Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

European environment policy for the circular economy: Implications for business and industry stakeholders

This review evaluates recent European Union circular economy policies and their implications for businesses seeking to reduce environmental impact through sustainable production and supply chain practices. It identifies both opportunities and challenges for companies attempting to implement circular economy principles in compliance with new EU environmental directives.

2020 Sustainable Development 210 citations
Article Tier 2

The Circular Economy in EU Policy as a Response to Contemporary Ecological Challenges

This article reviews how EU countries are implementing circular economy policies and progress toward reducing plastic waste, finding large variation across member states. Shifting from linear to circular plastic economies is critical for reducing the production of waste that generates microplastics.

2019 Gospodarka Narodowa 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic waste as a challenge for sustainable development and circularity in the European Union

This review examines the plastic waste crisis in the European Union, evaluating gaps between recycling policy ambitions and actual outcomes. It argues that without major improvements in waste management infrastructure and circular economy practices, plastics will continue to fragment into microplastics and contaminate European ecosystems.

2020 Ekonomia i Prawo 21 citations
Article Tier 2

The rate of use of the Circular Economy in individual sectors

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper reviews the adoption of circular economy principles across industrial sectors within the European Union policy framework, without specific focus on plastic pollution.

2023 Acta Montanistica Slovaca 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Are Soft Legal Measures in Circular Economy Action Plans Enough to Permeate EU Strong Economic Core Regulations Bringing Systemic Sustainable Change?

Researchers conducted a legal analysis of the European Union's 2015 and 2020 Circular Economy Action Plans, examining whether these policy frameworks are designed to drive genuine systemic change or are constrained by market-oriented economic principles. The study finds that most measures rely on soft, voluntary approaches that may not be strong enough to overcome the EU's core economic regulations prioritizing growth over sustainability.

2022 Circular Economy and Sustainability 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Approaches for a Circular Economy in European Union and Its Effects in Third Countries: Promoting a Values-based Dialogue Between the EU and Latin America?

This study examines the tension between the European Union's circular economy strategies and its practice of exporting plastic waste to third countries, arguing through qualitative bibliographical research that the EU must align its external plastic waste policies with its founding values in order to serve as a credible leader in global plastics treaty negotiations.

2024 Spanish Journal of Legislative Studies
Article Tier 2

Toxic growth in the circular economy: is the EU Plastics Strategy a bad policy?

Researchers traced the relational history of the European Commission's Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy, examining whether this flagship plastics governance policy effectively addresses the growing global plastics problem. They argued that the strategy's circular economy framing may perpetuate 'toxic growth' by prioritizing recycling and reuse over fundamental production reduction, raising questions about the policy's adequacy as a response to plastic pollution.

2025 Policy Press eBooks
Article Tier 2

A systematic analysis of European markers of balanced environmental management under the conditions of economic circularity

Researchers analyzed European environmental management markers under circular economy conditions, examining environmental pollution indicators including microplastics and proposing an iron oxide-based technological method for treating wastewater contaminated with estrogens, microplastics, and oil.

2024 Agroecological journal
Review Tier 2

On the Definition, Assessment and Enhancement of Circular Economy across Various Industrial Sectors: A Literature Review

This review defined and assessed circular economy principles across aerospace, wind energy, transportation, automotive, and sports goods sectors, drawing on literature and the EU-funded RECREATE project to identify sector-specific circularity metrics and improvement strategies.

2023 Preprints.org 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Atık ve çevresel adalet : Avrupa Birliği döngüsel ekonomi politikası örneği

This thesis critically analyzes the EU circular economy policy through an environmental justice perspective, examining how power asymmetries between EU member states affect the distribution of waste management burdens. The study finds that EU circular economy solutions focus predominantly on economic outcomes while neglecting justice implications of transboundary waste transfers.

2024 Marmara University Open Access System
Article Tier 2

Monitor circulaire plastics. Methodologie en nulmeting

Researchers developed a methodology and baseline measurement for a circular plastics monitor in the Netherlands, establishing quantitative indicators to track progress toward a circular plastic value chain and enabling repeat measurements over time.

2025 TNO Repository
Article Tier 2

Exploring the EU plastic value chain: A material flow analysis

Researchers conducted a material flow analysis of the EU27 plastic value chain, finding that only 19% of plastics were recycled in 2019, with total losses amounting to 4% of production and significant variation across sectors and polymer types.

2023 Resources Conservation and Recycling 36 citations
Review Tier 2

On the Definition, Assessment, and Enhancement of Circular Economy across Various Industrial Sectors: A Literature Review and Recent Findings

This literature review examines how circular economy principles are being defined, measured, and implemented across industries including aerospace, wind energy, transportation, automotive, and sports goods. The study suggests that adopting circular economy strategies can help reduce waste and promote sustainability, though standardized assessment methods are still evolving.

2023 Sustainability 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Socio-economic Importance of Biomaterials in the Transition to the Circular Economy Model

Researchers examined the socio-economic role of biomaterials in transitioning economies toward the circular economy model, finding that substituting conventional plastics with bio-based materials can reduce waste accumulation while meeting EU sustainable development targets for 2030.

2021 SHS Web of Conferences 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Condition of Circular Economy in Poland

This article examines the state of circular economy implementation in Poland, reviewing policies, practices, and gaps in transitioning from a linear to a circular model for resource use and waste management. It is a policy and sustainability science study.

2020 Archives of Civil Engineering 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Recyclable, but not recycled—an indicator to quantify the environmental impacts of plastic waste disposal

This study developed an indicator to quantify the environmental impact of plastic products that are technically recyclable but are not actually recycled in practice, addressing the gap between theoretical recycling potential and real-world recovery rates. The indicator enables more accurate life cycle assessments of plastic product sustainability.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Rethinking plastic recycling: A comparison between North America and Europe

Researchers compared plastic recycling rates and infrastructure between North America and the European Union, arguing that higher EU landfill and incineration costs create economic incentives for recycling that have driven greater industrial innovation and cleaner polymer streams — while both regions continue to rely on opaque offshore export as a de facto disposal method.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Combining industrial ecology tools to assess potential greenhouse gas reductions of a circular economy: Method development and application to Switzerland

Researchers developed a framework combining multiple environmental analysis methods to assess how circular economy strategies — like plastic recycling, food waste reduction, and carbon capture — could cut Switzerland's greenhouse gas emissions by up to 14% by 2050.

2022 Journal of Industrial Ecology 33 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Barriers and Enablers to the Adoption of Circular Economy Concept in the Building Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

This systematic review identified barriers and enablers to adopting circular economy practices in the building sector, analyzing studies from 2008 to 2023. Key barriers include lack of regulations, high upfront costs, and limited stakeholder awareness, while enablers include government incentives, stakeholder collaboration, and technological innovation for material reuse and recycling.

2023 Buildings 82 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Innovation on Plastic Packaging Waste Generation in the European Union: Does Economic Growth Matter?

Researchers analyzed panel data from 27 EU countries over 2014–2023 and found that innovation reduces plastic packaging waste generation, and that economic growth amplifies this effect, though the relationship varies between high- and low-waste economies, pointing to the value of combining innovation policy with circular economy strategies.

2026
Article Tier 2

An Integrated Analysis of Plastic Packaging Value Chain: Identifying Barriers and Enablers for a Circular Economy

Researchers analyzed the full plastic packaging value chain to identify barriers and enablers for transitioning to a circular economy, tracing the evolution of circular economy concepts and quantifying the environmental impacts associated with exponential plastic waste growth. The study provides an integrated framework mapping opportunities for intervention across production, use, collection, and recycling stages.

2025 Journal of Green Economy and Low-Carbon Development
Article Tier 2

Moving Towards a Holistic Approach to Circular Cities: Obstacles and Perspectives for Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions in Europe

Researchers surveyed experts across Europe to identify obstacles and opportunities for implementing nature-based solutions in cities transitioning toward circular economies. They found that while interest in green infrastructure is growing, inconsistent policies, lack of interdisciplinary collaboration, and limited citizen engagement remain major barriers. The study underscores the need for holistic urban planning that combines environmental, social, and economic perspectives.

2024 Sustainability 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Recommendations for life-cycle assessment of recyclable plastics in a circular economy

This paper examines how life-cycle assessments of plastic recycling are often conducted inconsistently, leading to misleading conclusions about the environmental benefits of recycling. The authors recommend measuring impacts based on the amount of useful recycled product rather than waste processed, and expanding analysis beyond greenhouse gases to include plastic waste leaking into the environment. Better assessment methods could lead to more effective policies for reducing the plastic waste that ultimately becomes microplastic pollution.

2024 Chemical Science 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymers in Circular Economy: A Comprehensive Approach to Sustainability. An overview.

This review examines the role of polymers within the circular economy framework, analyzing strategies for reducing plastic consumption, improving recyclability, and transitioning toward more sustainable production and waste management models. The authors discuss the importance of government regulation and industry standards in driving circular economy adoption, while acknowledging barriers including economic inertia, upfront investment costs, and resistance to systemic change.

2023 Journal of the Chilean Chemical Society 5 citations