Circular Economy Strategies in Supply Chain Management: An Evaluation Framework for Airport Operators

MARIA SARTZETAKI Filio Karampini ^* ARISTI KARAGKOUNI ^* EVAGGELOS DRIMPETAS DIMITRIOS DIMITRIOU

• Department of Economics, Democritus University of Thrace, Komotini, Greece

The transition to the circular economy is one of the most core shifts that will amount to the attainment of global sustainability goals; supply chain management lies at the very heart of this change. The traditional linear supply chains modeled on a "take-make-dispose" form of production are increasingly giving way to circular models that aim at reduced resource use, less generation of waste, and more material reuse. This research provides a framework for assessing the integration of circular economy principles into supply chain management, with an emphasis on the pivotal role of BI. BI technologies apply advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and real-time monitoring to act as powerful tools in improving supply chain operations. These technologies provide actionable insights for an organization to understand where to identify waste, streamline processes, and optimize resources. It talks about how BI would contribute to the circular economy practices of the product life cycle management, manufacturing, and reverse supply chains. It is applied in improving material recovery by their recycling and re-integration into the value circle by using the technologies for tracking and tracing with the purpose of strengthening sustainability and resource efficiency. The study combines an extended literature review, case studies from industry, and empirical analyses for developing the framework. This research also advocates for certification frameworks and regulatory policies that will facilitate such a transition toward circularity, with an implementation and scaling-up process across industries. This paper puts forward strategic recommendations to businesses, policy makers, and stakeholders on ways in which the potential of BI can be used to drive the circular economy. This calls for investment in solid technological infrastructure, among others; cross-sectoral collaboration that could help in unifying goals down the value chains, besides the creation of favorable policy incentives toward the circularity of actions. Capacity-building programs are also necessary to be initiated for the organizations to build skills and develop knowledge on how best to implement BIdriven strategies. This research provides a comprehensive framework for evaluation and practical tools, hence adding to the current literature on how to embed circular economy principles into supply chain management.