FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY A qualitative study of the supply chain of food and beverage plastic packaging in the Netherlands

The circular economy has recently gained attention from politicians and businesses in the Netherlands as a way to solve the world’s plastic problem. However, the development of the circular economy is a complex endeavor, and therefore decision-makers should be aware of the potential challenges and drivers they face in implementing it. Several studies have looked into the barriers and drivers of circularity from different perspectives, such as geographically or by industry type, but since factors are context-specific, it becomes relevant to study the food and beverage plastic packaging industry in the Netherlands. This study conducts an empirical analysis based on semi-structured interviews with different agents of the supply chain of food and beverage plastic packaging aiming at filling in this knowledge gap. Results reveal the presence of several complex cross-cutting issues that must be overcome, such as: the lack of acceptance of the circular economy by companies in their mindset and culture, structural flaws, the presence of hindering regulations, the conflicting role of consumers, and a number of environmental trade-offs. Furthermore, findings also question the role of the circular economy as a tool to solve the problem of plastic leaking into the environment, as in practice the concept does not focus on minimizing overall environmental impacts. Further research is necessary to elucidate the potential risks of the misconceptions and manipulations of the concept of circular economy. Finally, based on these challenges, the present study provides a number of recommendations for the industry of packaging and the Government, most importantly to encourage decision-makers to reconsider how they are implementing the circular economy, to revise hindering legislation, and to increase supply chain collaboration