Kinnarps in a joint research project designed to contribute to the transition to a circular economy
The world has worked in a linear economy since the industrial revolution. Today there is a great need to reduce our climate impact, and a transition to a circular economy is an important step on the way. The aim of a circular economy is to reduce resource consumption while contributing to improved profitability. There is a transformation under way in many industries, with people actively looking for solutions for making a transition to new business models, ways of working and processes, and new materials, measurement methods and indicators.
Developing and testing circular indicators
Humlegården, IVL, Kinnarps and RISE are now launching the project 'Circularity metrics in business KPIs' (CIRinK 2), which has the aim of developing circular indicators and testing them in reality on circular business models and products. The initiative focuses on two realistic case studies in the form of two pilot tests of circular products and circular offers. In the long term, the initiators of the research project hope it can support Swedish industry in the work of building circular offers, measuring their development and adding circular KPIs to the collection of more familiar ones.
Adaptations required
The transition to a circular business model is a major step for any company. It requires new benchmarks and new result indicators. Finding clear, easily applicable and communicable indicators for a circular economy has been identified as an important challenge.
"In order to speed up the transformation and make it possible to set requirements for sustainable circular furniture and offers, we need to be able to measure the many aspects of circularity in a simple and validated way. This project gives us an opportunity to evaluate scientifically how circular our products are, which is an important part of ensuring that they are truly sustainable," says Johanna Ljunggren, Sustainability Manager at Kinnarps.
"We carry out a large number of adaptations of premises every year, and this project gives us an opportunity to evaluate scientifically and analyse how we can create a more circular and resource-efficient process through our choice of materials and methods. Being able to demonstrate how active choices contribute to both increased sustainability and profitability is an important part of our customer offer," says Mattias Svensson, Head of Sustainable Development at Humlegården.
Background and further information
The project will run from November 2019 to December 2021. It is financially supported by Vinnova, the Swedish government agency for innovation, and coordinated by Dr. Agnieszka Hunka at RISE. For further information, see the project website: https://www.vinnova.se/p/circularity-metrics-in-business-kpis---pilot-studies-cirink-2/
For further information, contact
Johanna Ljunggren
Corporate Sustainability Manager, Kinnarps AB
Tel.: +46 (0)515 38 121
Email: johanna.ljunggren@kinnarps.se
Kristina Hjalmarsson
Press contact, Kinnarps AB
Tel.: +46 (0)515 38 287
Email: kristina.hjalmarsson@kinnarps.se
Madeleine Castenvik Holt
Head of Marketing and Communication
Tel.: +46 (0)8-678 92 35
Email: Madeleine.Castenvik@humlegarden.se
Mattias Svensson
Head of Sustainable Development
Tel.: +46 (0)8-678 92 44
Email: Mattias.Svensson@humlegarden.se
