Introduction:
The increasing awareness of environmental challenges and resource scarcity has propelled the transition towards sustainable business practices globally. The circular economy (CE) offers a promising framework to promote sustainability by minimizing waste, extending product lifecycles, and enhancing resource efficiency. In Iran’s packaging industry, where traditional linear models dominate, integrating circular economy principles is both critical and challenging. This research aims to develop a comprehensive sustainability framework for circular economy business models (CEBMs) within the Iranian packaging sector. The goal is to ensure that sustainability considerations permeate all elements of these models—value proposition, value creation, delivery, and capture—thus fostering a resilient and environmentally responsible industry.
Methodology:
This study employs a qualitative, exploratory research approach rooted in meta-synthesis and thematic analysis. The meta-synthesis method enables the systematic integration of existing literature, identifying common themes and patterns across multiple studies to create a coherent understanding of the factors influencing the sustainability of CE business models. The literature review process involved meticulous screening based on parameters such as titles, abstracts, content relevance, and research design. To ensure relevance and quality, duplicate, unrelated, or less pertinent studies were eliminated at each stage. From an initial pool of 760 scholarly articles and theses, 71 studies were retained after rigorous screening.
These studies provided foundational data for extracting initial conceptual codes pertaining to two prominent CE business models representative of the Iranian packaging sector: (1) the business model based on circular inputs and (2) the resource recovery business model. The codes facilitated the construction of preliminary frameworks for each model. To validate and enrich these frameworks, semi-structured interviews were conducted with industry experts, including managers, policymakers, and innovators involved in Iran’s packaging industry. The combination of literature review and expert insights allowed for a comprehensive analysis of internal and external factors influencing business model sustainability.
Results and Discussion:
The meta-synthesis yielded initial conceptual codes associated with the two CE models. Post quality control and validation, these codes informed the development of detailed frameworks for each model. The subsequent thematic analysis—enhanced by interviews—unveiled new elements and factors impacting sustainability, offering a richer understanding of barometers and barriers within the Iranian context.
Across both models, five key concepts emerged as central to sustainability: (1) institutional, (2) technological, (3) market, (4) environmental, and (5) resource recovery-specific factors. Although similar in structure, the codes within these concepts exhibited notable differences between the two models. For instance, the institutional factor in both models encompasses codes such as regulatory support, policy incentives, and industry standards—highlighting their critical role in facilitating circular practices.
The technological factors include the pace of recycling technology obsolescence, research intensity, and technological availability. Results indicate that rapid technological obsolescence and limited access to advanced recycling technologies pose significant challenges. Conversely, active research and development efforts are pivotal to overcoming such barriers. The market dimension involves factors related to consumer acceptance, economic incentives, branding, and cultural attitudes towards recycling. Notably, concerns around consumer privacy and data security emerged as specific codes in the resource recovery model, indicating that waste suppliers may hesitate to share waste due to confidentiality worries.
Environmental factors universally emphasize the importance of reducing ecological footprints—particularly through minimizing non-recyclable packaging—and enhancing positive environmental performance. The global trend towards eco-friendly practices influences corporate strategies and consumer expectations alike.
Overall, the resulting frameworks delineate the interconnectedness of these key factors, illustrating how internal company capacities and external environmental and policy contexts jointly shape the sustainability of CE business models in Iran’s packaging industry.
Conclusion
This study identifies two effective patterns for CE business model sustainability: (a) the resource recovery pattern and (b) the circular input pattern. Both share five central concepts—institutional, technological, market, environmental, and resource recovery—and demonstrate that different codes within these concepts influence sustainability outcomes. The institutional dimension underscores the importance of supportive policies and standards, while technological factors emphasize technological agility and innovation. Market factors reveal consumer attitudes and economic incentives as critical enablers, with privacy concerns specifically influencing resource recovery efforts. Environmental considerations remain pivotal, focusing on reducing environmental damage and promoting sustainability in product packaging.
The findings provide valuable insights for industry practitioners, policymakers, and researchers seeking to foster sustainable circular economy practices in Iran's packaging industry. They underscore the need for integrated strategies that address internal capabilities, technological innovation, market dynamics, and environmental responsibility. Future research could further explore sector-specific barriers and facilitators, as well as the role of digital technology and data security in advancing CE models.