The French plastics industry’s path-dependent transition towards the circular economy

Olivier Brette (), Nathalie Lazaric (), Léa Barbaut () and Valérie Massardier ()
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Olivier Brette: TRIANGLE - Triangle : action, discours, pensée politique et économique - ENS de Lyon - École normale supérieure de Lyon - Université de Lyon - UL2 - Université Lumière - Lyon 2 - IEP Lyon - Sciences Po Lyon - Institut d'études politiques de Lyon - Université de Lyon - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - UJM EPE - Université Jean Monnet (EPSCPE) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Nathalie Lazaric: GREDEG - Groupe de Recherche en Droit, Economie et Gestion - UNS - Université Nice Sophia Antipolis (1965 - 2019) - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UniCA - Université Côte d'Azur
Léa Barbaut: MAGELLAN - Laboratoire de Recherche Magellan - UJML - Université Jean Moulin - Lyon 3 - Université de Lyon - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises (IAE) - Lyon
Valérie Massardier: IMP - Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères - UCBL - Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - Université de Lyon - INSA Lyon - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon - Université de Lyon - INSA - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - UJM - Université Jean Monnet - Saint-Étienne - UJM EPE - Université Jean Monnet (EPSCPE) - INC-CNRS - Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INSA Lyon - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon - Université de Lyon - INSA - Institut National des Sciences Appliquées

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Abstract: "This article investigates adoption by French plastics industry companies of circular eco-innovation strategies, such as recycling of fossil-based plastics, production of bio-based copies of fossil polymers, and development of new bio-based plastics. Primary data were collected via interviews with various plastics value-chain stakeholders and were supplemented by a substantial amount of secondary data. Analysing these data through an evolutionary theoretical framework lens that combines the multi-level perspective on sociotechnical transitions with organisational path dependence theory addresses two limitations in the existing literature: the fragmented analyses of the determinants of circular eco-innovations and contradictory interpretations of the potential of new bio-based plastics to disrupt prevailing industrial structures in favour of the circular economy. Our results demonstrate the relevance of path dependence theory at the value chain level and highlight the importance of (inter-)organisational mechanisms in the industry circular transition."

Keywords: circular economy; eco-innovation; lock-in; path dependence; Plastics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-06-08
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Published in Industry and Innovation, 2026, Published online: 08 Jun 2026, pp.1-24. ⟨10.1080/13662716.2026.2683382⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-05651608

DOI: 10.1080/13662716.2026.2683382

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