Kreislaufwirtschaft in produzierenden Unternehmen: Evaluierung von Aktivitäten und Entwicklung eines Leitfadens zur Produktkreislauffähigkeit

This master's thesis analyses circular economy activities in manufacturing companies at a strategic and operational level. While previous research has primarily focused on macro- and meso-economic aspects of the circular economy, a significant research gap remains at the micro level, particularly with regard to product design. In order to address this gap, the first part of the thesis analyses the status quo of the circular economy in companies through a qualitative analysis. For this, interviews were conducted with twelve experts from various industries. The results show that there is a growing awareness of the need for circular practices. However, practical implementation is still facing a number of barriers. These include regulatory uncertainties, a lack of willingness to take risks and limited market acceptance. Based on the findings from the interviews, a practice-orientated guideline for promoting prod-uct circularity is developed in the second part of the thesis. The guideline comprises five steps: The analysis of the current and desired state, design suggestions for a regenerative system design within the framework of the concepts of Cradle to Cradle and Biomimikry, the linking of circular business models with R-strategies and a final evaluation of the selected measures. The guide consists of a total of 95 design strategies that serve as impulses for cir-cular product design. The work thus provides a methodological basis for manufacturing companies to develop and implement circular product strategies.