Incorporating a marketing and communication perspective for the circular economy focus on the ways in which businesses use communications to commercialize their offerings and influence consumer behaviour (Dimensions of Behaviour Change and Design with Intent), for future marketing and communication strategies for business use of green marketing plays a key role in the success and sustainability of new business models to implement circular economy into practice.
How can companies incorporate circular economy principles into their commercial operations (purchasing and marketing)?
The concept of the circular economy provides inspiration for businesses to increase their resource efficiency. By adopting circular economy strategies and practices entrepreneurs can realize all sorts of different business benefits. There are few measures that incorporate a marketing and communications perspective on the circular economy, and which focus on the ways in which businesses providing circular products or services currently use communications to market their offerings and influence consumer behaviour. There are used two models from the field of design (Dimensions of Behaviour Change and Design with Intent) to interpret examples of web communications from four retailers of circular products and services and to suggest future marketing and communications strategies for use in business and research. Design frameworks can provide a relevant and comprehensive means to analyse marketing strategies and suggest less binary approaches than for instance green marketing.
How can companies market circular »waste«/by-products of their production to other businesses and industries?
EU waste policy and targets are key drivers for shifting to a circular economy. To step up efforts, targets on waste recycling with a 2030 horizon are proposed – 70 % for municipal waste and 80 % for packaging waste. The persisting economic system is basically a linear model where we extract, manufacture, sell, use and throw away. If we re-manufacture, reuse and recycle, with one industry’s waste becoming another’s raw material, we can move to a more circular economy where waste is eliminated, and resources are used in an efficient and sustainable way. Efficient and sustainable waste management focusing on waste reduction, reuse and recycling would contribute to stop losing valuable materials and ensure their reinjection into the EU economy.
Which benefits can companies gain by utilizing marketing strategies to promote circular economy practices of their business to their end-consumers?
The influence of the circular economy towards more sustainable businesses can be seen across a range of business areas. Studies on sustainable businesses is a prolific theme. In some areas this influence is more evident, seen as an underlying issue, in others, there is some blur on the real implications of circular economy practices to businesses. Nevertheless, many actions/practices towards circularity (or greater circularity) might not have been identified as such, thus having received other names, even though many have been in practice for a long. Strategic planning, cost management, circular supply chain management, quality management, environmental management, process management, logistics and reverse logistics, service management, and research and development are a few areas of a business/organization where the circular economy can act as a driver towards more sustainable practices. These practices can comprise mutual, multi-directional changes among the areas previously mentioned and others, as well as one might exert direct unidirectional influence over another.