Competing narratives inhibit a circular economy for bio-based plastic packaging: Insights from a social innovation lab study in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the UK

Belinda Li; Jordon Lazell; Macarena Beltran; Grażyna Kędzia; Lais Roncalho Lima; Tammara Soma; Sandra Andrea Cruz; Rafaela Francisconi Gutierrez; Jolanta Turek; Marta Raźniewska; Aneta Pluta-Zaremba; Benny Tjahjono

doi:10.1002/bse.3997

Competing narratives inhibit a circular economy for bio-based plastic packaging: Insights from a social innovation lab study in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the UK

Belinda Li, Jordon Lazell, Macarena Beltran, Grażyna Kędzia, Lais Roncalho Lima, Tammara Soma, Sandra Andrea Cruz, Rafaela Francisconi Gutierrez, Jolanta Turek, Marta Raźniewska, Aneta Pluta-Zaremba, Benny Tjahjono

Research Centre for Business in Society

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Businesses are turning to bio-based, compostable plastic packaging as a circular economy solution to global plastic pollution. However, there is a lack of proper waste management systems for collection and processing. Through an international research initiative, a social innovation lab was undertaken in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the United Kingdom to understand and address key barriers in closing the bio-based plastic packaging loop. Based upon a qualitative data set of 100 stakeholder interviews and three phases of workshop activities in each country, a grounded model was generated to illustrate how competing views and actions are inhibiting a circular system for bio-based plastic packaging. Key issues were the lack of end-of-life processing infrastructure, contamination in processing facilities and absent or ineffective regulation. A systemic approach that includes shared responsibility for infrastructure, simplified packaging design and materials and equitable regulation to reduce susceptibility to greenwashing can improve collaboration to meet circular goals.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	(In-Press)
Number of pages	39
Journal	Business Strategy and the Environment
Volume	(In-Press)
Early online date	13 Oct 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3997
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 13 Oct 2024

Bibliographical note

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Funder

This work was supported by the Trans-Atlantic Platform through the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) grant numbers 2020/04239-1 and 2019/02576-3, Trans-Atlantic Platform Social Innovation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant number 20022019-0003, National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) grant number T-AP SI/SIMBIO/1/2020, and UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant number ES/T015195/1.

Funding

This work was supported by the Trans-Atlantic Platform through the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) grant numbers 2020/04239-1 and 2019/02576-3, Trans-Atlantic Platform Social Innovation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) grant number 20022019-0003, National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) grant number T-AP SI/SIMBIO/1/2020, and UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) grant number ES/T015195/1.

Funders	Funder number
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo	2020/04239-1, 2019/02576-3
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada	20022019-0003
National Centre for Research and Development	T-AP SI/SIMBIO/1/2020
Economic and Social Research Council	ES/T015195/1

Keywords

bio-based plastic
circular economy
compostable plastic
packaging
social innovation
waste management

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1002/bse.3997Licence: CC BY

Tjahjono2024VoRFinal published version, 4.08 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Li, B., Lazell, J., Beltran, M., Kędzia, G., Lima, L. R., Soma, T., Cruz, S. A., Gutierrez, R. F., Turek, J., Raźniewska, M., Pluta-Zaremba, A., & Tjahjono, B. (2024). Competing narratives inhibit a circular economy for bio-based plastic packaging: Insights from a social innovation lab study in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the UK. Business Strategy and the Environment, (In-Press), (In-Press). Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3997

Competing narratives inhibit a circular economy for bio-based plastic packaging: Insights from a social innovation lab study in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the UK. / Li, Belinda; Lazell, Jordon; Beltran, Macarena et al.
In: Business Strategy and the Environment, Vol. (In-Press), 13.10.2024, p. (In-Press).

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Li, B, Lazell, J, Beltran, M, Kędzia, G, Lima, LR, Soma, T, Cruz, SA, Gutierrez, RF, Turek, J, Raźniewska, M, Pluta-Zaremba, A & Tjahjono, B 2024, 'Competing narratives inhibit a circular economy for bio-based plastic packaging: Insights from a social innovation lab study in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the UK', Business Strategy and the Environment, vol. (In-Press), pp. (In-Press). https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3997

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Competing narratives inhibit a circular economy for bio-based plastic packaging: Insights from a social innovation lab study in Brazil, Canada, Poland and the UK

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funder

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this