacturers are increasingly investing in a range of digital technologies (Aryal et al., 2018). Research starts to explore how digital-enabled circular strategies can work and how digital technologies can be leveraged for circular economy (CE) (Kristoffersen et al., 2020). However, how to achieve this is in practical terms is referred to as an industry challenge and very uncertain (Björkdahl, 2020). Manufacturers need decision and implementation support for developing CE strategies and related application of digital technologies. Developing this type of understanding and support is the starting point for this paper. In this study, we aim to study manufacturing companies’ efforts towards digitalization and circularity. The goal is to analyze the challenges involved and to identify possible paths forward towards circularity. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds on a multiple case study of three manufacturers in Sweden. The case studies rely on multiple data sources, interviews, study visits, workshops, and secondary information. The within-case analysis forms the base for discussion across cases and elaborate on the paths towards circularity. Findings The preliminary results show that the three manufacturers have focused on exploring new service-based offering to their customers using digitalization, seeing it as an enabler to enrich their market offers. While interested in circularity, using digitalization to become more circular seems challenging due to digitalization not being treated as an opportunity for cross-department transformations. Original/value This paper sheds light on how three manufacturers use digital technologies to develop service-based products and are planning for sustainable circular transition through digitalization. It identifies common industrial challenges and provide suggestions to practitioners and researchers on what is needed to achieve digitally enabled circular systems.
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