CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2025
| Author | Mervo-Kovacs, Naomi |
|---|---|
| Title | Quantifying the Economic Effects of Circular Economy Practices in Manufacturing: A Case Study of Bridgestone's Tatabanya Plant |
| Summary | Manufacturing firms face increasing pressure to decouple growth from resource consumption, prompting the adaptation of circular economy practices that offer environmental and economic benefits. Nonetheless, limited studies connect these efforts to real cost outcomes, leaving questions about which efficiency strategies promote savings, how performance aligns with strategic goals, and whether sustainability initiatives provide lasting financial benefits. To address this gap, the study uses a 111-month panel (January 2016-March 2025) of production, environmental, and cost data from Bridgestone’s Tatabánya plant. It then applies three methods within one analysis: log-difference ordinary least squares regressions to assess cost sensitivities, seasonal time-series forecasting to benchmark carbon dioxide and waste-recovery trends, and interrupted time series with local projections to isolate the impacts of four major initiatives. The findings show that increases in throughput consistently reduce material and consumables costs, and higher carbon dioxide intensity and electricity use increase operating and maintenance expenses. First-pass yield has a minor positive influence on material cost, while waste recovery shows no impact. The plant also surpassed its carbon dioxide intensity and waste-recovery targets years ahead of schedule, with only the EXAMATION rollout and carbon dioxide reduction milestone producing significant slowdowns in cost growth. In identifying which circular initiatives reduce expenses, this work emphasizes their impact on operations and underlines the importance of tracking these measures in standard production and financial reviews. |
| Supervisor | Yusaf Akbar |
| Department | Undergraduate Studies BA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2025/mervo-kovacs_naomi.pdf |
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