Successfully implementing a circular economy

Circular economy plays a key role in achieving climate targets, as a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the extraction and reprocessing of primary raw materials. In this context, it offers a wide range of innovation opportunities for the development of new products, processes and business models.

The goals of the circular economy (CE) are aimed at keeping products, components, and materials in stable, closed, and as long-lasting use cycles as possible, so that quality is maintained or even improved. This systems perspective calls for a greater focus on services for maintenance, repair, remanufacturing and high-quality recycling. CE thus goes far beyond a "recycling economy".

The implementation of these quite complex and cross-organizational processes requires new competencies in companies. This whitepaper presents six central solution approaches for the successful implementation of a circular economy. These approaches were developed in projects of Quality Austria and the Institute for Integrated Quality Design (IQD) of the Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) and in close cooperation with corporate practice.