When pursuing circular practices, how should ABC relate to its core operations?

• A. Separate circular initiatives from core operations.
• B. Outsource all core processes to third parties.
• C. Integrate circular practices with its existing core concrete operations.
• D. Replace core operations with circular practices entirely.

Answer: (C)

Integrating circular practices with existing core operations is the most effective approach because it embeds circular thinking directly into how the business creates and delivers value. When circular methods are woven into product design, sourcing, production, logistics, and end-of-life processes, the company can systematically reduce waste, reuse materials, and extend product life across the whole value chain. This alignment helps capture real efficiency gains, enables better data and monitoring, and ensures incentives across departments support the same goals.

Separating circular initiatives would create silos that miss how materials flow through the business, making improvements fragmented and harder to scale. Outsourcing all core processes reduces control and can undermine the ability to close loops locally, which is essential for circularity. Replacing core operations entirely with circular practices is unrealistic, as the essential capabilities to produce and deliver products still need to operate within a circular framework, not vanish.

So, embedding circularity within core operations allows the company to redesign processes end-to-end, leverage existing capabilities, and systematically move toward a more sustainable, efficient model.