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Emerging Technologies Supporting the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Plastic Materials Value Chain
Summary
Researchers reviewed how emerging technologies — including artificial intelligence, bio-based materials, and chemical recycling — can accelerate the transition from a linear "make-use-discard" plastic economy to a circular one where plastics are continuously reused. The study finds that no single technology solves the plastic waste problem; instead, coordinated sets of complementary technologies, supported by smart governance, are needed.
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.