Understanding how circular economy practices and digital technologies are adopted and interrelated: A broad empirical study in the manufacturing sector

IF 11.2 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL Resources Conservation and Recycling Pub Date : 2025-02-10 DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108172

Enrico Cagno , Sandra Naomi Morioka , Alessandra Neri , Erivaldo Lopes de Souza

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Abstract

The circular economy is an effective paradigm for addressing sustainability challenges, yet studies quantitatively jointly analysing the adoption of circular economy practices and digital technologies are scarce. The present study provides an empirical investigation in 329 medium and large European manufacturing companies based on covariance-based structural equation modelling. The study identifies the adoption level of circular economy practices and digital technologies, and whether they are adopted standalone or in bundles, highlighting specificities related to company size, country and sector. The results identify six bundles of circular economy practices and three bundles of digital technologies. It also explores the relationship between circular economy practices and digital technologies. The study proposes three types of digital technologies enablers for the circular economy: base digital technologies (supporting business-as-usual circular economy); integrative digital technologies (relevant to less adopted circular economy practices); catalyser digital technologies (enablers for practices associated with both business-as-usual and circular business model innovation).

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来源期刊

Resources Conservation and Recycling 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

22.90

自引率

6.10%

发文量

625

审稿时长

23 days

期刊介绍： The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns. Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.