94 4 Case Description and Within-Case Analysis
are therefore committed to protecting the environment in their daily work, as
described by the interviewee in the following quote: “There are many people that
are very committed to and motivated by outdoor spaces and they are climbers and
skiers and runners and paddlers and they want to do something good for the space
they care about.”
Another reason for engaging in circular economy is the anticipation of regula-tory changes. The interview partner explained it as follows: “A driver is regulatory
change and being able to anticipate potential changes and regulations and not have
to move retroactively.” Since the organization already voluntarily puts a lot of effort
into implementing the circular economy it is usually several steps ahead when it
comes to changes in governmental regulations. Consequently, it is easier for the
organization to comply with upcoming regulations.
The final driver for the organization is the increased attention to circulareconomy from retailers. As a young and growing company, the organization in
case Iota wants to ensure that it does not miss out on engaging in this issue which
is receiving a lot of attention within the industry. The issue of circularity has not
only become important for competitors but also for retailers who expect a certain
amount of commitment to it as explained in this quote: “Retailers are starting to
ask questions about brand image. They want to know what you are doing when it
comes to protecting the environment and how they can count on you to help them
lead on the issue of sustainability.”
4.11.3 Challenges for the Implementation
In terms of the challenges the organization in case Iota is facing, it hasn’t faced any
specific challenges with the approaches it selected to implement circular economy.
However, the interview partner identified some challenges which he expects to arise
in the future. These challenges are more systemic ones than specifically mapped to
the implementation approach pursued by the organization.
The first challenge is to rethink design of products. Products have to be designedin a way that they are modular and can easily be reengineered into something else
at the end of their lifecycle. This requires a rethinking in the production of mate-
rials by suppliers, manufacturers and customers. The current situation is that as
soon as a material is sold the supplier does not feel any responsibility for the waste
which might arise at the end of the product life. The interviewee sees the situation
as follows: “I think one of the biggest challenge we face is the economic model where
nobody owns the material (...) this issue with the waste where we don’t legally or
technically have any responsibility for the waste once the consumer has bought it