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Cristina Chaminade. Photo.

Cristina Chaminade

Researcher

Cristina Chaminade. Photo.

Emerging Technologies Supporting the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Plastic Materials Value Chain

Author

  • Alejandro Aristi Capetillo
  • Fredric Bauer
  • Cristina Chaminade

Summary, in English

Plastic waste has come to the forefront of academic and political debates as a global problem that demands an urgent solution. Promoted by policymakers, academia, and corporations alike, the circular economy model presents a viable path to reach more sustainable levels of development. Emerging and disruptive technologies can catalyse the transition to a circular economy, but their application to the transition of the plastic materials realm is not fully understood. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this paper aims to understand the role of key emerging technologies in the transition towards a circular economy in the plastic materials value chain, their potential impact, as well as the barriers of adoption and diffusion. Employing the ReSOLVE framework, the analysis reveals that rather than individual technologies, four technology sets associated with Industry 4.0, distributed economies, bio-based systems, and chemical recycling stand as major enablers of this transition. The complementarity of technologies and the change needed from a systemic perspective are discussed along with a proposal for governance and practical implementation pathway to overcome barriers and resistance to the transition.

Department/s

  • Environmental and Energy Systems Studies
  • CIRCLE
  • Department of Economic History

Publishing year

2023

Language

English

Pages

953-982

Publication/Series

Circular Economy and Sustainability

Volume

3

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Environmental Management

Keywords

  • Circular economy · Emerging technologies · Plastics value chain · Sustainability transitions · Systematic literature review · ReSOLVE framework

Status

Published

Project

  • STEPS – Sustainable Plastics and Transition Pathways, Phase 2
  • Petrochemicals and Climate Change: Mapping Power Structures

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2730-5988