Circular supply chains in the era of industry 4.0: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The literature already discussed about how the synergic implementation of Circular Economy (CE) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) paradigms in industrial contexts could enable improvements in Supply Chain (SC) efficiency and competitiveness. However, the experts concentrated on a single topic of circular supply chain (CSC), CE, and I4.0, lacking a systemic approach to the integrated context. To this aim, the paper proposes a systematic literature review investigating and systematizing the knowledge around the circular SC domain enabled by CE and I4.0 and, simultaneously, highlighting the major trends. Starting from six dimensions of analysis (Type of contribution, LC phases, I4.0 technologies, Triple Bottom Line (TBL) layers, CE strategies, and SC typologies), CSC-related articles have been classified basing on five thematic categories (I4.0 enabling technologies, Performance tools and indicators, Challenges and barriers, Business models and strategies, Best practices). Results allowed to provide some peculiarities of each category. From a sustainability side, they confirmed a predominance of economic and environmental aspects over social ones, together with a life cycle perspective. From an I4.0 side, they shown a prevalence and a synergic implementation of internet of things, big data analytics, and cloud technologies. From a CE strategy side, reuse-recycle-remanufacturing, waste management, material and energy efficiency have been identified as prevalent topics. The paper contributes in building an integrated knowledge of the threefold CE, CSC and I4.0 research context. In addition, it proposes a theoretical framework useful to gradually guide practitioners in approaching the CSC transition. Depending on different CSC aspects, managers could easily raise their knowledge about practices, methodologies, and technological solutions helpful to support their CSC activities.