Toward a sustainable plastics value chain: Core conundrums and emerging solution mechanisms for a systemic transition

Towards a circular economy for the plastic packaging sector: Insights from the Italian case

“…Only a few observations were collected for 2011 and 2015; while we noticed greater efforts of recycling-oriented collaboration, knowledge sharing and technology transfer between companies in the waste management tier, and joint-operation of recycling facilities in 2019. As previous studies demonstrated (e.g., Siltaloppi and Jähi, 2021;Dijkstra et al, 2020), stronger multi-tier collaboration is required to return systemic benefits.…”

“…To understand existing CE practices and the influential factors in the transition to a CE of plastics, we conducted an exploratory qualitative study of the plastic packaging value chain in Italy. The qualitative approach is well suited for developing a systemic understanding of a complex phenomenon, as is the CE of plastics, and can yield generalizable results (Siltaloppi and Jähi, 2021). In this analysis, we adopted a twostage approach to understand the development of the CE of plastic packaging over time and consequently provide implications for the short/medium future.…”

Facilitating systemic eco‐innovation to pave the way for a circular economy: A qualitative‐empirical study on barriers and drivers in the European polyurethane industry

“…(2019), Paletta et al. (2019), or Siltaloppi and Jähi (2021) who discovered that technological limitations cause barriers in plastics industries, that is, waste flow contamination, complexity of products, and shortcomings in production processes. Although CE scholars found different significances of technological barriers ranging from relatively high (de Jesus & Mendonça, 2018) to relatively low (Kirchherr et al., 2018), our approach proposes to redirect attention toward the creation of appropriate incentive structures by endogenizing technological advancement and thus shifting the debate to enhanced coordination activities.…”

“…High economic uncertainty de Guldmann & Huulgaard, 2020 Uncertainties regarding recyclates Dijkstra et al, 2020;Milios et al, 2018 Low primary (raw) material prices Guldmann & Huulgaard, 2020;Kinnunen & Kaksonen, 2019;Kirchherr et al, 2018;Masi et al, 2018;Mont et al, 2017 Low production cost of virgin material Bening et al, 2021;Milios et al, 2018 Price-performance ratio of secondary raw materials Guldmann & Huulgaard, 2020; Kinnunen & Kaksonen, 2019 High production cost of recycled materials/lack of supply; higher prices of bio-based and/or recycled plastics Bening et al, 2021;Dijkstra et al, 2020;Milios et al, 2018;Siltaloppi & Jähi, 2021 Lack of economic incentives (missing markets and/or market failures) de Guldmann & Huulgaard, 2020;Tura et al, 2019 Lack of demand/immature markets Bening et al, 2021;Dijkstra et al, 2020;Siltaloppi & Jähi, 2021 Lock-in effects in linear infrastructure…”

“…While automotive (e.g., Agyemang et al., 2019), construction (e.g., Mahpour, 2018), and textiles (e.g., Hartley et al., 2021) have been the primary sectoral foci for CE research on barriers and drivers, plastics industries have only lately gained momentum in CE research due to their enormous potential for a CE transition. However, more in‐depth research is still required (e.g., Bening et al., 2021; Siltaloppi & Jähi, 2021). Studies in the plastics industries on CE have primarily investigated opportunities and challenges connected to recycling and/or bio‐based plastics and have revealed remarkable insights on CE plastics barriers and drivers.…”