Circular Economy in Portuguese Organizations – A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose : The objective of this study is to know the state of Portuguese organizations in relation to the transition to Circular Economy (CE), identifying the main CE practices adopted, barriers and motivations to CE implementation. Design/methodology/approach : A systematic literature review was conducted for the period 2006 to 2021 and included academic, gray and practical literature that focus on the EC at the micro level, i.e., at the organizational level for the Portuguese context. Findings : The results show that the CE practices implemented in the analyzed organizations reveal a little advanced state in relation to circularity and emphasize the implementation of CE practices associated with waste management. The motivations are mainly associated with improving environmental and economic performance. The main barriers are: legislation, lack of guidelines and support in the transition process to CE, and high investments. Research limitations/implications : The results contribute to the current state of CE research in Portugal at the organizational level and highlight opportunities for future research in this area. However, the number of studies on CE in the Portuguese organizational context, and analyzed, is very scarce, which constitutes an important limitation of this study. Originality/value : This study contributes to the knowledge of the CE adoption at the organizational level. DOI: https://doi.org/10.54663/2183-3826.2022.v8.n15.21-44