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Developing circular business models in Chinese furniture industry

Li, Yuanlong LU (2016) In IIIEE Masters Thesis IMEN56 20161
The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
Abstract
Chinese furniture industry is facing serious problem of limited virgin resources, environmental
pollution and has an overall low profit rate. Implementing the circular economy in the
industry is necessary and will contribute to its economically sustainable growth. Exploring and
understanding these limited business models and conditions under which resource efficiency
can be enabled and secured, especially the interrelations between barriers hindering the
implementation and dissemination of circular business models, is needed. The research on the
exploration and understanding of the implementation in reality could serve as a foundation to
develop and refine the applied circular business models and then pave the way for a further
and... (More)
Chinese furniture industry is facing serious problem of limited virgin resources, environmental
pollution and has an overall low profit rate. Implementing the circular economy in the
industry is necessary and will contribute to its economically sustainable growth. Exploring and
understanding these limited business models and conditions under which resource efficiency
can be enabled and secured, especially the interrelations between barriers hindering the
implementation and dissemination of circular business models, is needed. The research on the
exploration and understanding of the implementation in reality could serve as a foundation to
develop and refine the applied circular business models and then pave the way for a further
and sound development of circular economy in Chinese furniture industry, and as well as its
theory generation. This study seeks to explore and gain a better understanding of the concept
of the circular business models in Chinese furniture industry via a process consisting of
literature research, qualitative data collection through interviews, and case studies.
Circular business models practice such as circular supply, product-as-service, product life
extension, and resource recovery business modes are identified in Chinese furniture industry.
Existing practices are facing barriers to scale up; meanwhile they show potential in terms of
reducing raw material consumption, increasing resource efficiency and solving problem of
environment pollution. Furniture manufacturing and process companies, furniture retailers
and used products recycling collector, local governments and recovery and recycling
companies are the main actors and stakeholders involved in the circular business models
implementation. Barriers to the implementation and dissemination of circular business models
in China’s furniture selling and recycling sectors were identified to be institutional, market
based, organizational, individual and technological at both the external and internal levels.
More barriers found at the external level, which market based ones dominate. Used furniture
products related barriers are identified under technologies barriers sector as well. Barriers are
varied with business models. Current China’s circular business models implementation is still
at its early stage. More external changes are desired from all circular business models
implementing companies, especially on policy related and on consumers’ behaviors. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Li, Yuanlong LU
supervisor
organization
course
IMEN56 20161
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Chinese Furniture Industry, Circular Business Models Implementation, Circular Economy, Barriers
publication/series
IIIEE Masters Thesis
report number
2016:22
ISSN
1401-9191
language
English
id
8890915
date added to LUP
2016-09-06 12:14:42
date last changed
2016-09-06 12:14:42
@misc{8890915,
  abstract     = {{Chinese furniture industry is facing serious problem of limited virgin resources, environmental
pollution and has an overall low profit rate. Implementing the circular economy in the
industry is necessary and will contribute to its economically sustainable growth. Exploring and
understanding these limited business models and conditions under which resource efficiency
can be enabled and secured, especially the interrelations between barriers hindering the
implementation and dissemination of circular business models, is needed. The research on the
exploration and understanding of the implementation in reality could serve as a foundation to
develop and refine the applied circular business models and then pave the way for a further
and sound development of circular economy in Chinese furniture industry, and as well as its
theory generation. This study seeks to explore and gain a better understanding of the concept
of the circular business models in Chinese furniture industry via a process consisting of
literature research, qualitative data collection through interviews, and case studies.
Circular business models practice such as circular supply, product-as-service, product life
extension, and resource recovery business modes are identified in Chinese furniture industry.
Existing practices are facing barriers to scale up; meanwhile they show potential in terms of
reducing raw material consumption, increasing resource efficiency and solving problem of
environment pollution. Furniture manufacturing and process companies, furniture retailers
and used products recycling collector, local governments and recovery and recycling
companies are the main actors and stakeholders involved in the circular business models
implementation. Barriers to the implementation and dissemination of circular business models
in China’s furniture selling and recycling sectors were identified to be institutional, market
based, organizational, individual and technological at both the external and internal levels.
More barriers found at the external level, which market based ones dominate. Used furniture
products related barriers are identified under technologies barriers sector as well. Barriers are
varied with business models. Current China’s circular business models implementation is still
at its early stage. More external changes are desired from all circular business models
implementing companies, especially on policy related and on consumers’ behaviors.}},
  author       = {{Li, Yuanlong}},
  issn         = {{1401-9191}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{IIIEE Masters Thesis}},
  title        = {{Developing circular business models in Chinese furniture industry}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}