An overview of the circular economy among SMEs in the Basque country: A multiple case study
Abstract: This research
analyzes the maturity of environmental management as well as the degree of to
which the Circular Economy has been implemented in Basque SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach: A total of 17 case studies were carried out
in industrial SMEs companies in the Basque Country.
Findings: The main results show that companies are limited to complying
with the law and in many cases are worried about the image of the company,
although they are not committed to environmental issues. There is still a lot
to do in SMEs, as they are the companies that face the biggest challenges due
to a lack of resources.
Originality/value: Circular Economy aims to change a linear economy into
promoting sustainability of the economy while also engaging in sustainable
environmental protection. This research has focused on small and medium
enterprises as they represent a 99% of companies in Europe and they are the
ones that have the most difficulty reaching a stage of environmental excellence
due to their limited resources.
Author: Marta Ormazabal,
Vanessa Prieto-Sandoval, Carmen Jaca, Javier Santos
Journal Code: jptindustrigg160046
