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

Achieving a circular economy (CE) has become a strategic priority for the plastic packaging industry to imple-ment long-term business sustainability while meeting legislative requirements. In this view, the evolution of cir-cularity practices in relation to technological, regulatory, and socio-economic factors and the implications for different value chain actors are open streams of research. This study aims to assess trends and meaningful changes in the adoption of circularity practices from the perspective of different value chain actors, under the ef-fects of leading CE barriers and enablers. A longitudinal analysis of the influence of these factors in relation to CE practices adopted by the Italian plastic packaging sector was conducted for the years 2011, 2015, and 2019. The involvement in plastic recovery became a predominant CE strategy over time, thanks to technological availability and a more mature regulatory framework. Our results suggest a gradual shift from scattered CE implementations to a more systemic approach to CE integrating upstream and downstream solutions. However, this transition oc-curred at different speeds and levels across the supply chain, as companies perceived factors differently and, con-sequently, implemented different types of CE practices. Therefore, increased collaboration and alignment across the supply chain are still required to overcome existing challenges. Based on our analysis, a focus group with stakeholders and experts of the plastic industry drew possible future avenues for the plastic packaging sector. Suggested priority actions include advancement of new and emerging recycling technologies, prioritization of economically viable and closed-loop alternatives to recover plastic waste, and alignment between national and international CE directives. These results extend our understanding of the CE transition and shed new light on the ways in which the industry can address existing barriers in different tiers for a system-wide impact. (c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.