Green Gateways: a concept for decisions in Circular-Oriented Economies

Abstract

Industrial technologies have evolved towards circular-oriented manufacturing. New approaches in the management of production systems are needed to guarantee the success of such a circular approach. This paper identifies three research questions related to the complexities of decision-making within CEs and defines the concept of Green Gateways in the circular economy. A Green Gateway is a type of decision that supports to realizing the full potential of products and materials. Indeed, the potential value of products and materials must be assessed and leveraged and the concept of Green Gateway will be useful to identify common decisions and to define a common framework in the future. The integration of digital information and digital twins of products, processes, and circular value and supply chains emerges as a key factor in guiding decision-makers effectively, especially for Green Gateways where adequate information, tools and methods must be used to manage value retention options, product flows, production and pricing decisions jointly with the multiple objectives of profitability and sustainability. Additionally, this paper explores specific examples of circular economy use cases, drawing attention to their similarities and highlighting key insights.