NewsINFURI: Circular economy

The circular economy is seen as a potential solution to the overcrowding of earth’s resources in the global economic system. However, the introduction of circularity is still in its infancy, which we attribute to the various obstacles faced by companies. Studies on these barriers have identified a significant number of potential barriers, but these studies have not explored the diversity of perceptions of these barriers by different firms. With the INnovation in the FURniture Industry in the era of circular economy project, or INFURI for short, we want to stimulate thinking, strengthen knowledge and share experiences in the field of the circular economy among young people and employees in the furniture industry. Thus, within the framework of the first intellectual result (IO1), research was conducted within the framework of Circular Economy Living Labs. Through these activities, the various countries involved in the INFURI project had the opportunity to collaborate with furniture companies that have already started using the circular economy and researched barriers and incentives in the transition to circularity. With the help of the Q-methodology and with the participation of 30 furniture companies from five EU countries, the study revealed four patterns of perception of obstacles. These four perception patterns are distinct from each other, with high reliabilities and weak correlations between patterns. The analysis showed that barriers to circularity are not perceived in a single generalizing way. Thus, the study provided valuable insight into the development of support policies for the circular economy. You can read more about it at the link below:

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/19/11072