Purpose: This research aimed to identify and synthesize circular economy-oriented business model innovation opportunities for the textile and apparel industry of Bangladesh to position the business to its B2B customers by achieving a sustained competitive advantage.  Design/methodology/approach: In this study, we conducted a multiple case study, analyzing 3 case companies using an abductive method under the interpretive research philosophy. As a result of our research, we aim to understand the current perceptions of the circular economy in Bangladesh's garment industry and identify opportunities for business model innovation. Therefore, we designed a questionnaire to obtain valuable insights and opinions from 9 business practitioners. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the respondents, semi-structured interviews and rating-based surveys were conducted. Results: As key results, three CE process has been identified as the most potential to bring BMI- are design (narrowing resource loop), production (slowing resource loop), and recycle (closing resource loop) based on which the T&A industry can position its business to achieve a sustained competitive advantage. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, no previous research has been done on this topic. This paper establishes an integrated conceptual model which is first of a kind to integrate CE resource loops and resource-based view. The data presented here are all based on the respondents' perceptions. This thesis paper can help academics do further research on industries that face issues with value creation, and professionals can apply the suggested practical solutions implications in their industry. Key Words: Sustainability, Circular Economy, Business-to-Business Positioning, Business Model Innovation, Textile and Apparel Industry

Background Waste has been around since humans started to create products. Today, it is a growing problem in the world; humans keep producing waste at a faster pace than we can handle. The world is becoming more conscious of our actions, and new solutions to manage and utilize the waste are desired. Medical waste lacks a global definition, which results in a lack of standardization for medical waste management. The rapid development of medical science and technology has led to increased use of medical consumables. Single-use gloves are the most commonly used consumable within healthcare. They are not recycled due to fear of contamination, which results in a big load on the environment by not preserving the value of the material. Objectives The objectives with the research have been to understand the waste industry and identify where waste streams have the opportunity to be replaced with circular systems through new technology. From the findings, design and propose a new technology that fits into a circular economy. Method Design Research Methodology and MSPI Innovation process worked as frameworks for the design process for the researchers during the thesis work. Inspiration from company visits, interviews, job shadowing, and literature research initiated the project and was used to clarify the problem. Prototypes, testing, and literature research were used to validate the design progress and followed up by lab experiments and mechanical design of a fully circular system. Results Through tests and experiments, a circular system for single-use protection gloves was designed. The proposed technology would eliminate the need for raw material extraction, manufacturing, and transportation. The system is based on making protection gloves from Polyvinyl Alcohol. Due to the unique properties of the material, it is possible to dissolve the gloves in water, sterilize them and remanufacture them into new gloves. The gloves proved to have similar mechanical properties to the current options on the market. The system includes many elements from the manufacturing process of nitrile rubber and latex gloves, but the introduction of cleaning and sterilization steps will question the main reason consumable protection gloves are used in the first place, to ensure sterility. Conclusion Optimizing, automating, and implementing this system will make the healthcare industry more environmentally friendly. Introducing a system to remanufacture and sterilize single-use gloves is a statement to prove the possibility to replace linear life cycles with circular ones, by questioning the reasons behind unsustainable behavior and solving those problems. Contaminated waste is incinerated today. Some argue that energy recovery classifies as recycling, but this system will focus on preserving the value of the material by reusing it in multiple cycles. Similar work will be necessary to keep up with the increased production of waste. Circular systems may enable humans to fulfill their needs with a significantly decreased environmental load. Before implementing this solution in the healthcare industry, more research must be carried out. However, the innovation of an in-house system and a more direct approach to manufacture – recycle – reuse, has presented to create new value of waste and further technological development to enhance the waste management and recycling industry. / Bakgrund Avfall har funnits sedan människor började tillverka produkter. Idag är det ett växande problem i världen, människor fortsätter att producera avfall i en snabbare takt än vad vi kan hantera. Världen blir mer medveten om åtgärderna men nya innovationer för att hantera och utnyttja avfallet behövs. Medicinskt avfall saknar en global definition som resulterar i brist på standardisering för hantering av medicinskt avfall. En snabb utveckling av medicinsk vetenskap och teknik har lett till en ökad användning av medicinska engångsartiklar. Engångshandskar är de vanligaste förbrukningsvarorna inom sjukvården och återvinns inte på grund av rädsla för förorening, vilket resulterar i en stor belastning på miljön eftersom materialets värde inte tas vara på. Syfte Målet med forskningen har varit att förstå avfallsindustrin och identifiera var avfallsströmmar kan ersättas med cirkulära system genom ny teknik. Utifrån resultaten, utforma och föreslå ny teknik som passar in i en cirkulär ekonomi. Metod Designforskningsmetodik (Design Research Methodology) och MSPI:s Innovationsprocess användes som ramar för designprocessen för forskarna under avhandlingsarbetet. Inspiration från företagsbesök, shadowing, intervjuer och litteraturforskning initierade projektet och användes för att klargöra problemet. Prototyper, tester och litteraturforskning användes för att validera designframstegen. Följt av laborationer och mekanisk design av ett komplett cirkulärt system. Resultat Genom tester och experiment designades ett cirkulärt system för skyddshandskar avsedda för engångsbruk. Den föreslagna tekniken skulle eliminera behovet av råmaterialutvinning, tillverkning och transport. Systemet är baserat på tillverkning av skyddshandskar från polyvinylalkohol. På grund av materialets unika egenskaper är det möjligt att lösa upp handskarna i vatten, sterilisera dem och åter tillverka dem till nya handskar. Handskarna visade sig ha jämförbara mekaniska egenskaper som de nuvarande alternativen på marknaden. Systemet innehåller många element från tillverkningsprocessen av nitrilgummi- och latexhandskar, men införandet av rengörings- och steriliseringssteg kommer att ifrågasätta den främsta orsaken till att förbrukningsskyddshandskar används i första hand - för att säkerställa sterilitet. Slutsats Optimering, automatisering och implementering av detta system kommer att göra sjukvårdsindustrin mer oberoende och mer miljövänlig. Att införa ett system för att återvinna och sterilisera skyddshandskar för engångsbruk, bevisar möjligheten att ersätta linjära livscykler med cirkulära, genom att ifrågasätta orsakerna bakom ohållbart beteende och lösa dessa problem. Förorenat avfall förbränns idag, somliga hävdar att energiåtervinning kan klassificeras som återvinning, men energiåtervinning saknar egenskapen att bevara materialets värde. Detta system har materialvärdet i fokus genom att återanvända det i flera cykler. Liknande arbete kommer att krävas för att hålla jämna steg med den ökade avfallsproduktionen. Cirkulära system kan göra det möjligt för människor att uppfylla sina behov med en avsevärt minskad miljöbelastning. Lösningen behöver ytterligare forskning och måste förbättras före implementering. Men innovationen i ett internt system och ett mer direkt tillvägagångssätt för tillverkning - återvinning - återanvändning har presenterats för att skapa nytt värde för avfall och ny teknisk utveckling för att förbättra avfallshanteringen och återvinningsindustri.

The diploma thesis deals with the concept of circular economy (hereinafter CE) and its application in several Czech and one multinational company. On these specific examples of companies, the work shows how circularity is achieved, with all the essentials of this fact, what support for the concept is offered in the Czech Republic and, last but not least, what obstacles and problems the companies face. Along with this practical experience, opinions by theoretical experts who deal with the issue in their profession are further examined. The aim of the work was to map the matter of use of secondary raw materials and other principles of CE in both practical and theoretical spheres of knowledge, and where possible, to compare these two views. Furthermore, the work focuses on the benefits of real use of the principles of CE in the Czech conditions from an environmental point of view. In its theoretical part, it first addresses the issue of waste in general, especially from the perspective of a global problem. It presents the development, current situation and forecast of the size of waste generation, including its impacts. Furthermore, it has introduced the concept of CE, its various concepts and definitions, together with the main principles. Subsequently, it presents the real adoption of the concept by...

Purpose: This thesis’ purpose is to identify a CLSC model of flat glass, including actors,waste sources, and what can be done with recycled flat glass. In addition, this researchaims to propose a cost structure of a flat glass CLSC. Thus, this thesis’ research questions(RQ) are: RQ1: How can closed-loop supply chains (CLSC) for the purpose of flat glasslook like? RQ1.A: What actors are a part of a flat glass CLSC? RQ1.B: What are thewaste sources of flat glass in a flat glass CLSC? RQ1.C: What are the uses of flat glassas secondary material? RQ2: How can a cost structure for a closed-loop supply chain(CLSC) for the purpose of flat glass look like?  Method: For this purpose of this thesis the researchers chose to employ a pragmatistresearch philosophy. The thesis is an exploratory qualitative study using an abductiveapproach. A case study strategy was used, and data was collected through semi-structuredinterviews and a literature review. Seven interviews were conducted with the six casecompanies. Findings: A flat glass CLSC consists of three phases: manufacture, use, and secondary(raw) material. The main actors are float glass manufacturer, flat glass processor/refiner,flat glass distributor, construction and demolition company, flat glass recycler, and freighthauler. Sub-actors of a flat glass CLSC are raw materials supplier, government, thirdparty contractors, container glass manufacturer, and glass wool manufacturer. Secondarymaterial occurs during flat glass manufacturing, distribution/transport, construction, anddemolition. It can be divided into three types, i.e., pure, high quality cut-offs,contaminated flat glass, and end-of-use flat glass. The possible uses of flat glass assecondary material are float glass, container glass, and glass wool manufacturing. Thecost structure for a flat glass CLSC divides cost elements into the three phases of a flatglass CLSC and six supply chain cost categories, which include manufacturing cost,distribution cost, warehousing cost, administration cost, capital cost, and installation cost. Theoretical Implications: This master’s thesis helps in adding to two research areas: flatglass and CLSC. By reviewing existing literature and conducting the case studies inChina, Germany, and Norway, the researchers can reflect the current practices of flat glassCLSCs in different countries, thereby adding to existing scientific research to close theresearch gap of flat glass CLSCs. Practical Implications: This master’s thesis contributes to practice by providing a flatglass CLSC model and cost structure which can be used as a starting point of developinga flat glass CLSC and its cost structure. In addition, this thesis is connected to anotherbigger research project in collaboration with the Linnaeus University and the city ofVäxjö, the findings from this thesis are beneficial for improving the situation of flat glassin Sweden. Societal Implications: By researching circularity in CDW, this master’s thesis helps notonly the city of Växjö but also other Swedish cities to improve the situation of flat glassand strive towards a full circular economy, further contributing to an increase insustainability in Sweden.

Planetary Boundaries (PB) and Circular Economy (CE) are becoming the paradigm for sustainability. There is an increasing interest to operationalise PB into a framework for businesses to maximise profitability within environmental limits. The context of the cotton textile industry makes a good setting for understanding the casual chain of connections between the socio-economic system expressed by extensive global supply chain of cotton, and its ecological interconnection with the Earth’s system that is put under pressure. For this study, life cycle assessment (LCA) is recognised as a suitable approach for measuring the linkages between those two systems. Results show that among all phases of the life cycle of a cotton t-shirt, the usage phase is the most impacting for most of environmental indicators, followed by the manufacturing and farming phase. Production or extraction of raw material as elements considered upstream in the supply chain are the predominant cause of impacts in this case study. Increasing circularity of the system yields to an improvement in environmental performance. However, the system remains largely unsustainable when taking into account the state of the Earth’s system, through the PB. When assessing sustainability through LCA, ecological references like PB, must be considered to understand absolute environmental sustainability a product system. This will reveal whether less impacting options in the system, are still deteriorating a state of the environment as a part of the Earth’s system, which needs to be the area of protection. In conclusion, linking planetary boundaries to life cycle assessment can help assess the absolute environmental sustainability, as opposed to relative sustainability, of a production system. Combining an assessment of the state of the environment (safe, critical/uncertain, at risk), and the assessment of environmental hotspots of the system under scrutiny, will determine where priority for goals and actions of improvements for environmental sustainability needs most attention.

As customers become more and more aware of the threats and limits of the current economic system, joined with the pressure of environmental policies, companies are pressured to rethink their offerings, processes, and business models in order to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. This transition requires significant changes in habits and behaviors, but simultaneously it offers opportunities for innovation. In this regard, business model innovation plays an essential role in enabling this transition via circular business models that close the loop. For the successful development, implementation, and adoption of new business models, a depth understanding of customers' needs is fundamental. However, little is known about the customer perceptions, motivations, and willingness to participate in circular economy. To address this gap, the study explores the transition to circular economy from the customers' perspective by employing a qualitative single case study bounded to the furniture retail company, IKEA, specifically the IKEA Second-Hand pilot store in Eskilstuna, Sweden. Through in-person interviews, observations, and a questionnaire, data from customers donating their used furniture to the recycling mall ReTuna, people discarding furniture at the recycling station, and people selling and giving away their used furniture via the social media platform Facebook, was captured to explore the customer experience in the after-use phase of furniture. Findings of the study present opportunities for the case company to strengthen its product recovery strategies.

The concept of sustainability is gaining visibility in recent years. Both society and companies are increasing their interest in every of its social, environmental, and economic dimensions. This interest is one of the reasons why the Circular Economy is escalating. One of the goals of this model of production and consumption is waste reduction through the creation of a closed-loop chain, where remanufacturing has a crucial role. Despite the benefits of remanufacturing, this process increases the complexity of the task, limiting access to this job due to the high level of knowledge required. This is the reason why Augmented Reality is presented in this thesis as a method to assist operators by guiding them and providing real-time feedback interactively. The main goal is to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and accessibility of this task. At the same time, this project aims to contribute to all dimensions of sustainability to a greater or lesser extent. To meet the objectives mentioned above, and keeping in mind the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM), an artifact is created. The case of study is an assembly operation reproduced in the IRMA-demonstrator in ASSAR Innovation Arena in Skövde (Sweden). A set of Augmented Reality instructions have been designed to guide the operator through the assembly task. First, with the help of the software provided by Microsoft, Dynamics 365 Guides, and afterward, by using Unity. The software is compared, and an attempt is made to justify the implementation of AR, specifically in the remanufacturing assembly task. The results seem to point to a reduction of errors in the operation. Finally, conclusions are extracted based on previous studies and the analysis of the design and implementation of the set of instructions. / <p>Det finns övrigt digitalt material (t.ex. film-, bild- eller ljudfiler) eller modeller/artefakter tillhörande examensarbetet som ska skickas till arkivet.</p>

Der Übergang von einer linearen Wirtschaftsweise zu einer Kreislaufwirtschaft hat gerade erst begonnen. Beim Umgang mit Kunststoffen wird deutlich, dass die Kreislaufführung noch nicht in dem Maße erfolgt, dass die möglichen Potenziale der Rückführung von verwertbaren Kunststoffabfällen in den Produktionskreislauf ausgeschöpft sind. Im Rahmen der Arbeit wurden 16 Maßnahmen zur Steigerung der Mengen des eingesetzten Rezyklats ausgewählt, charakterisiert und hinsichtlich deren Kosten für die Umsetzung und erzielbaren Mengeneffekte berechnet. Die ermittelten Werte wurden in Anlehnung an die Methode der Ökoeffizienzanalyse miteinander in Zusammenhang gebracht. Dabei wurde angenommen, dass mit jedem Mg durch die Maßnahmen zusätzlich bereitgestelltes Rezyklat eine Einsparung von CO2-Äquivalentemissionen erreicht wird.

The ’upcycling’ term and concept have gained interest as a new strategy of implementing circularity within businesses, however the concept have not yet been defined, resulting in a somewhat divided perception of what it entails and what activities it includes. This misunderstanding may hinder the circular economy development. However, Standards have been discussed to add structure to the industry, concerning sustainable standards, they have been argued necessary in order to reach levels of necessary change. Thus, this study aims to explore what upcycling is, how such terminology is defined and standardized, furthermore how this might be a way to come closer to a circular textile industry. Together with a review of earlier research on standards, policies and around change in institutions, an in-depth literature review was conducted to depict the definitions on upcycling within different fields. Additionally, interviews were conducted with companies and ‘experts’ within the textile and fashion industry, investigating the industry’s perception on ‘upcycling’ along with standardization of such circular terminology. Findings of the study confirmed standards are an important way to reach a level of agreement enabling for a circular change. However, it existed split opinions on the definition of ‘upcycling’ and what activities that are in fact upcycling. Nonetheless most of the reviewed articles as well as respondents both amongst the companies as well as the ‘experts’ argued that it essentially means keeping value or adding value, financially and or value as material quality. However, concerning the activities and what the value adding activities are, it seems to depend in what state the discarded material or product are in. Hence it is important to evaluate before ‘upcycling’, making the process of upcycling more efficient, regarding material optimization, also financially more desirable, a win win. The thesis argues to provide with knowledge regarding the ‘upcycling’ concept, as well on the importance of agreed definitions through standards, how they are developed and how it encourages institutional change.

Bygg- och anläggningssektorn har en stor inverkan på den globala uppvärmningen. Byggsektorn beräknas ha ett utsläpp på 15 miljoner ton koldioxidekvivalenter per år. Byggbranschen är även världens största konsument av råvara och den står för 50% av global stålproduktion samt förbrukar mer än 3 miljarder ton råvaror. Cirkulär ekonomi är ett uppåtgående koncept inom flertalet sektorer och branscher för att skapa en hållbar utveckling. Syftet med denna uppsats är att undersöka bygg- och anläggningssektorns förhållande till cirkulär ekonomin för att minska branschens klimatpåverkan. Vi vill undersöka hur byggsektorn kan bli klimatneutral med hjälp av cirkulära principer och initiativ som bland annat LFM30, vilket är en lokal färdplan för att uppnå de globala målen år 2030 för att bidra till ett hållbart byggande. Under analysen framkommer det hur utvalda företag ser på cirkulär ekonomi och deras kännedom kring ämnet. För att förverkliga den cirkulära ekonomins potential har flertalet arbetssätt identifierats av respondenter som arbetar inom ämnet vilket kan stödja den komplexa övergången till en cirkulär ekonomi i den byggda miljön. / The construction sector has a major impact on global warming and is estimated to have emissions of 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. The construction industry is also the largest consumer of raw materials, accounting for 50% of global steel production and consuming more than 3 billion tonnes of raw materials. Circular economics is an emerging concept in a wide range of sectors and industries for achieving a sustainable development. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the construction industry's view of circular economy in order to reduce the industry's climate impact. We want to explore how the construction sector can become climate neutral with the help of circular principles and initiatives such as LFM30, which is a local roadmap for achieving the global sustainable development goals for the year 2030, in order to contribute to a sustainable built environment. The analysis reveals how selected companies view circular economics and their knowledge of the subject. In order to realize the potential of the circular economy, different ways of working have been identified by respondents working within the subject,which can support the complex transition to a circular economy in the built environment.