Nation, Megan (2024) Circular economy & stigmatized industries: identifying barriers and opportunities at a systems-level for adult sex toys. Master thesis, Sustainable Entrepreneurship (SE).
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Abstract
The adult sex toy industry, valued at $33.64 billion in 2020 and growing 26% during the COVID-19 pandemic, faces waste management challenges due to the use of electronics, plastics, and silicones, necessitating circular economy (CE) solutions. This study, grounded in CE and the multi-level perspective (MLP), uses industry stakeholder interviews and analysis of nine popular products to identify barriers and opportunities for CE strategies in this industry. New barriers include stigma, industry-specific challenges, product challenges, and consumer behavior, while eco-design emerges as a significant area for improvement. Identified opportunities involve government intervention, overcoming stigma, adopting eco-design principles, fostering value chain collaboration, learning from other industries, and developing effective recovery strategies. The study also discusses specific barriers at each MLP level, including battery and silicone recovery, retailer volume dilemmas, and navigating stigma for inclusion in policy. The sex toy industry exemplifies the complexities firms face in implementing CE strategies from a systems-level lens, contributing new empirical data to barrier discussions in SMEs, stigmatized industries, and industries new to CE strategies, supporting a sustainable transition.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Name supervisor: | Cardoso Chrispim, M. |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Jun 2024 11:34 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Jun 2024 11:34 |
| URI: | https://campus-fryslan.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/479 |
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