Circular economy and operational efficiency in manufacturing micro-enterprises in La Maná Canton, Ecuador
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62452/211smm33Keywords:
Circular economy, operating costs, manufacturing microenterprises, recycling, reuse, waste reduction, Spearman correlationAbstract
Manufacturing microenterprises in La Maná canton operate in a resource-constrained context where improvements in material management can determine the boundary between sustainability and failure. This study analyzes the impact of circular economy practices recycling, material reuse, and waste reduction on the operating costs of 121 manufacturing microenterprises in La Maná canton, Cotopaxi province, Ecuador. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional design with descriptive-correlational scope was adopted. Data were collected using a structured 27-item Likert-scale questionnaire, validated by expert judgment (α = 0.881). Shapiro-Wilk normality tests and Spearman correlations were applied. Results show that circular economy practices significantly affect operating costs (rs = 0.6418; p < .001). Waste reduction exhibited the strongest relationship (rs = 0.6559; p < .001), followed by material reuse (rs = 0.3672; p < .001) and recycling (rs = 0.3562; p < .001). Some 47.1% of firms reported cost reductions associated with these practices, while 23.1% keep no accounting records. Findings confirm all research hypotheses and suggest circularity is a viable lever for improving economic efficiency in manufacturing microenterprises, with implications for business management and productive development policy in local contexts.
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