Common challenges for circular manufacturing industries in recycling

Over the past two decades, the concept of the circular economy has undergone significant development. Notably, research efforts have been centered on key elements essential for the shift towards circularity, specifically the Value Retention Options (ROs), aimed at optimizing resource retention throughout product life cycles. Given the diverse application fields, these ROs have been conceptualized in various ways. Recycling is considered one of the key ROs impacting the end-of-life of products to reduce landfills. An analysis is presented focusing on recycling activities to highlight key challenges encountered by manufacturing industries and their transition towards circularity. Examples of application fields involved are used to support the analysis. The considered research helps bridge the gap between research priorities and industrial requirements, as it highlights the shared challenges confronted by application fields engaged in the longest loops of a circular economy.