The introduction of circular partnerships for a transition towards circular economy The case of retailers in the agri-food and electronics sectors

Details

Supervisors

Blome, Constantin

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Moving towards a circular economy can allow for a better and less harmful consumption model, away from our current linear model. However, companies are faced with barriers that hinder their circular transition. As previous literature shows, companies are subject to major changes while transitioning to a circular business model. The aim of this study is to look at partnerships with external circular partners that are both not as subjected to the market barriers as the main supply chain actors and that do not require for companies to drastically change their operations or invest substantially. We focused on retailers within the supply chain and dove further into the literature on circular economy, supply chain management as well as circular partnerships. We analyzed the supply chains of two different sectors and the partnerships that exist within them through online data and interviews. The findings indicate that the success of external circular partnerships for retailers highly depends on the sector and the decision-making power between actors of the supply chain. Circularity can be positively improved through these types of partnerships depending on the sector, especially for more local retailers. i