Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industry

Bio-based and biodegradable plastics (BBPs) are innovative materials, wholly or partially produced from biomass, with the potential to enhance the circulation of resources in the biological cycle of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s butterfly diagram. Although BBPs are generally considered more env...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eleonora Foschi, Selena Aureli, Angelo Paletta
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Turin 2023-07-01
Series:European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/ejsice/article/view/7154
_version_ 1797769980528295936
author Eleonora Foschi
Selena Aureli
Angelo Paletta
author_facet Eleonora Foschi
Selena Aureli
Angelo Paletta
author_sort Eleonora Foschi
collection DOAJ
description Bio-based and biodegradable plastics (BBPs) are innovative materials, wholly or partially produced from biomass, with the potential to enhance the circulation of resources in the biological cycle of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s butterfly diagram. Although BBPs are generally considered more environmental-friendly than conventional plastics, robust scientific evidence is still missing. The lack of tools and metrics to assess the circularity and sustainability of the BBPs industry poses relevant challenges for its upscaling and contribution to climate neutrality goals in Europe. It calls for adopting system and life cycle thinking, guided by multi-level and multi-dimensional examinations, which led researchers to build a comprehensive picture of trends, gaps and future orientations that may boost a sustainable circular bioeconomy in the sector. The value- chain based and multi-faceted SWOT analysis that emerged from the intersection of system and corporate data reveals the need to establish a combined circular bioeconomy strategy where incentives to integrated local supply chain, dedicated EPR scheme, eco-design guidelines, revised EoL standards, new clear labelling schemes and harmonised sustainability criteria should be prioritized and conjointly pursued to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable circular bioeconomy of the BBPs value chain.
first_indexed 2024-03-12T21:16:57Z
format Article
id doaj.art-7a26bf4a645c4b74bcbaff7f3132480c
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2704-9906
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-12T21:16:57Z
publishDate 2023-07-01
publisher University of Turin
record_format Article
series European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy
spelling doaj.art-7a26bf4a645c4b74bcbaff7f3132480c2023-07-29T06:56:02ZengUniversity of TurinEuropean Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy2704-99062023-07-014210.13135/2704-9906/7154Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industryEleonora Foschi0Selena Aureli1Angelo Paletta2University of BolognaUniversity of BolognaUniversity of Bologna Bio-based and biodegradable plastics (BBPs) are innovative materials, wholly or partially produced from biomass, with the potential to enhance the circulation of resources in the biological cycle of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s butterfly diagram. Although BBPs are generally considered more environmental-friendly than conventional plastics, robust scientific evidence is still missing. The lack of tools and metrics to assess the circularity and sustainability of the BBPs industry poses relevant challenges for its upscaling and contribution to climate neutrality goals in Europe. It calls for adopting system and life cycle thinking, guided by multi-level and multi-dimensional examinations, which led researchers to build a comprehensive picture of trends, gaps and future orientations that may boost a sustainable circular bioeconomy in the sector. The value- chain based and multi-faceted SWOT analysis that emerged from the intersection of system and corporate data reveals the need to establish a combined circular bioeconomy strategy where incentives to integrated local supply chain, dedicated EPR scheme, eco-design guidelines, revised EoL standards, new clear labelling schemes and harmonised sustainability criteria should be prioritized and conjointly pursued to accelerate the transition towards a sustainable circular bioeconomy of the BBPs value chain. https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/ejsice/article/view/7154BioeconomyCircular economySustainabilityBio-based and biodegradable plastics
spellingShingle Eleonora Foschi
Selena Aureli
Angelo Paletta
Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industry
European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy
Bioeconomy
Circular economy
Sustainability
Bio-based and biodegradable plastics
title Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industry
title_full Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industry
title_fullStr Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industry
title_full_unstemmed Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industry
title_short Linking bioeconomy, circular economy, and sustainability: Trends, gaps and future orientation in the bio-based and biodegradable plastics industry
title_sort linking bioeconomy circular economy and sustainability trends gaps and future orientation in the bio based and biodegradable plastics industry
topic Bioeconomy
Circular economy
Sustainability
Bio-based and biodegradable plastics
url https://ojs.unito.it/index.php/ejsice/article/view/7154
work_keys_str_mv AT eleonorafoschi linkingbioeconomycirculareconomyandsustainabilitytrendsgapsandfutureorientationinthebiobasedandbiodegradableplasticsindustry
AT selenaaureli linkingbioeconomycirculareconomyandsustainabilitytrendsgapsandfutureorientationinthebiobasedandbiodegradableplasticsindustry
AT angelopaletta linkingbioeconomycirculareconomyandsustainabilitytrendsgapsandfutureorientationinthebiobasedandbiodegradableplasticsindustry