BUS 200 Group Assignment Circular Economy In this assignment groups link the circular economy model to some aspect of George Mason Universitys (GMU) operation. The result will be a recommendation on how the circular economy model can be integrated into the existing operations of the university to enhance both environmental and organizational sustainability. The reading on circular economy (Esposito, 2018) outlined multiple activities and business models that can be applied to a wide range of organizations. These applications may not lead to a perfectly circular business operation, but will lead to incremental improvements in sustainability. Groups should think about the various elements of GMUs operations including facilities, student life, athletics, administration and of course academics in order to identify an area where 1) circular activities could be employed and/or 2) an appropriate circular economy business model could replace the current system. While this project is speculative, it needs to be realistic and practical. For this you will need to understand the circular economy model, as well as specific elements of the GMU operation, and where the circular economy can fit in GMUs value chain. You should review your class notes and the reading on circular economy (Esposito, 2018) before drafting this section of the project. The project should include: A short description of the current GMU operation you plan on making more circular A discussion of how you would recommend making the GMU operation more circular including the circular economy activities and/or business models that would be used The expected benefits that would result from the application of circular economy activities e.g. financial/operational/reputational Paper Due 2/26/23 Each group will produce a short document on their proposed circular economy solution(s) Length 3-4 pages (single-spaced) including tables and graphics, but excluding title page and references Font Arial 11 or Times New Roman 11 Margins 1 inch on all sides File Name Group#_CircularEconomyProject_[SemesterYear].docx Draft Outline I. Brief introduction II. Current Reality a. A description of the GMU operation that your group plans to make more circular. Ideally this section will have some quantitative information (estimates are okay) related to the waste generated by the current system. III. Proposed Solution a. A discussion on how you would recommend making the GMU operation more circular. This will include the practical discussion of what would have to change and the identification of the appropriate circular economy business model and/or activity being applied. This section should be very specific it is not enough to say that the group recommends recycling or using solar energy. The section can include a graphic, table, or photo. IV. List of Benefits a. A bullet pointed list of benefits that the new circular GMU operation would have. These can be theoretical but must be plausible [Remember documents must be submitted as a Word file and should use appropriate paragraph structures, be free of typos, and be grammatically correct.] Reference: Esposito, M. et.al. (2018). Introducing a Circular Economy: New thinking with new managerial and policy implications. California Management Review, pp. 1-15. [Another interesting source on the circular economy is the Closed Loop Foundation, the research arm of Closed Loop Partners, an investment firm focused on the circular economy. https://www.closedlooppartners.com/research/ ]