Graduation Year
2018
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Environmental Analysis
Reader 1
Bowman Cutter
Reader 2
John Jurewitz
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
©2017 Alexandra C Seidel
Abstract
Inspired by the way nature cycles waste in an ecosystem, the circular economy was developed as an alternative to the linear take-make-dispose model and designed to decouple economic growth from resource use. After developing a framework for what it means to be a business pursuing circularity, this thesis examines six different companies to explore the tension between the strategies and business models in theory and what business are implementing in practice today. This exploration continues with an in-depth analysis of the circular success of IKEA, finding that the gains from the circular economy for a large corporation are found within their own operations. With the company’s scale, IKEA is able to act as a transfer hub of technology and best practices, ultimately allowing the company to make a global impact.
Recommended Citation
Seidel, Alexandra, "Closing the Loop: Exploring IKEA’s Transition to the Circular Economy" (2018). Pomona Senior Theses. 192.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/192
Included in
Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons, Environmental Studies Commons
