Abstract
The conventional linear industrial economy – also referred to as “take-make-waste paradigm” focuses on optimizing production processes and reducing costs, aiming to increase the material welfare of billions of customers, often at the expense of environment and/or parts of society. This research looks closer at what is these days often regarded the iconic hallmark of this unsustainably wasteful material metabolism: plastics. The leading question is if a radical change of an unsustainable business model to a circular one might in return lead to a downturn of the social and/or economic pillar. The case of investigation is Mr. Green Africa – a sustainability-oriented Kenyan for-profit organization processing recyclables sourced from local waste pickers. The findings show that this company managed to improve the quality of recycled plastics to the extent needed for actual circularity. Nevertheless, they had to innovate their business model to avert compromising on the social and economic pillars.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 19th International CINet Conference - Continuous Innovation: Spinning out and spinning in |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Publication status | Published - 2018 |
Fields of science
- 205 Materials Engineering
- 205011 Polymer engineering
- 205016 Materials testing
- 211911 Sustainable technologies
- 103023 Polymer physics
- 502052 Business administration
- 104019 Polymer sciences
- 502015 Innovation management
- 502022 Sustainable economics
- 502032 Quality management
JKU Focus areas
- Management and Innovation
- Nano-, Bio- and Polymer-Systems: From Structure to Function