An Assessment of Differing Environmental and Economic Factors and their Impact on the Development of a Circular Economy for Refrigerated Display Cabinets in the UK

A number of environmental, social and economic factors clearly show that the Linear Economy (in which products are manufactured, used and treated as waste at end-of-life) is unsustainable and as a consequence an alternative model – the Circular Economy – is being advocated. This model mirrors natural systems and at end-of-life products and their constituent elements are no longer disposed of as waste but are recycled to become technical and natural ‘nutrients’ for the next generation of products. Prior to this, products, components and materials should also be retained in the economy through repair, reuse and remanufacture until they can no longer be used. By definition the development of a Circular Economy must include economic as well as environmental factors; however the optimum environmental choice is not always the optimum economic choice, which further complicates the development of this new business model. This paper presents a specific case study in the commercial refrigeration industry and considers the environmental and economic implications that affect the potential substitution of insulation materials for Refrigerated Display Cabinets (RDCs). The case study also illustrates the complexity of decision making towards the development of a Circular Economy.