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Circular Economy Strategies with Social Implications: Findings from a Case Study

Author

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  • Katherine Mansilla-Obando

    (Faculty of Economics and Business, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago 7501015, Chile)

  • Fabiola Jeldes-Delgado

    (School of International Business, CIDEP UV, Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 2360102, Chile)

  • Nataly Guiñez-Cabrera

    (Department of Business Management, Faculty of Business Sciences, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán 3810189, Chile)

Abstract

To progress towards sustainable development, more companies are voluntarily committing to move from a linear economy to a circular economy (CE), mitigating resource consumption and waste generation. Despite the commitment of companies, there is a lack of understanding of how stakeholders view reduction, reuse, and recycling (3R), and the social aspects related to them. Stakeholders were asked how they perceive CE strategies, and more specifically, how they perceive that these strategies, observed in the practice of the 3Rs, transcend into social aspects. The objective of this research is to analyse stakeholders’ perception of CE strategies using the 3Rs framework and stakeholder theory. Using a qualitative methodology, we conducted a case study for Green Glass, a company that uses glass as an input to manufacture its products. By analysing the content of 20 interviews, 23 videos, and 24 news items related to the company, we found that Green Glass stakeholders perceive the contribution of the 3Rs towards CE and that these have social implications, such as supplier evaluation with social impact, responsibility for the product, and decent work.

Suggested Citation

  • Katherine Mansilla-Obando & Fabiola Jeldes-Delgado & Nataly Guiñez-Cabrera, 2022. "Circular Economy Strategies with Social Implications: Findings from a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-16, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:20:p:13658-:d:949642
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    References listed on IDEAS

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