Abstract:
The issue of sustainability has become increasingly central to political and economic
debates since the beginning of this century. The data that emerge regarding the impact
of humanity on the environment is sadly dramatic; they are unmistakable signs of how the
linear model of development, which has characterized the last century, is unsustainable for a
long-term environmental and economic balance. In this complex context, however, we now
have a new model of development based on the principle of collaboration, thus reducing
competitive relations; a model that values cross-sectoral relations and promotes an economy
of dialogue, of harmonization between industries, territory and consumption: The Circular
Economy. In this new development model, the European Union is investing a lot in order
to convert its productive system and favour more economic integration between the member
countries.
This dissertation aims to explore how European Circular Economy plans influenced the
development of circular practices by four selected Italian companies in different sectors. The
methodology that I selected to develop my research is both qualitative and quantitative. The
data for this project come from primary and secondary legislative, statistical and reporting
sources of European institutions, foundations and universities with a particular focus on
data collected since 2015, the year of adoption of the first Plan for the European Circular
Economy. In order to present a closer and more precise idea of companies’ perceptions and
roles in the circularity transformation, I used the interview method. The final document
aims to be a political and economic analysis of how far Europe has managed to implement
to constitute a circular development path and how these solutions have been favourable for
the development of new business models.
