Valorizing waste through collaborations : A road map to expand the possibilities of a circular company

Abstract: When increasing the amount of recycled material in production the input materials are rarely homogenous which results in unavoidable waste streams. Utilizing this waste is of high importance when moving towards a Circular Economy and for firms to keep their circular identity. However, to achieve this, collaborations between firms are crucial. The purpose of this single case study is to develop a road map for how firms can create collaboration to strategically valorize waste streams from circular processes. Through a qualitative study based on 23 semi structured interviews the subject was investigated. The interviews were held in three phases with respondents from four different groups: the case company, potential collaborators, other firms with waste streams as well as subject experts. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed through a thematic analysis resulting in five themes. Moreover, this study resulted in a road map with three gears and multiple steps that companies should follow to create collaboration for valorizing waste streams. The three gears are: Gear 1: Internal preparation, Gear 2: Finding the right partner and Gear 3: Forming the collaboration. The study fills the gap in existing literature regarding the lack of a firm perspective of a concrete road map by which companies can go from producing a waste stream to creating a collaboration to valorize it. Both the managers of a company as well as an assigned person responsible for waste streams can benefit from the road map. Although the road map contains three consecutive gears, the containing steps can be considered individually or partly depending on the company’s circumstances. In addition, companies without circular processes can be inspired from the road map in their work of becoming more sustainable.