| Title | Chapter 3 |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | The circular economy and sustainable business developments |
| Contributor | Chanté Botha(author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.4102/aosis.2025.BK566.03 |
| Landing page | https://books.aosis.co.za/index.php/ob/catalog/book/566 |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Marius Venter & Chané de Bruyn. Licensee: AOSIS (Pty) Ltd. The moral rights of the editors and authors have been asserted. |
| Publisher | AOSIS |
| Long abstract | The transition towards a circular economy (CE) represents a paradigm shift in resource utilisation, moving beyond the traditional linear ‘take-make-dispose ’ model towards a regenerative system focused on reuse, repurposing and sustainability. This chapter introduces the three different economies, namely linear, circular and performance economies; however, for the purpose of this chapter, only circular economies are examined and discussed. The chapter first discusses the CE principles, explaining that aCE is to create a closed-loop system where resources are reused, repurposed, and recycled to reduce environmental impact. Real-world applications, such as Apple’s trade-in and refurbishment initiatives and Bridgestone’s waste reduction strategies illustrate the practical implementation of CE. Furthermore, CE business models are discussed by showing how South African businesses adopt circular business models and how companies integrate circular strategies to extend product life cycles and reduce environmental impact. Strategies for implementing a CE within businesses are discussed, including frameworks such as the 9R framework, life cycle assessment, International Organization for Standardisation 59020:2024, and circularity matrices that guide CE transitions. The chapter introduces sustainable development principles and the benefits of adopting sustainable practices. This is followed by the role of sustainable technology transfer in enabling CE adoption, alongside examples of sustainable technologies and practices and successful examples of sustainability initiatives in Africa. The relationship between research and development(R&D) and commercialisation is also analysed, including the contributing factors to successfully commercialise technologies, such as market analysis and end-user/customer involvement during the R&D phase, funding and investment, partnership and collaboration and taming the ‘Valley of Death’.Finally, the chapter contextualises R&D support that is available within the South African context to promote sustainable technologies. Ultimately, the chapter underscores that adopting CE principles is not merely a sustainability imperative but a competitive strategy for long-term business resilience and economic development. |
| Print length | 22 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
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Chanté Botha is an accomplished academic and researcher with a PhD in Business Management from UJ, South Africa and Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. As a senior lecturer at Johannesburg Business School at UJ, South Africa, she specialises in digital transformation, entrepreneurship, strategy and innovation. Passionate about the intersection of technology and education, she actively integrates digital tools into teaching to enhance learning experiences and foster digital competence. She is a prolific researcher, publishing widely on business model innovation and digital maturity in small enterprises. Her contributions extend to postgraduate supervision, curriculum development and academic leadership, and she regularly serves as a journal peer reviewer and external moderator. Committed to bridging the gap between theory and practice, Botha frequently engages in industry collaborations, workshops and conferences, advocating for the integration of technology and innovation in business and education.