La Gestión Sostenible De Epp: Un Enfoque De Economía Circular Para las Empresas

Abstract

Business economic growth is based on productivity, employment, and competitiveness. However, in recent years, climate change, resource depletion, social impacts, and business effects on the environment in general have demanded the development and implementation of sustainable economic models that are environmentally friendly and value workplace wellbeing. Thus, PPE, being essential for worker safety, cannot be separated from environmentally responsible practices, especially considering that, once discarded after reaching the end of its useful life, it can become a high-risk pollutant. For this reason, it is a priority to implement a comprehensive PPE management model based on the circular economy and sustainable PPE. With the aim of analyzing the sustainable management of PPE from the perspective of the circular economy, seen as a strategic solution that strengthens business development with labor and environmental responsibility, qualitative research was conducted using a hermeneutic methodology and a state-of-the-art research design. To this end, 30 scientific, academic, informative, technical, and regulatory documents in Spanish and English were analyzed. The information was analyzed and systematized into three articulated categories, with the aim of proposing the circular economy as an alternative for sustainable PPE management. It is concluded that, in order to achieve a true balance between occupational well-being, occupational safety, and the environment, it is a priority to restructure actions related to PPE management and promote the use of biodegradable PPE. Therefore, it is proposed that organizations adopt practices that promote comprehensive sustainable PPE management models based on the circular economy and aligned with the ODS.