Modern Circular Economy: Corporate Strategy, Supply Chain, and Industrial Symbiosis

This paper analyses the firms’ chances to consider circular economy as a part of the corporate strategy. The analysis of four Italian firms engaged in circular economy programs allows us to detect its connections with the corporate strategy, the real activities involved, the supply chain network ens...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Cristina Maranesi, Pietro De Giovanni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-11-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/22/9383
Description
Summary:This paper analyses the firms’ chances to consider circular economy as a part of the corporate strategy. The analysis of four Italian firms engaged in circular economy programs allows us to detect its connections with the corporate strategy, the real activities involved, the supply chain network ensuring circularity, the industrial symbiosis, as well as the links with performance. Our findings highlight that circular economy is a true business lever when the corporate strategy complements and supports its development. This allows firms to achieve high level targets that go beyond the traditional targets of social, environmental, and economic performance, and include circular supply chain, eco-innovations, and industrial symbiosis.
ISSN:2071-1050