Turning Waste Into Value: A Design Strategy for Sustainable Deposit‐Refund Systems

IF 13.3 1区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Business Strategy and The Environment Pub Date : 2025-10-02 DOI:10.1002/bse.70247

Armando Calabrese, Roberta Costa, Francesca Di Pillo, Arash Haqbin, Nathan Levialdi Ghiron, Luigi Tiburzi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The challenge of single‐use plastics (SUPs) and packaging waste has intensified in recent years, with deposit‐refund systems (DRS) emerging as one of the most effective solutions. Although DRS improve recycling rates, their adoption is often hindered by high setup costs and uncertain cost‐effectiveness. This study addresses a central question in waste management: how to design economically viable and scalable DRS. Adopting a design science research strategy, the study proceeds in three phases. First, it reviews existing DRS operating modes and identifies key design parameters. Second, it tests a set of recommendations, ‘technological rules’ in design science, through a scenario‐based analysis applied to a DRS for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in Italy. Third, it generalises the results into a transferable adoption procedure. The findings reveal trade‐offs between environmental ambition and economic sustainability, underscoring the importance of designing systems that are adaptable to specific national and regional contexts. The study provides policymakers with a structured procedure for adopting economically viable DRS aligned with circular economy goals.

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将废物转化为价值：可持续押金退款系统的设计策略

近年来，一次性塑料（sup）和包装废弃物的挑战日益加剧，押金退款系统（DRS）成为最有效的解决方案之一。虽然DRS提高了回收率，但其采用往往受到高昂的设置成本和不确定的成本效益的阻碍。本研究解决了废物管理中的一个核心问题：如何设计经济上可行且可扩展的DRS。本研究采用设计科学的研究策略，分三个阶段进行。首先，回顾了现有DRS工作模式，并确定了关键设计参数。其次，它通过应用于意大利聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯（PET） DRS的基于场景的分析，测试了一组建议，即设计科学中的“技术规则”。第三，它将结果概括为可转让的收养程序。研究结果揭示了环境目标和经济可持续性之间的权衡，强调了设计适应特定国家和地区背景的系统的重要性。该研究为政策制定者提供了一个结构化的程序，以采用符合循环经济目标的经济上可行的DRS。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Business Strategy and The Environment Multiple-

CiteScore

22.50

自引率

19.40%

发文量

336

期刊介绍： Business Strategy and the Environment (BSE) is a leading academic journal focused on business strategies for improving the natural environment. It publishes peer-reviewed research on various topics such as systems and standards, environmental performance, disclosure, eco-innovation, corporate environmental management tools, organizations and management, supply chains, circular economy, governance, green finance, industry sectors, and responses to climate change and other contemporary environmental issues. The journal aims to provide original contributions that enhance the understanding of sustainability in business. Its target audience includes academics, practitioners, business managers, and consultants. However, BSE does not accept papers on corporate social responsibility (CSR), as this topic is covered by its sibling journal Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management. The journal is indexed in several databases and collections such as ABI/INFORM Collection, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, BIOBASE, Emerald Management Reviews, GeoArchive, Environment Index, GEOBASE, INSPEC, Technology Collection, and Web of Science.