| 1. |
- van Loon, Patricia, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing the economic and environmental impact of remanufacturing: a decision support tool for OEM suppliers
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Production Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0020-7543 .- 1366-588X. ; 56:4, s. 1662-1674
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The circular economy is often presented as a solution for companies to increase the sustainability of their business. In many situations where suppliers produce subassemblies or modules for OEMs in a B2B context, dependency on their clients limits their options for profitable closed-loop supply chains. In this paper, we develop a simple tool suppliers can use to quickly assess whether remanufacturing is economic and environmentally attractive compared to producing new components. We derive optimal acquisition and reuse quantities that minimise total costs. Based on our analysis with a supplier in the automotive industry, we find that used core prices and remanufacturing yield rates have a large impact while an optimised design for remanufacturing can only marginally improve the situation. The tool is applicable to a wide variety of suppliers and industries that remanufacture their modules or subassemblies, or are exploring the option to engage in remanufacturing operations.
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| 2. |
- van Loon, Patricia, et al.
(författare)
-
Comparing leasing and buying white goods for themanufacturer and consumer
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Remanufacturing, or other forms of recirculating products, can create opportunities forcompanies to become more sustainable while remaining profitable. However, not allcompanies will profit from a move towards a closed-loop business model and a thoroughassessment of the envisioned business models is therefore needed. This paper investigatesthe profitability of leasing and remanufacturing washing machines for a large white goodsproducer.An analytical model is built to simultaneously estimate the total cost of ownership(TCO) of consumers and costs and profit for the manufacturer. The results are comparedagainst the TCO and profitability of the linear system where high, medium and low endwashing machines are sold to the consumers. A sensitivity analysis is conducted onimportant factors such as repair, administration and transport costs.Using the replacement chain method, it was found that the TCO of low-end washingmachines in the sales system are significantly higher than for high-end washing machinesand consequently those consumers would benefit the most from a circular system in whichhigh-end washing machines are leased against acceptable prices. However, due toadditional costs for the manufacturer it remains challenging to make the same level of profitas in the linear system. The research shows important cost components which companieswill have to address when considering a move towards a circular business model that entailsleasing and remanufacturing.
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| 3. |
- 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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| 4. |
- van Loon, Patricia, 1987, et al.
(författare)
-
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
-
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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| 5. |
- van Loon, Patricia, et al.
(författare)
-
The role of second-hand markets in circular business : a simple model for leasing versus selling consumer products
- 2018
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Production Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0020-7543 .- 1366-588X. ; 56:1-2, s. 960-973
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper explores the role of the second-hand market when transitioning to a closed-loop system where products are leased multiple times. The total cost of ownership for consumers and profitability for manufacturers are compared in circular and linear business cases. We find that while second-hand markets were beneficial for manufacturers of durable goods in a linear system, since they increased the consumers’ willingness-to-pay for new products, the same second-hand markets might restrict the profitability of a closed-loop business model. A high resale value results in a relatively low cost of ownership in the sales system and additional activities in the closed-loop model (such as managing the lease contracts and refurbishment) add significant costs to the supply chain. Consequently, the economic (and environmental) benefits of leasing products already traded on second-hand markets in the linear system are often limited. Our simple analytical model allows a quick and dirty analysis of multiple scenarios with a minimum of inputs. We argue that manufacturers lack these kinds of models to guide them in navigating circular economy business models.
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| 6. |
- van Loon, Patricia, 1987, et al.
(författare)
-
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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| 7. |
- Wang, Zhaoming, et al.
(författare)
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Imputation and subset-based association analysis across different cancer types identifies multiple independent risk loci in the TERT-CLPTM1L region on chromosome 5p15.33
- 2014
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Ingår i: Human Molecular Genetics. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0964-6906 .- 1460-2083. ; 23:24, s. 6616-6633
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have mapped risk alleles for at least 10 distinct cancers to a small region of 63 000 bp on chromosome 5p15.33. This region harbors the TERT and CLPTM1L genes; the former encodes the catalytic subunit of telomerase reverse transcriptase and the latter may play a role in apoptosis. To investigate further the genetic architecture of common susceptibility alleles in this region, we conducted an agnostic subset-based meta-analysis (association analysis based on subsets) across six distinct cancers in 34 248 cases and 45 036 controls. Based on sequential conditional analysis, we identified as many as six independent risk loci marked by common single-nucleotide polymorphisms: five in the TERT gene (Region 1: rs7726159, P = 2.10 × 10(-39); Region 3: rs2853677, P = 3.30 × 10(-36) and PConditional = 2.36 × 10(-8); Region 4: rs2736098, P = 3.87 × 10(-12) and PConditional = 5.19 × 10(-6), Region 5: rs13172201, P = 0.041 and PConditional = 2.04 × 10(-6); and Region 6: rs10069690, P = 7.49 × 10(-15) and PConditional = 5.35 × 10(-7)) and one in the neighboring CLPTM1L gene (Region 2: rs451360; P = 1.90 × 10(-18) and PConditional = 7.06 × 10(-16)). Between three and five cancers mapped to each independent locus with both risk-enhancing and protective effects. Allele-specific effects on DNA methylation were seen for a subset of risk loci, indicating that methylation and subsequent effects on gene expression may contribute to the biology of risk variants on 5p15.33. Our results provide strong support for extensive pleiotropy across this region of 5p15.33, to an extent not previously observed in other cancer susceptibility loci.
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| 8. |
- 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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| 9. |
- 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
-
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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| 10. |
- Grossmann, Igor, et al.
(författare)
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Insights into the accuracy of social scientists' forecasts of societal change
- 2023
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Ingår i: Nature Human Behaviour. - : Springer Nature. - 2397-3374. ; 7, s. 484-501
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- How well can social scientists predict societal change, and what processes underlie their predictions? To answer these questions, we ran two forecasting tournaments testing the accuracy of predictions of societal change in domains commonly studied in the social sciences: ideological preferences, political polarization, life satisfaction, sentiment on social media, and gender-career and racial bias. After we provided them with historical trend data on the relevant domain, social scientists submitted pre-registered monthly forecasts for a year (Tournament 1; N = 86 teams and 359 forecasts), with an opportunity to update forecasts on the basis of new data six months later (Tournament 2; N = 120 teams and 546 forecasts). Benchmarking forecasting accuracy revealed that social scientists' forecasts were on average no more accurate than those of simple statistical models (historical means, random walks or linear regressions) or the aggregate forecasts of a sample from the general public (N = 802). However, scientists were more accurate if they had scientific expertise in a prediction domain, were interdisciplinary, used simpler models and based predictions on prior data. How accurate are social scientists in predicting societal change, and what processes underlie their predictions? Grossmann et al. report the findings of two forecasting tournaments. Social scientists' forecasts were on average no more accurate than those of simple statistical models.
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| 11. |
- Kurdve, Martin, 1971, et al.
(författare)
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Cost and value drivers in circular material flow logistics
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- This case study paper presents system costs and effect on costs due to variation in manufacturing performance in recycling of manufacturing generated waste. One case concern metal, manufacturing waste and the other plastic assembly process waste. There exist potentials for improvements in logistics and operation planning which could be aided by sharing production performance information. There are also potentials to increase value of the recycling material.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Lindahl, Emma, 1989-
(författare)
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Circular Production Management : Strategies for accelerating the transition from linear to circular
- 2024
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The manufacturing industry is searching for ways to reduce its use of natural resources but at the same time remain a business and be competitive. Production companies have seen the possibilities ofcircularity in production, which could bring new business opportunities when steering production towards closed-loop production systems. This licentiate thesis is focused on production operations, a central function in the production company that directly creates value for the customer in the manufacturing stage. Previous research shows that circularity could work as a strategy for the production company to reach the UN Sustainable Development goals. Previous research has focused on circularity in theproduct development stage and the design of production systems.However, little literature has focused on how established production operations practically change from their current linear production to a circular production. This licentiate thesis investigates how the production operation works with circularity transition today, and in what ways the production operation is supported to reach circularity goals. To address thementioned literature gap, research studies have been carried out by production companies in Sweden. Findings from the studies show similarities between the investigated companies regarding the scope and definition of the adopted circularity strategy, lack of clarified goals and lack of strategies in managing the production towards the anticipated direction. However, based on common circularity principles adopted from literature and managerial data generated from company interviews, themes and concepts were discovered that could give general recommendations anddirections for production companies to accelerate the transition from linear to circular production. The findings from the empirically driven investigations provide valuable insights into how circular transition couldbe managed in practice and which obstacles may arise and be overcome.The main contribution is three main aspects, circular production strategy, management systems and standards, which are identified as the enginethat in close connection with production operations drives the circularity transition. The practical contribution of this thesis addresses the lack of practical guidance on how manufacturing companies actually couldachieve circular production.
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| 14. |
- Linder, Marcus, et al.
(författare)
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A Metric for Quantifying Product-Level Circularity
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Industrial Ecology. - : Wiley. - 1088-1980 .- 1530-9290. ; 21:3, s. 545-558
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Circularity metrics are useful for empirically assessing the effects of a circular economy in terms of profitability, job creation, and environmental impacts. At present, however, there is no standardized method for measuring the circularity of products. We start by reviewing existing product-level metrics in terms of validity and reliability, taking note of theoretically justified principles for aggregating different types of material flows and cycles into a single value. We then argue that the economic value of product parts may constitute a useful basis for such aggregation; describe a set of principles for using economic value as a basis for measuring product circularity; and outline a metric that utilizes this approach. Our recommendation is to use the ratio of recirculated economic value to total product value as a circularity metric, using value chain costs as an estimator. In order to protect value chain actors’ sensitive financial data and facilitate neutrality regarding outsourcing or insourcing, we suggest a means to calculate product-level circularity based on sequential approximations of adding one product part and activity at a time. We conclude by suggesting potential avenues for further research, including ways in which the proposed metric can be used in wider assessments of the circular economy, and ways in which it may be further refined.
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| 15. |
- 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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| 16. |
- Nyström, Thomas, et al.
(författare)
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Future-adaptability for energy & resource efficient vehicles
- 2017
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED. ; , s. 269-277
-
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In contrast to linear business models, circular business models (CBMs) assign the product value and its lifecycle responsibility to a manufacturer or service provider where customers get access to functionality and performance during multiple use cycles. A CBM requires (due to the increased business risk for product obsolescence) suitable products designed for long service life, changes in service content, repair, upgrades and remanufacturing. This paper illustrates drivers that can make three categories of vehicles obsolete in a circular business model. We propose a conceptual framework where drivers for obsolescence are used as enablers for future adaptable design, exemplified with industry cases. Future adaptable vehicles have the potential to be both profitable and energy and resource efficient during use and in end of life in a CBM. However, it will challenge todaýs business models with a design logic that rewards longer and more flexible product life. Current barriers are legislation, standards and certification, and consumer acceptance. Besides organizations barriers and a general reluctance to changes.
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| 17. |
- Olsson, Linda, 1980-, et al.
(författare)
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Circular Business Models for Extended EV Battery Life
- 2018
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Ingår i: Batteries. - : MDPI AG. - 2313-0105. ; 4:4
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the near future, a large volume of electric vehicle (EV) batteries will reach their end-of-life in EVs. However, they may still retain capacity that could be used in a second life, e.g., for a second use in an EV, or for home electricity storage, thus becoming part of the circular economy instead of becoming waste. The aim of this paper is to explore second life of EV batteries to provide an understanding of how the battery value chain and related business models can become more circular. We apply qualitative research methods and draw on data from interviews and workshops with stakeholders, to identify barriers to and opportunities for second use of EV batteries. New business models are conceptualized, in which increased economic viability of second life and recycling and increased business opportunities for stakeholders may lead to reduced resource consumption. The results show that although several stakeholders see potential in second life, there are several barriers, many of which are of an organizational and cognitive nature. The paper concludes that actors along the battery value chain should set up new collaborations with other actors to be able to benefit from creating new business opportunities and developing new business models together.
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| 18. |
- Sampson, Joshua N., et al.
(författare)
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Analysis of Heritability and Shared Heritability Based on Genome-Wide Association Studies for 13 Cancer Types
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of the National Cancer Institute. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0027-8874 .- 1460-2105. ; 107:12
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Studies of related individuals have consistently demonstrated notable familial aggregation of cancer. We aim to estimate the heritability and genetic correlation attributable to the additive effects of common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for cancer at 13 anatomical sites. Methods: Between 2007 and 2014, the US National Cancer Institute has generated data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for 49 492 cancer case patients and 34 131 control patients. We apply novel mixed model methodology (GCTA) to this GWAS data to estimate the heritability of individual cancers, as well as the proportion of heritability attributable to cigarette smoking in smoking-related cancers, and the genetic correlation between pairs of cancers. Results: GWAS heritability was statistically significant at nearly all sites, with the estimates of array-based heritability, h(l)(2), on the liability threshold (LT) scale ranging from 0.05 to 0.38. Estimating the combined heritability of multiple smoking characteristics, we calculate that at least 24% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 14% to 37%) and 7% (95% CI = 4% to 11%) of the heritability for lung and bladder cancer, respectively, can be attributed to genetic determinants of smoking. Most pairs of cancers studied did not show evidence of strong genetic correlation. We found only four pairs of cancers with marginally statistically significant correlations, specifically kidney and testes (rho = 0.73, SE = 0.28), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and pediatric osteosarcoma (rho = 0.53, SE = 0.21), DLBCL and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) (rho = 0.51, SE = 0.18), and bladder and lung (rho = 0.35, SE = 0.14). Correlation analysis also indicates that the genetic architecture of lung cancer differs between a smoking population of European ancestry and a nonsmoking Asian population, allowing for the possibility that the genetic etiology for the same disease can vary by population and environmental exposures. Conclusion: Our results provide important insights into the genetic architecture of cancers and suggest new avenues for investigation.
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| 19. |
- 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
-
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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| 20. |
- 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
-
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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| 21. |
- Toorajipour, Reza
(författare)
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Circular Business Models for Electric Vehicle Battery Second Life : Challenges, enablers, and preconditions from an ecosystem perspective
- 2023
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sustainability has become a critical issue due to global warming, scarcity of resources, and the high costs of raw materials. It is vital to reconsider linear business models and value creation processes and transition towards circularity. The growth of the electric vehicles market is promising; however, it comes with a major downside. Soon there will be a considerable number of used batteries without the original capacity and potentially hazardous that cannot go to landfill due to environmental and economic reasons. In this regard, the use of electric vehicle batteries in second life (EVBSL) is suggested as a solution. EVBSL comes with benefits such as the extension of the battery life cycle, extracting value from the remaining capacity of the battery, reduction in the upfront costs of the electric vehicle, and create new revenue streams for the companies. And since various actors are involved in EVBSL, it is essential to study this phenomenon from an ecosystem perspective.Despite the recent focus of researchers on EVBSL, there are several gaps in the current literature on this topic. The first gap concerns the challenges and enablers of implementing circular business models (CBMs) for EVBSL. The second gap concerns the second life operations of electric vehicles (EV). There is a lack of research on the solutions that can guide the ecosystem actors to manage EVBSL-related activities. And the third gap concerns the limited research on the preconditions of circular business model innovation for the EVBSL that focuses on the transition from linear business models to CBMs. Therefore, this thesis aims to develop knowledge of the factors that influence the implementation of CBMs for EVBSL from an ecosystem perspective.This study intends to address these gaps by conducting qualitative research. An exploratory research design has been deemed adequate due to its flexibility and compatibility. This research draws on the existing literature on the second life of EV batteries, and circular business models. In total, 20 interviews and 15 workshops have been conducted covering 15 companies in the EVBSL ecosystem. Purposeful sampling was employed to select the EVBSL ecosystem actors with the aim of covering the key actors such as OEMs, battery manufacturer, recycling companies, remanufacturers, energy utility companies, material supplier for battery parts, construction and housing company, and public transportation companies. The collected data was analyzed via qualitative methods such as thematic analysis. The results of this study have led to the identification of nine key challenges and seven key enablers. Moreover, two dimensions (i.e., time frame and responsible entity) are identified from the empirical data, through which companies can structurally categorize and work with the identified key challenges and enablers. Based on this, a guiding framework is suggested that could support firms in the EV battery ecosystem to establish and manage various configurations for second-life operations in a series of phases such as firm-level initiation, ecosystem construction, firm-level optimization, and ecosystem orchestration. Finally, the current linear business models (traditional sales of products and services, product maintenance and support, R&D, consultancy, and services), upcoming CBMs (regenerating, looping, and sharing), and the preconditions (for value creation, capture, and delivery) for the circular business model innovation are extracted. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge in several ways. It enhances the current literature on challenges and enablers of EVBSL by covering various actors in this ecosystem and extends the knowledge on the scope of these factors. Moreover, this study is the first one that suggests a guiding framework for the ecosystem actors through configurations for second-life operations while shedding light on the preconditions of circular business innovation for EVBSL. This study also provides interesting insights for practitioners and managers in the EVBSL ecosystem.
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| 22. |
- Van Loon, Anne F., et al.
(författare)
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Review article: Drought as a continuum: memory effects in interlinked hydrological, ecological, and social systems
- 2024
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Droughts are often long lasting phenomena, without a distinct start or end, and with impacts cascading across sectors and systems, creating long-term legacies. Nevertheless, our current perception and management of droughts and their impacts is often event-based, which can limit the effective assessment of drought risks and reduction of drought impacts. Here, we advocate for changing this perspective and viewing drought as a hydro-eco-social continuum. We take a systems theory perspective and focus on how “memory” causes feedback and interactions between parts of the interconnected systems at different time scales. We first discuss the characteristics of the drought continuum with a focus on the hydrological, ecological, and social systems separately; and then study the system of systems. Our analysis is based on a review of the literature and a study of five cases: Chile, the Colorado River Basin in the US, Northeast Brazil, Kenya, and the Rhine River Basin in Northwest Europe. We find that the memories of past dry and wet periods, carried by both bio-physical (e.g. groundwater, vegetation) and social systems (e.g. people, governance), influence how future drought risk manifests. We identify four archetypes of drought dynamics: Impact & recovery; Slow resilience-building; Gradual collapse; and High resilience, big shock. The interactions between the hydrological, ecological and social systems result in systems shifting between these types, which plays out differently in the five case studies. We call for more research on drought preconditions and recovery in different systems, on dynamics cascading between systems and triggering system changes, and on dynamic vulnerability and maladaptation. Additionally, we argue for more continuous monitoring of drought hazards and impacts, modelling tools that better incorporate memories and adaptation responses, and management strategies that increase social and institutional memory to better deal with the complex hydro-eco-social drought continuum and identify effective pathways to adaptation.
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| 23. |
- 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
-
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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| 24. |
- van Loon, Patricia, et al.
(författare)
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Linking circularity metrics at product and society level (LinCS) : Final report
- 2021
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The LinCS research project aimed to generate knowledge and understanding on the environmental and financial implications of circular products and circular economy at micro and macro level. It also sought to consider and review potential rebound effects. While circular economy is promoted as a promising solution that will decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, empirical evidence and academic research on the sustainability of circular economy and circular business models is in an embryonic form. Hence, the following research questions were posed: What factors/variables impact the environmental performance of circular products/circular business models? Under what circumstances/conditions are circular products/circular business models environmentally and economically preferred compared to linear ones? How can circular business models be improved in order to be sustainable? What are suitable indicators to monitor the environmental effects of CE at the micro and macro level? Which policies need to be introduced/altered that prevent/reduce the proliferation of unsustainable CE and support sustainable CE products? The research started with an extensive systematic literature review that mapped current knowledge and knowledge gaps on the environmental impact of circular products and circular business models. Despite the large interest of researchers on circular economy, the review only identified 54 papers that quantified the environmental impact of a circular versus linear product or system. Many of these papers focused on the environmental impact of the reuse or remanufacturing process but did not include key aspects of circular economy such as product design specific to the circular economy, or circular business models. Hence, there is a clear need for more research on the environmental impact. Based on the review, several product characteristics can be distilled that have a strong role in determining whether a product is suitable for the circular economy. In other words, these characteristics help to determine whether the increased circularity of a product is likely to lead to reduced environmental impact compared to the production of new products. These characteristics include 1) the extension of the product life, 2) the contribution of the manufacturing stage to the total life cycle environmental impact compared to other stages, 3) innovation frequency, 4) deterioration impacts during the life cycle including wear, 5) usage intensity, and 6) obsolescence. In particular, white goods were highlighted in the literature as being less suitable, due to their large share of environmental impacts in the use phase and because there has historically been a high degree of energy-efficiency innovation. For other groups of products, such as consumer electronics, the results are more ambiguous as it depends on the usage intensity and speed of innovation. Given the clear lack of studies assessing the environmental impact of circular products including the key aspects of circular product design and circular business models, ten case studies were conducted as part of the LinCS project in which the environmental, economic, and circularity performance of a product in a linear and circular business model were quantified. The majority of the case studies included circular product design and circular business models. The case studies show that the circular offer reduced the greenhouse gas impacts significantly in all but one case (where the rental business model led to increased emissions from transport for the customer and was highly dependent on rental location). Most cases resulted in a 50 to 60 % reduction. Based on the results we conclude that the recovery process or business model that enables life extension is usually less material- and energy-intensive. We further argue that with the expected transition towards renewable energy sources, the focus will likely shift away from greenhouse gas emissions to other environmental impacts. Material intensity will become more central, with the associated impacts of extraction and mining processes, as well as impacts on biodiversity. As a consequence, it is likely that the superior performance of circular products will become even more apparent in the future. The case studies further showed that profitability is an issue for some, but not all, manufacturers. In many cases, the costs of the circular model were estimated to be lower than in the linear case, mainly because less items need to be manufactured to fulfil the same level of demand, reducing manufacturing costs significantly. However, the revenue that can be generated in the circular model compared to the linear model is also lower, meaning that in some cases the profitability became lower. In many cases, the price customers pay for the circular product was set significantly lower than the linear product. More knowledge is needed to help companies set the correct price that can make their circular offer profitable and economical attractive. Macro-economic modelling was then performed to assess potential secondary effects and explore the benefit for Sweden when transitioning towards a circular economy. Multi-Regional Input Output (MRIO) modelling was used to understand the link between product level changes and macro level impacts. To model potential rebound effects, three alternative spending scenarios were modelled for the estimated financial savings from using more circular products. None of these resulted in higher impacts than the current situation, however, the impact of the scenarios was highly variable and almost as high in one case. This highlights a potential rebound effect depending on how savings are spent and the importance of considering (e.g. in policy and research) future levels of disposable income of consumers. The results also suggest that there is a limit to what can be achieved with circularity and that more traditional reductions in energy and improvements in resource efficiency are still required. For policy makers we note that, in order to accelerate the transition to circular economy, one aspect can be to utilise a societal functions framework to track, monitor and develop targeted policy instruments. We utilized and developed a societal functions framework consisting of: housing and infrastructure; nutrition, mobility, consumables, services, healthcare, and communication. Indicators can be developed to track each societal function and each system level (from product level, to product group and the societal function it provides) so that the impact to deliver each societal function within a country can be tracked and mitigation measures applied. Monitoring of this would allow increased knowledge and remediation action on the possible emergence of rebound effects, such as where a product has increased macro impacts (e.g. through increased consumption) despite product level efficiency improvements (or where one functions impact decreases but leads to an increase in another, e.g. increasing impact of online videos). Similarly, knowledge on the use phase, including statistics on the use and associated impact of repair facilities, spare parts, and second-hand reuse, can be improved. For researchers we note that more research is needed on how innovation is affected in the circular economy and what its role can be for sustainable circular products. We further note that knowledge is lacking on consumer behaviour in the circular economy, both in terms of how people behave and react towards circular product design (e.g. modularity and upgradability) and circular business models as well as the impact of circular products and business models on consumption levels. Many of these challenges align with similar issues highlighted in research on product service systems for which there are many parallels, but where further research is also required. Finally, many of the challenges and potential pitfalls of circular products are because they currently need to operate within a linear market and a system that is currently based on cheap fossil fuels, where the cost and impact of raw material extraction is undervalued and underestimated. As we have noted above, the overwhelming evidence is that circular products have enormous potential to reduce impacts, but their fostering requires careful management and monitoring to avoid potential rebound effects.
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| 25. |
- 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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| 26. |
- Vogt Duberg, Johan, 1995-
(författare)
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Initiating Original Equipment Manufacturer Remanufacturing
- 2022
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Remanufacturing is an industrial process in which a core – a used, discarded, or broken product – is transformed into a product whose specification and condition are new-like. However, to this date, remanufacturing activities on the market are few in comparison to manufacturing. There are several types of remanufacturers; the least common type is the original equipment remanufacturer, an original equipment manufacturer that not only manufactures new products but also remanufactures cores of its own products. The potential for remanufacturing to become a more widely used industrial process for original equipment manufacturers is therefore high. Increased remanufacturing activities can positively contribute to the environment by transforming cores into a new-like condition instead of manufacturing new ones. The contribution comes from a reduction of raw material and energy consumption compared to manufacturing. Therefore, remanufacturing has the potential to decouple environmental impact from economic growth, thus contributing to more sustainable societies. However, assessing the benefits of remanufacturing does not directly correlate to growth within the remanufacturing industry. To encapsulate the environmental, social, and economic benefits of remanufacturing, manufacturers need to be aware of how remanufacturing can be initiated and implemented in practice with positive economic effects. The aim of this licentiate thesis, therefore is, to explore how original equipment manufacturers can initiate profitable remanufacturing. This research takes a stand in a single case study where the prospect of profitable remanufacturing is studied at an original equipment manufacturer. The applied case study developed knowledge of how remanufacturing could be incorporated into existing operations at an original equipment manufacturer. In parallel, analytical economic assessment models based on cost-benefit analysis were built to measure how well the case company could perform remanufacturing. There were seven primary remanufacturing scenarios developed, ranging from centralised remanufacturing performed by the original equipment manufacturer to decentralised performed at multiple locations using a retail network. Which scenario is preferable depends on, for example, risk-consciousness, cooperation between actors, and volume targets. However, given ideal circumstances, remanufacturing in-house in a centralised scenario was the most beneficial for the original equipment manufacturer since the fewer middle hands and economies of scale also enable lower costs. The modelled remanufacturing scenarios were based on a set of eight prerequisite factors for original equipment manufacturer remanufacturing that were derived during this research. These factors are divided into essential and supporting prerequisite factors and are illustrated through a framework called the remanufacturing rocket. The essential factors highlight fundamental requirements to perform remanufacturing. Should one of the four factors be missing, remanufacturing cannot be successfully initiated. The supporting factors can be neglected to a larger extent but are valuable to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the process, such as by streamlined operations, organisational change, or information exchange. Hence, to reach the fullest potential of remanufacturing, both the essential and the supporting factors are needed. Conclusively, as an answer to the thesis aim, it is proposed to apply the prerequisite factors together with an economic assessment in an iterative manner to investigate the profitability of initiating remanufacturing at original equipment manufacturers. The essential prerequisite factors influence the first iteration of the economic assessment, which then contributes to refinements of how the essential factors should be aligned in an economically preferable way. Once satisfactory, another iterative process could be initiated between the supporting prerequisite factors and the economic assessment. By using the proposed approach, the prospects of profitable remanufacturing could be thoroughly investigated before attempting to initiate a process in practice, thus reducing the number of resources spent in vain. Additionally, the iterative process was integrated into a five-step approach for initiating remanufacturing (5AFIR) to guide original equipment manufacturers towards initiating profitable remanufacturing. Through applying this approach, it was shown that the case company could initiate profitable remanufacturing.
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