IJLM-12-2019-0332_proof 510..537

Purpose – Circular economy (CE) initiatives are taking hold across both developed and developing nations. Central to these initiatives is the reconfiguration of core supply chain management (SCM) processes that underlie current production and consumption patterns. This conceptual article provides a detailed discussion of how supply chain processes can support the successful implementation of CE. The article highlights areas of convergence in hopes of sparking collaboration among scholars and practitioners in SCM, CE, and related fields. Design/methodology/approach – This article adopts a theory extension approach to conceptual development that uses CE as a “method” for exploring core processes within the domain of SCM. The article offers a discussion of the ways in which the five principles of CE (closing, slowing, intensifying, narrowing, dematerialising loops) intersectwith eight core SCMprocesses (customer relationshipmanagement, supplier relationship management, customer service management, demand management, order fulfilment, manufacturing flow management, product development and commercialization, returns management). Findings – This article identifies specific ways in which core SCM processes can support the transition from traditional linear approaches to production and consumption to amore circular approach. This paper results in IJLM 32,2