%0 Thesis
%9 Master
%A Huiding, Julia
%D 2023
%F theses_frw:4310
%P 54
%T Exploring circular initiatives in the dairy industry; A multi-case study of production companies and their networks
%U https://frw.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/4310/
%X Circularity is now on the agenda of most companies and consumers are increasingly choosing circular products over linear products. This is a good development, since environmental problems can be traced back to waste of raw materials and products. However, decreasing waste can only be done when the production process becomes more circular, showing the relevance of this paper. In this study, interviews have been conducted with production firms in the dairy industry and a secondary data analysis is done to find out whether the network of a firm has influence on the amount of circular initiatives. The interviews reveal companies have different views on what circularity is in detail, which allows for differences in what is seen as being circular. Companies use their own R&D sections together with their networks to create circular initiatives and knowledge institutions such as Wageningen Universiteit in their networks to conduct independent research. The university creates new knowledge to help develop circular initiatives of the companies in this study. Companies in this study use the triple helix model, even though the government often does not aid development of initiatives by hampering development with rules and regulations. The secondary data analysis reveals that circularity is an important, and popular topic, but attaining circularity is difficult and cannot be done without cooperation and change in behavior of both companies and consumers.