Knowledge Agora



Similar Articles

Title Born or Grown: Enablers and Barriers to Circular Business in Europe
ID_Doc 20230
Authors Briguglio, M; Llorente-Gonzalez, LJ; Meilak, C; Pereira, A; Spiteri, J; Vence, X
Title Born or Grown: Enablers and Barriers to Circular Business in Europe
Year 2021
Published Sustainability, 13, 24
Abstract Circular economy goals have made their way towards the very heart of EU policy, promising the delivery of both economic and environmental goals, but key to their achievement is the active involvement and participation of businesses. Scholarly literature has made considerable headway in describing the diverse CE business model archetypes and the enablers and barriers that can nurture the transition toward them. However, little work has been done to assess a more profound distinction-that between enterprises that are born circular in contrast with incumbent businesses that grow into circularity. We review 18 case studies of businesses in Europe, which shed light on this distinction. A systematic analysis of their internal, contextual, and policy issues results in the identification of ten key enablers (including business targets, cost reduction potential, loyal customers, demographic aspects, growing waste flows, environmentalism, EU policy, circular policy, and dis/incentives as well as sectoral considerations) and ten key barriers (including bottom line concerns, problematic consumer preferences, lack of infrastructure, technological barriers, poor access to finance, competition, lack of EU harmonisation, uncertainty and lack of internalisation of externalities, and the presence of obstructive policy). We observe that businesses which are born circular seem to face fewer barriers than those seeking to grow into circularity, a finding which offers hope for the transition to a circular economy. Our analysis also suggests that while some enablers and barriers cut across different types of businesses, others tend to be more prevalent among enterprises of a certain size or sector.
PDF

Similar Articles

ID Score Article
4852 Försterling, G; Orth, R; Gellert, B Transition to a Circular Economy in Europe through New Business Models: Barriers, Drivers, and Policy Making(2023)Sustainability, 15, 10
496 Kirchherr, J; Piscicelli, L; Bour, R; Kostense-Smit, E; Muller, J; Huibrechtse-Truijens, A; Hekkert, M Barriers to the Circular Economy: Evidence From the European Union (EU)(2018)
2238 Garcés-Ayerbe, C; Rivera-Torres, P; Suárez-Perales, I; Leyva-de la Hiz, DI Is It Possible to Change from a Linear to a Circular Economy? An Overview of Opportunities and Barriers for European Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Companies(2019)International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 16, 5
22368 Henry, M; Bauwens, T; Hekkert, M; Kirchherr, J A typology of circular start-ups: Analysis of 128 circular business models(2020)
6025 Urbinati, A; Rosa, P; Sassanelli, C; Chiaroni, D; Terzi, S Circular business models in the European manufacturing industry: A multiple case study analysis(2020)
4812 Leipold, S; Petit-Boix, A The circular economy and the bio-based sector - Perspectives of European and German stakeholders(2018)
6120 Tura, N; Hanski, J; Ahola, T; Ståhle, M; Piiparinen, S; Valkokari, P Unlocking circular business: A framework of barriers and drivers(2019)
2702 García-Quevedo, J; Jové-Llopis, E; Martínez-Ros, E Barriers to the circular economy in European small and medium-sized firms(2020)Business Strategy And The Environment, 29, 6
5648 Brändström, J; Jazairy, A; Lindgreen, ER Barriers to adopting circular business models: A cross-sectoral analysis(2024)Business Strategy And The Environment, 33, 5
5713 Rocha, RG; do Paço, A; Alves, H; Gaspar, PD The Portuguese Circular Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Experts Advice on How to Overcome the Challenges(2023)Sustainability, 15, 5
Scroll