Toward a Circular Economy in the Toy Industry: The Business Model of a Romanian Company

Toy building bricks as a potential source of microplastics and nanoplastics

Microplastics and nanoplastics have become noteworthy contaminants, affecting not only outdoor ecosystems but also making a notable impact within indoor environments. The release of microplastics and nanoplastics from commonly used plastic items remains a concern, and the characterisation of these contaminants is still challenging. This study focused on evaluating the microplastics and nanoplastics produced from plastic building bricks. Using Raman spectroscopy and correlation analysis, the plastic material used to manufacture building blocks was determined to be either acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (correlation value of 0.77) or polycarbonate (correlation value of 0.96). A principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm was optimised for improved detection of the debris particles released. Some challenges in microplastic analysis, such as the interference from the colourants in the building block materials, was explored and discussed. Combining Raman results with scanning electron microscopy - energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, we found the scratches on the building blocks to be a significant source of contamination, estimated several thousand microplastics and several hundred thousand nanoplastics were generated per mm2 following simulated play activities. The potential exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics during play poses risks associated with the ingestion and inhalation of these minute plastic particles.

Analyzing Decision-Making Factors of Green Design for Kid’s Toys Based on the Concept of Product Lifecycle

In promoting the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), increasing attention has been given to environmental pollution and abnormal climate issues. In particular, a large number of products made of plastic materials have caused harm to the environment. Secondly, with the improvement of average spending power, many parents are more willing to buy toys for their children. However, the lifespan of kid’s toys is often short, and most materials are made of plastic, which also causes issues as they are not easy to break down and are difficult to recycle. This study investigates the concept of the product life cycle in kid’s toys and explores the decision-making factors of green design. First, analysis and induction were conducted through literature collection. Through semi-structured interviews with experts, the design dimensions related to the green design of kid’s toys and the elements that affect the willingness of consumption by consumption values and behavior were obtained. After the questionnaire survey and data analysis, the design factors and purchasing decision factors of green design for the product life cycle and consumption values and behavior of kid’s toys were obtained. Finally, combined with kid’s toy design, green design, product life cycle and consumers’ consumption values and behavior, the decision-making factors for the green design of kid’s toys were extracted, which included (1) using non-toxic materials; (2) designing for maintainability and disassembly of the toy; (3) refining the toys to be artistic and collectable; (4) upgrading the educational functions of toys; (5) improving the recycling of toys; (6) emphasizing green packing; (7) creating a green brand and increasing product visibility; and (8) advocating the value of green design for toys. In addition to supplying green design considerations for kid’s toys to designers and companies, the results can also be used as an important reference with regard to the research topics of product life cycle, toy design and development for the sustainable designs of products.

Intelligent Digital Platform for Community-Based Rural Tourism—A Novel Concept Development in Peru

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the rapid evolution and digitization of different tourism sectors through Industry 4.0. However, Community-based Rural Tourism (CRT) has not experienced the same technological advancement. Thus, considering tourism as a powerful socioeconomic driver, this research is based on the relevance of the CRT for the development of rural areas through job creation, preservation of historical-cultural and architectural heritage, and appreciation of the local market. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to present a concept development model of an intelligent digital platform (IDP), where tourism products and services are visualized, articulated, and integrated with the different actors of the CRT, offering a personalized tourist experience. The concept was developed based on Business Process Management and Business Model Canvas (BMC). Thus, through meetings and interviews, it was possible to extract essential information to obtain the necessary know-how for the development of the concept. It was concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic has established a new business scenario, intensifying and accelerating the use of digital tools and ICTs in several sectors, including tourism. However, the use of ICTs in CRT is still incipient. As Peru is a country where rural tourism has a strong tradition, but there are no specific platforms for CRT, which makes the broad dissemination of rural experiences difficult, a BMC template has been developed to integrate the expected objectives, and the application of the proposed framework serves as a guide for other platforms with different niches markets in the tourism sector.

Analyzing Performance in Wholesale Trade Romanian SMEs: Framing Circular Economy Business Scenarios

The study analyzes the performance levels achieved by Romanian wholesaler SMEs from Hunedoara County and to advance some practical courses of action designed to support local entrepreneurs in improving efficiency and in embracing circular economy (CE) practices. We employed cluster and discriminant analyses with a focus on providing an accurate classification of trade SMEs, according to their performance. Three distinct classifications of SMEs resulted in: (i) a class of enterprises displaying high levels of the rates of return, whose business owners exhibited an increased risk appetite and applied investment policies focusing on future development by means of incorporating digital instruments; (ii) a class of SMEs displaying average levels of rates of return, which manage to survive in situations of crisis through maintaining the position previously gained on the market; and (iii) a class of SMEs exhibiting a precarious financial position and employing defensive strategies, with managers who are reluctant to take risks in the innovation processes. Furthermore, we present a cloud computing solution which was tailored for one of the companies from our sample that appeared to be the most likely to carry out the transition from the average SME performance class to the higher class. The main advantages that are brought about by the IT solution in terms of environmental sustainability consist of: improvements in energy efficiency, the decrease in carbon footprints, the lowering of operational costs and the diminishing of the amount of e-waste.

Romania’s Perspectives on the Transition to the Circular Economy in an EU Context

The main objective of the paper is to highlight Romania’s perspectives on the transition process towards the circular economy, in respect with the tendencies registered at the level of the European Union. To this end, our methodology involved the selection of four indicators, each one being viewed as representative for one area of interest specified in the circular economy monitoring framework established by the European Commission, namely: Generation of waste excluding major mineral wastes per domestic material consumption; Recycling rate of municipal waste; Circular material use rate; Gross investment in tangible goods—percentage of gross domestic product. On the basis of data series provided by the Eurostat database, our study employed a quantitative approach, by using the econometric analysis of time series. For each selected indicator, time series-specific approximation and prediction models were constructed; against this background, we were able to reveal accurate forecasts of the analysed variables, with respect to different time horizons. Detailed analysis of the data series resulting from the research proved that on the long run, there are favourable premises for improving Romania’s performance in adopting the circular economic model, on the basis of low values for the indicator “Generation of waste excluding major mineral wastes per domestic material consumption”, of an ascending trend for the indicator ”Circular material use rate” and of maintaining the values of the “Gross investment in tangible goods—percentage of gross domestic product” indicator above the EU-27 average.