The Circular Economy: What Every MBA Needs to Know

Circular economy strategies aim to redesign products, processes, and supply chains to minimize waste and use resources more productively. As consumers and regulators hold companies more accountable for sustainability, some companies are exploring circular economy solutions—from new product rental and resale business models to innovative packaging and new uses for waste products. This briefing summarizes the challenges and the promises of the circular economy.

Published 2022. 5 pages. PDF.

Authors: Rebecca Phillips, MBA ’22, EDGE Fellow, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, and Katie Kross, MBA, Managing Director, Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE), Duke University.

Special thanks to: Dan Vermeer, Rob Kaplan, and Jon Smieja.