Circular economy in wood processing sector, challenges, opportunities and solutions

Abstract

Economic circulation is a concept that is closely aligning with sustainability. For this reason, various stakeholders strive to collaborate in defining basic concepts, analyzing key issues, and directing solutions to these problems. In this study, we have attempted to address the challenges of the wood processing sector in Albania concerning the increase in the use of wooden products and the potential export of these products. During the last years, the concept of the circular economy has taken an important role in the literature, as well as in the production sector all over the world. Saying this, in Albania we are facing the same problem. The concept of the circular economy in our country was introduced lately. The companies that operate in the wood processing sector must step forward from a linear economy to a circular one as soon as possible. This material presents some information collected based on interviews conducted with some of the wood processing companies in Albania. For this study we prepared a closed answer questionnaire in order to have a simple analysis of the results gathered. As a result of this interview, skills and competencies supporting the transformation to circular business models were presented. The companies need some innovative design idea for the reuse of their basic products.