The development of circular products in the cosmetics sector necessitates a rethinking of design and production processes to ensure both consumer safety and environmental sustainability.This study introduces an enhanced Quality Function Deployment (QFD) framework that integrates circular economy principles into product design. Applied to a case study on an innovative, lignin-based sunscreen, the model demonstrates how circular criteria can be systematically incorporated into decision-making. The findings highlight that the proposed QFD-QCC approach improves alignment between customer needs, technical feasibility, and sustainability performance. It enables designers to prioritise interventions that optimise resource use, reduce production costs, and enhance environmental outcomes.Overall, the proposed framework provides a practical and replicable tool for integrating circularity into sustainable product design, offering insights applicable beyond the cosmetics industry.

Purpose Despite the growing adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies, their effects on quality performance vary widely across different organizational contexts. This raises a central question in the literature on digital transformation: similar technological investments often yield significantly different quality outcomes across organizations. This variability is significant because it indicates that digital innovation does not automatically translate into quality improvements but depends on specific organizational conditions. Understanding this phenomenon is therefore essential to explain the nonlinear and contingent nature of quality performance in digitized systems. This study addresses this issue by analyzing how and under which organizational conditions digital innovation translates into quality improvement. It examines the mediating role of the critical success factors (CSFs) of total quality management (TQM) in determining the outcomes of Quality 4.0. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) based on 88 peer-reviewed articles. A combined deductive–inductive content analysis was conducted to identify recurring organizational mechanisms and their relationships with I4.0 enabling technologies. Frequency analysis and co-occurrence techniques were used to identify structural patterns in the literature. Findings The results show that I4.0 technologies – such as IoT, big data analytics, simulation, cloud computing, and augmented reality – do not directly generate quality improvements. Their impact is mediated by a set of TQM CSFs, specifically Information and Analysis, Continuous Improvement, Strategic Planning, Process Management, and Customer Focus. These factors operate as socio-technical mechanisms that enable organizations to transform digital inputs into organizational learning, process optimization, and value creation. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by moving beyond a technology-driven perspective and proposing a theoretical reinterpretation of TQM CSFs as socio-technical mechanisms through which digital innovation translates into quality outcomes. In particular, the work explains why similar digital investments can generate different quality outcomes, highlighting the role of organizational conditions in mediating this relationship. In this sense, the theoretical contribution consists of linking research strands on digital transformation and quality management through a socio-technical and capability-based perspective. From a managerial perspective, the results offer an operational interpretation of the CSFs, which can be used to guide the implementation of Quality 4.0.

This study explores how Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are integrated into sustainability reporting (SR), emphasizing the role of reporting in advancing transparency and sustainable development. Using a systematic literature review of 139 academic articles, the research identifies four thematic clusters: Communication, Determinant, Criticality, Identification. Results show growing interest in SDG reporting and increasing strategic alignment, yet persistent challenges remain, including inconsistent standards, symbolic adoption, and limited impact measurement. These results underline the need for standardized metrics, regulatory coherence, and transparent governance. The study contributes theoretically by systematizing fragmented literature into a coherent interpretative framework and proposing integrated models linking governance, strategy, and reporting. Practically, it offers recommendations to companies for measurable, and inclusive SDG integration. It highlights the urgency of harmonized standards and shared metrics to improve transparency and comparability. Future research should explore longitudinal analyses, cross‐country comparisons, and AI‐based tools for assessing SDG reporting quality and evolution.

The wine sector is a strategic component of European agribusiness, mainly because of its environmental impact. This study aims to contribute to the scientific debate on the sustainability of the supply chain through a systematic review of the potential for recovery and valorization of its by-products. Accordingly, the objective of the research is twofold. The first concerns identifying and analysing products from wine by-products reused in agriculture, aiming to close the production cycle. The second focuses on critically assessing the environmental, economic and social impacts of such practices about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The review process identified three main application areas: organic fertilizers, animal feed, and wastewater treatment. These practices are found to be consistent with the SDGs: fertilizers, goals 2, 12, and 15; animal feed, goal 12; and water treatment, goals 6 and 12.

Sustainability and the circular economy (CE) are issues of increasing interest to governments, investors, industry, and civil society, and for this reason, the implementation of a business model for circularity and/or sustainability is becoming crucial for achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage for various organizations. In this context, consumers play a crucial role in reducing the environmental impact of business processes through their choices and behaviours (van Bussel et al, J Clean Prod 341:130904, 2022). However, even though sustainability issues and the circular economy have now widely involved consumers, making them seemingly well aware of how their behavior can have a direct impact on the environment, the percentage of people who accompany this awareness with truly sustainable behaviour and who are therefore willing to embrace the goal of “saving the planet” is small (D’Arco, Marino, Transform Gov 16:185–202, 2022). Through an empirical survey, the research aims to understand the actual level of consumer awareness of sustainability issues, with a focus on the environmental dimension, and to analyse the main characteristics that distinguish a genuinely sustainable consumer, through his behaviour, from a less sustainable consumer.

PurposeThis work aims to assess the potential of a Bio-District as a model for applying the circular economy concerning the waste scope. It aims to understand the capability of organic farms to manage waste with a circular perspective, starting with the use of indicators that directly or indirectly impact the waste scope.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on previous work that identified and systematised the circular indicators of the agri-food sector within a dashboard. With this research as a basis, the indicators within the waste scope in the dashboard were extracted. Cross-linked indicators with an indirect connection to the waste scope were also systematised and tested in a case study. Primary and secondary data were used for the study. The primary data came from a semi-structured interview, and the secondary data were from official databases.FindingsThe work highlights two important results. The first allows the definition of a subclassification of indicators by product and organisation, extracting those with a cross-linked characteristic concerning the waste scope. Secondly, the indicators' application shows the farm's circular and waste valorisation potential within the Bio-District. The study also made it possible to test a new indicator, the "Potential Energy Biomass Recovery", to measure the farm's potential to produce energy from waste.Originality/valueThis research proposes a new circular economy approach to evaluate waste management in the agri-food sector.

Digital transformation (DT) is progressively changing the paradigm of agricultural enterprises. The adoption of new digital technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, cloud, artificial intelligence, and big data aims, at the first moment, to increase productivity and product quality and reduce environmental impacts. Several studies investigate the characteristics and applications of digital technologies in agriculture. However, there are still few works that link economic, safety, and environmental impacts to these drivers of development. Therefore, through a critical review of the literature, this chapter aims to identify factors acting in competitiveness, sustainability, and safety. The articles identified from the literature were selected through a review process using the Scopus database. The search through the keywords “digital agriculture,” “high-tech farming,” “sustainability,” “competitiveness,” “economic,” and “traceability and safety” returned 128 articles. The results made it possible to identify key factors and describe their influence on the reference areas.

The intense pressure of global competition forces companies to consider incorporating sustainability into their quality management models to ensure a lasting competitive advantage through improved performance. For this reason, quality management models, primarily Total Quality Management, have expanded their scope to accommodate other dimensions, such as including social and environmental responsibility in quality policies and objectives. Several studies have highlighted the solid interdependencies and points of contact between quality management and sustainability. However, to date, no publications have been reported to provide a new definition of the concept of quality management capable of incorporating the concept of sustainability encompassing the three pillars (economic, social, and environmental). Through a systematic literature review on Scopus and Web of Sciences, the study analysed the definitions of Total Quality Management and sustainability cited in 91 articles from an initial sample of 2,534 papers. After analysing the most recurring keywords and identifying the main topics, the research proposes a new definition of Total Quality Management, including the three pillars of sustainability. The proposal of a new definition supports managers in understanding the scope of a sustainability-oriented Total Quality Management approach.

Due to its significant environmental impact, the wine industry is one of the most analyzed agri-food sectors in terms of sustainability. These include waste emission, intensive land use, and high transport-related carbon footprint. The circular economy represents an opportunity to mitigate these impacts by promoting the valorization of wine waste. Through a systematic literature review, this research provides an overview of studies from 2018 to 2024 that deal with the transformation of wine waste, in particular vinification residues, into resources. The research covers the commodity sectors in which wine waste is reused, such as Food, Agriculture, and Energy. The analysis of the sample reveals that the countries in which the issue of valorization of wine waste is most studied are Italy, Spain, and Portugal. The study encourages a better integration of waste in the wine sector into business practices by assessing the environmental and economic impact. From a management point of view, the aim is to inform companies about effective waste management practices in order to promote the development of a more sustainable wine industry. Future research will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of these valorization pathways, also through case studies of good practice in implementing a circular business model.

The production and consumption of textile products worldwide generate severe environmental impacts as well as economic and social repercussions. Companies are embarking on a new path towards sustainable production and consumption patterns to respond to increasingly environmentally conscious consumers. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of a sustainable consumer in the fashion industry and their level of awareness regarding sustainability at the time of purchase. To this end, a questionnaire was developed to analyse consumer behaviour in the fashion sector, while various statistical techniques were used to analyse the data. The results show that a cluster of consumers can be defined as sustainable, and that socio-demographic variables and price influence the purchase of sustainable products. Sustainability knowledge is also crucial for adopting sustainable consumption behaviour.

Adopting circular economy principles in the agri-food sector is necessary for the conversion of the current economic system. However, there are still many gaps in understanding how the development of circular dynamics within companies can take shape. This study investigates how circular economy principles and factors contribute to value optimisation and proposes a critical discussion and reflection on the economic, social and environmental issues within the agri-food sector supply chain. Multiple-case analysis was conducted to analyse 10 companies. Circular economy principles and factors considered were taken from the BS 8001 standard. Results show two scenarios and three dimensions in which value optimisation takes place. In addition, collaboration is the key to starting a path of optimisation. Finally, the study proposes the evaluation of a new indicator that allows one to act in all different scenarios proposed.

Digital transformation (DT) affects companies' competitiveness mainly in terms of innovation, efficiency, and cost reduction and affects global value chains in specialization, geographic scope, governance, and upgrading. In food, digital tools can improve competitive advantage by supporting companies in ensuring food quality and safety. However, many companies still struggle to respond adequately to DT challenges by adopting new technology concepts as a trend and not a real company imperative, misallocating internal resources and capabilities around technology, and expecting good results. There are no studies in the literature that consider both the adoption of digital technologies and consumer perception in the olive oil sector at the same time. This study has two purposes. The first is to analyse the use of digital technologies by companies in the olive oil sector, and the second is to understand consumer perceptions of the use of digital technologies in traceability.

Sustainability and the circular economy (CE) are issues of increasing interest to governments, investors, industry, and civil society; for this reason, the implementation of a business model for circularity and/or sustainability is becoming crucial for achieving and maintaining a competitive advantage for various organizations. In this context, consumers play a crucial role in reducing the environmental impact of business processes through their choices and behaviors. "Sustainable consumption" is a growing global concern that will link human behavior with the planet's future. Negligent behavior by individuals in their daily lives has a significant impact on the environment, with devastating consequences for the survival of humankind itself. However, even though sustainability issues and the circular economy have now widely involved consumers, making them seem aware of how the behavioral ran has a direct impact on the environment, the percentage of people who accompany this awareness with truly sustainable behavior and who are therefore willing to embrace the goal of "saving the planet" is small. Therefore, this study hypothesizes that from a sample of consumers with a particular interest in environmental and sustainability issues, there are subsamples of consumers who show a particular interest in adopting sustainable purchasing behavior regarding food products. Our analysis adds essential results to the existing literature by using a methodology that can improve the homogeneity of a sustainable consumer dataset to assess consumer behavior. Through cluster analysis, one of the most widely used techniques, it is possible to extract a sub-sample of consumers with conceptions on environmental and sustainability issues that may influence their awareness of buying sustainable food products. The results show the presence of four different consumer clusters, Some consumers are sustainability and environmentally aware, other consumers are indifferent to environmental issues, and finally, some consumers show minimal attention to sustainability but little involvement in activities. The study shows that attention to environmental sustainability has clear policy and managerial and scientific implications that can increase consumer awareness.

Purpose The transition to a circular agri-food sector is a necessary condition for the sustainable development of the current production and consumption model. The complexity of the agri-food chain requires the introduction of a harmonized measurement system so that the circular economy can be applied. This study aims to define a life cycle-based dashboard to systematize and test cross-sectional life cycle-based (LCB) indicators to evaluate their applicability.Methods The study is based on previous research to systematize cross-sectional LCB indicators, for the circular agri-food sector, classified according to the spatial dimensions (macro, meso, micro), areas of sustainability (economic, social, environmental), and scope within which the indicators are applied. The indicators were tested through a multiple compared analysis at the national and regional level, including a company case study (within the same region). Data were collected through two different methodologies based on the spatial dimension analysed. At the macro level, data were collected from databases and reports. At the micro level, a semi-structured interview with the owner of the company was conducted. For the analyses, data from different years were considered to compare results and to outline micro-trends.Result and discussion The work made it possible to outline two types of results. The first derives from the application of the indicators to the spatial dimensions; the second expresses the potential application of the LCB-dashboard by the cross-sectional LCB indicators. The results of the work highlight the ability of cross-sectional indicators to provide a first comprehensive overview of the circularity of the agri-food sector concerning each level of observation. The study also allowed the applicability of LCB cross-sectional indicators to be tested. This suggests the need to introduce a harmonized detection system, between the national and regional accounting systems, obtaining consistent indicators that facilitate the comparison of results over time.Conclusions The research showed the validity of the use of the cross-sectional LCB indicators, contributing to the discussion on CE indicators in the agri-food sector. The work supports the definition of new cross-sectional indicators and the new data collection model. For companies, the results encourage the development of monitoring models based on the LCB-dashboard. The paper has highlighted the limits and future steps of the measuring indicator system for the circularity of the agri-food sector.

The agri-food sector is one of the key sectors where the action is needed to ensure the transition to a more sustainable development model in line with the principles of the circular economy (CE). The use of indicators to monitor progress and areas for action is a key element in the shift of companies, regions, and countries toward a circular model.This study aims to create a dashboard that can be used at various spatial levels to guide the agri-food sector toward a CE and sustainable development. Starting with the relevant literature, we identified 102 indicators classified according to three areas of sustainability (environmental, economic and social) and spatial dimensions (macro‑meso-micro) within 8 scopes.The dashboard provides a toolbox for directing decision-making processes and strategies through the targeted use of indicators with respect to the context in which the CE is applied.In addition, the dashboard allows us to highlight missing aspects related to (1) new indicators not covered by the tool; (2) new scopes not yet explored in the literature; and (3) the need to adopt cross-sectional indicators. For this last aspect, the analysis revealed only 17 such indicators.A future step is to define the most suitable configurations among the indicators in which CE is generated, starting from the test of the indicators at the micro level to validate their applicability and consider the impacts they may have at the macro or meso levels.

The transition of the European agri-food sector towards a sustainable production and consumption model is a key element of the Green Deal. The new European “Farm to Fork” strategy aims to make the food system fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly. The consolidation and development of the organic model are two of the main objectives. In Italy, this development can be achieved through the Bio-District model. This model, which was born in the last ten years in Italy, is characterized by innovative multi-actor governance. From an explorative perspective, this study analyses the background literature on Bio-Districts and the context of the development of the Etruscan Roman Bio-District to understand the potential and the factors that allow the application of the principles of the Circular Economy. It focuses on multiple comparative analyses by using a qualitative–quantitative approach. The analysis of the context highlights the potential for expansion linked to an integrated short supply chain through three scenarios.