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Life cycle assessment (LCA) is amongst the most frequently used methodologies to identify and evaluate the environmental impacts of the circular supply chain configurations. This article aims to showcase how a socio-material perspective can increase the embeddedness of such an assessment within inter-firm networks. A comparative LCA of two circular product systems is conducted, namely single-use and reusable tableware within a canteen located in northern Italy. To contextualise the LCA, the Actor Network Theory (ANT) is used as an epistemological lens to identify the framing and problematisation of bioplastics in Italy, as well as the power constellation of actors affecting the bioplastics life cycle. The ANT complements the LCA in three ways: firstly, it informs the end-of-life modelling of the product systems away from public narratives to the actual waste management practices and secondly, it contextualises the interpretation of the LCA results—in favour of the reuse system—with the socio-technical factors in Italy. Finally, the socio-material perspective allows for a discussion on the performative role of LCA in the light of its increasing popularity in the public and private sectors and on its potential to guide more sustainable production and consumption patterns.

The use of life cycle-based assessment has been defined a crucial microfoundation to implement circular business models from a dynamic capabilities perspective. Through a case study of a multi-national packaging corporation in the plastics sector, the application of an industry-developed circularity assessment, the Circular Transition Indicators (CTI), is analysed in two manufacturing locations (Italy and China). The aim is to identify how this life cycle-based assessment can amplify the company's capability to sense, seize and reconfigure its resources. Data were collected from a company placement, interviews, and sustainability reports. The CTI mainly contributed to the sensing microfoundations concerning the company's life cycle-based perspective and the use of environmental management tools. It also proved to complement existing life cycle-based approaches because it does not identify sustainability impacts, but only captures material flows. Furthermore, the results showed how the CTI implementation benefitted from existing microfoundations, such as the strategic collaboration with knowledge partners and previously collected sustainability and process efficiency data. Finally, it was also discussed for which microfoundations the CTI results could be most useful: to improve internal resource management processes and to support external circularity pledges. This paper contributes an empirical example to connect dynamic capabilities with life cycle management literature in a circular economy context.

The circular economy (CE) concept has become a major interest for companies, promising new business opportunities and a decrease in environmental impacts. Though research on circular business models has recently increased, few scholars have investigated how companies engaged with CE view the connection between CE and sustainability. To address this gap, this paper uses a semi-quantitative survey and semi-structured interviews conducted with companies based in Italy and the Netherlands. Purposive sampling was employed to target firms associated with national and international CE networks, as these companies already engage with CE practices. The survey was distributed online to over 800 firms, of which 155 provided information on their understanding of the CE concept and its relationship with sustainability. The survey results are complemented through findings from 43 interviews with a subset of the survey respondents. The survey answers show that companies view CE as one of the tools to achieve sustainable development, particularly in the environmental domain, where the focus lies on environmentally friendly resource use. Yet, the respondents are less confident whether CE increases economic and social benefits of firms. Interviews show that a majority of respondents position sustainability as the overarching concept. However, most companies advocate that the private sector should strive for both sustainability and circularity, though the distinction between the two concepts in daily business operations seems synthetic and futile to some. These findings provide an important stepping stone for better understanding how firms could apply CE practices to move towards a more sustainable society.