Barriers to transitioning to a circular bio-based economy: Findings from an industrial perspective

Elina Dace, Alessandro Cascavilla, Marco Bianchi, Elisa Chioatto, Emy Zecca, Luana Ladu, Gülşah Yilan (Corresponding Author)

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The transition from a linear fossil-based to a circular bio-based economy represents an opportunity and a suitable pathway for achieving several sustainable development goals. However, the transition is a complex process since it requires transformative policies, purposeful innovation, access to finance, risk-taking capacity as well as new and sustainable business models and markets. Accordingly, the first step in this transition process is the identification of barriers that are hampering the transition to a sustainable circular bio-based economy. With this motivation in mind, this study reviews grey literature to identify barriers focusing on four critical sectors facing major challenges within the current linear economy and requiring a sustainable transition most urgently: construction, chemicals, plastics, and textile sectors. Employing an adapted STEEP methodology (Social, Technological, Economical, Environmental, Political), a total of 193 different barriers have been identified and clustered under six categories: cultural, technical, economic, environmental, governance, and structural. Regardless of the sector, cultural and structural barriers are identified as the most prominent; the lack of incentives for consumer behaviour change and lack of stakeholder collaboration were the most cited barriers among the literature records. From a value chain perspective, most of the barriers are related to the material processing and product manufacturing stage. Finally, potential solutions, extracted from the grey literature, are proposed to fill the gaps and overcome the identified barriers. Many of the identified barriers are common across the four investigated sectors, indicating the solutions or measures can be applicable in a wider perspective to promote the transition in the right direction.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)407-418
Number of pages12
JournalSustainable Production and Consumption
Volume48
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2024
Externally publishedYes

Keywords*

  • Bioeconomy
  • Carbon-intensive industry
  • Circular economy
  • STEEP methodology
  • Sustainable transition
  • Transformation

Field of Science*

  • 2.7 Environmental engineering
  • 5.2 Economy and Business

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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