Circular Economy in Action: Transforming Food Production toward Industrial Sustainability

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to analyze the economic, productive, and environmental impacts of applying circular economy principles in a chocolate manufacturing plant. The specific objective was to develop and validate a standardized method for measuring productivity, operating costs, and environmental sustainability during the production process. The research was driven by the high resource demand and substantial waste generation in the chocolate industry, emphasizing the need to adopt effective models that optimize inputs and reduce losses. To achieve this, a quantitative descriptive–explanatory approach was carried out, conceptualizing the factors that influence the production process and their cause-and-effect relationship, using quantitative tools of industrial engineering, life cycle analysis in various scenarios, flow diagrams and pilot tests in the plant, in order to evaluate the impact of the indicators on costs, productivity and circularity. The findings revealed that adopting circular practices led to significant improvements. These included a 9.1% increase in operational efficiency, reduced operating costs per unit, a higher daily yield, and a 95% increase in the model index. This reflects enhanced resource utilization and emphasizes both economic and environmental benefits. Additionally, cocoa losses translated into economic losses between US$ 2,914 and US$ 3,283. The originality of this research lies in presenting a repeatable, measurable procedure that combines productivity, viability, and sustainability, providing a reference model for other food industries aiming to transition toward sustainable, competitive economic models.