4.1.2 Renault
The case study of Renault is focused upon a particular aspect of its manufacturing processes which addresses the need to address the use of recycled plastic to both reduce the costs of this resource and to provide higher levels of supply chain resilience whilst also reducing the environmental impact of the production of plastic and the waste products from this (Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017c). To address this issue, Renault collaborated with a number of stakeholders to develop a closed loop process to retain plastics within its manufacturing processes (Elllen MacArthur Foundation 2017c). This closed loop undertook a process of adapting existing systems, rather than developing a new one, and was therefore relatively straightforward to implement (Elllen MacArthur Foundation 2017c).
The different approaches undertaken by these selected organisations indicate some of the decision-making processes which are undertaken by an organisation in response to issues of sustainability which include resource security and the prevention of environmental degradation (George et al 2016; Bocken et al 2016). The application of the circular economy can therefore provide a means to increase the level of sustainability within a business activity, but this may undertake a business-centric approach by increasing the level of security within the supply chain (Jacobs and Chase 2017; Slack et al 2016). This implementation of the circular economy for Renault undertook an operations approach by seeking to reduce the amount of waste and arguably has elements of operations and quality management initiatives such as Total Quality Management with its focus on zero waste production and manufacturing (Jacobs and Chase 2017; Slack et al 2016). These case studies show how the focus on resource security to ensure that a vital resource is protected for the organisation thus focusing on the economic perspective and the environmental one, but also the additional value which this created for societal stakeholders in the area, such as the focus on the environment and societal stakeholders undertaken by Brazil Natura (Elllen MacArthur Foundation 2017b, 2017c).
Chapter 5: Conclusion
5.1 Research aim
The aim of the research was to build on the current level of research to explore the relationship between sustainability and the Circular Economy by considering its impacts on business models and innovation. This was addressed by providing an overview of the concepts of sustainability and the Circular Economy which focused on the economic, societal and environmental challenges which these concepts needed to address (Lewis and Maslin 2018; George et al 2016).
5.1.1 Objective 1: To examine the similarities and differences between sustainability and the Circular Economy.
The similarities and differences between sustainability ad the Circular Economy were evaluated to assess the overlaps between the two concepts, but to also clarify the different approaches (Geissdoerfer et al 2017). One of the main differences between sustainability and the Circular Economy relates to the focus of the concepts (Geissdoerfer et al 2017). It was found that the focus of sustainability relates to the push for an increased level of integration within the relationship between economy, society and the environment (Lewis and Maslin 2018; Geissdoerfer et al 2017). In contrast, the Circula
