Social Innovations for Improving Compostable Packaging Waste Management in CE: A Multi-Solution Perspective

Grażyna Kędzia (), Barbara Ocicka, Aneta Pluta-Zaremba, Marta Raźniewska, Jolanta Turek and Beata Wieteska-Rosiak
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Grażyna Kędzia: Department of Logistics, Faculty of Management, University of Lodz, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Barbara Ocicka: Risk Management Unit, Institute of Corporate Finance and Investment, Collegium of Business Administration, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland
Aneta Pluta-Zaremba: Department of Logistics, Collegium of Business Administration, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland
Marta Raźniewska: Department of Logistics, Faculty of Management, University of Lodz, 90-237 Lodz, Poland
Jolanta Turek: Risk Management Unit, Institute of Corporate Finance and Investment, Collegium of Business Administration, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland
Beata Wieteska-Rosiak: Department of Investment and Real Estate, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz, 90-255 Lodz, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 23, 1-19

Abstract: Compostable packaging is one of the innovative alternatives to conventional packaging. This is also an opportunity in view of the current energy crisis and rising oil prices, firstly, because compostable packaging is produced only from renewable resources, and secondly, it can feed both the composting process and biogas plants. According to the CE principles, it is vital to effectively close product life cycles. Therefore, this paper is aimed at expounding the triggering role of social innovations co-created by stakeholders for improving compostable packaging waste management in accordance with the CE concept. The research procedure consisted of four integrated research phases. A qualitive study was undertaken by conducting 29 in-depth interviews and 3 Social Innovation Labs, engaging 67 bio-packaging market stakeholders, which are national and international companies (e.g., manufacturing, distributing), institutions and other organisations from the social, public and private sectors. The results show that one of the key problems for the development of the CE compostable packaging market is the low level of compostable waste packaging management. Its detailed analysis showed that this problem is associated with several barriers and their numerous causes. According to stakeholders, this can be effectively minimised by applying three social innovations that when combined stimulate all elements of waste management, moving it to a higher level of development.

Keywords: circular economy; organic recycling; packaging life cycle; waste management; social innovation; composting; plastic pollution (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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