A Transition from Linear to the Circular Economy to Enhance Sustainability in the Packaging Industry

The concept of a Circular Economy (CE) has emerged as a vital strategy to address global challenges related to environmental degradation, resource scarcity, and economic sustainability. CE proposes a transformative shift from the traditional linear " take-make-dispose " model towards a regenerative system that minimises waste and maximises resource efficiency. Despite its growing prominence, the practical implementation of CE within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), representing approximately 90% of global businesses, remains underexplored. This thesis investigates how SMEs can effectively align their business practices with CE principles, examining the state of circular strategy implementation and identifying key drivers, barriers, and enablers within the SME context.<br/>The thesis is structured around three studies incrementally building a comprehensive understanding of CE implementation. The first study explores the theoretical alignment between CE strategies and food waste management hierarchies within the agri-food sector. By mapping the ten gradations of circularity onto Moerman’s food waste ladder, this work illustrates the potential for CE strategies to support sustainable development goals (SDGs) of Zero Hunger (SDG 2) and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12).<br/>The second study shifts focus to the food packaging industry, assessing the real-world application of circular strategies through a systematic literature review and multiple case studies of SMEs. It identifies the least and most applied CE strategies, revealing misalignments between academic prioritisation and industry practice. This research also introduces a lever–barrier matrix as a practical toolkit to support SMEs in overcoming CE transition challenges.<br/>The third and final study examines CE implementation across SME supply chains in the packaging industry using a qualitative multiple case study approach. It adopts the natural resource-based view (NRBV) and theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to uncover how internal and external factors shape circular transformation across supply chain tiers. This work culminates in developing a Circular Economy Transition Framework (CETF), outlining the phases and enablers of CE adoption in SME networks.<br/>Together, these studies make significant contributions to the field by: (1) proposing a CE-aligned hierarchy for food waste management, indicating the universal application of circular strategies on business practices (2) developing a lever–barrier matrix to develop targeted solutions and strategies tailored to SMEs to overcome challenges faced in the implementation of circular strategies and (3) presenting a novel CETF to guide SMEs and their supply chains through the CE transition. By focusing on underrepresented SMEs across key industries, this thesis offers practical and theoretical insights to accelerate the global transition towards a more sustainable circular economy.<br/>

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctoral Thesis

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Student thesis

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Northampton

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Tanveer, Umair

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• He, Shaowei
• Bates, Margaret

• Circular Economy
• Sustainability

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d857dfff-ca33-4c30-94ec-7e3ecb8e9d89

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:pure.atira.dk:studenttheses/d857dfff-ca33-4c30-94ec-7e3ecb8e9d89