Over the past decades, the circular economy has developed around products with either high material value or large, uniform waste volumes. However, many other products are still locked in to the linear economy of take–make–dispose. Few products illustrate the logic of the linear economy as clearly as product category of bonded, short-lifecycle products with examples such as comfort air filters. Comfort air filters are manufactured to improve air quality, protect human health and machines, and they require frequent replacement as their efficiency declines when they become saturated with dust and particles. This frequent replacement generates substantial end-of-life waste, which is typically sent to incineration. Climbing higher in the waste hierarchy, from incineration with energy recovery to material recycling, would allow the embedded material value to circulate rather than be lost, easing pressure on virgin resource extraction and aligning the product category with the broader transition toward a circular economy. This master’s thesis investigates why incineration persists as the main end-of-life pathway, how a manufacturer of bonded, short-lifecycle products can implement a take-back system, and what value arises from closing a material loop. This is done through a case study of the company Camfil AB, a market-leading manufacturer of comfort air filters, with the main empirical collection constituting of semi-structured interviews, primarily with employees and customers.  The thesis highlights that incineration persists for several mutually reinforcing reasons. Sweden has developed one of the most extensive waste-to-energy systems with incineration being deeply integrated with the district heating networks. Regarding the material recycling, infrastructure is built around either high-volume single-material products or high value materials. Large recycling companies deem the volumes of these products as insufficient for a dedicated processing line to be economically viable to operate. The material value is also too low to motivate them to acquire the necessary machinery for separation of the bonded materials. Customers handling spent products are influenced by several types of operational frictions – all leading the filter handling towards the path of least resistance, which is incineration. Additionally, the study concludes that an internal take-back system is preferable to outsourcing for a market-leading manufacturer of bonded, short-lifecycle products. An internal system secures control over material, the economic value of the recovered material, and the communicative benefits of a closed material loop. Companies should leverage existing local presence and prioritize locations where customer and product-density is sufficient. Implementation should proceed incrementally, starting where conditions are most favorable, rather than as a full-scale rollout. Finally, the findings show that the economic viability of a take-back system need not rest on material value alone. Value is realized indirectly through won procurements where circularity has become a qualifying criterion, through strengthened relationships with actors throughout the value chain, through a strengthened sustainability position that limits competitors' ability to compete on environmental claims, and through first-mover advantages such as customer lock-in and influence over emerging regulation. For a market-leading manufacturer, the greatest value lies in maintaining its market position and failing to act puts this position at risk. The risk from inaction is greater than the risk from early investments, as brand position and customer trust are difficult to rebuild once lost.