Circular Economy in the Digital Age

The Circular Economy has been pointed out by scholars and policymakers as a promising approach to decouple economic growth from resource consumption and waste generation [1,2]. Companies fully embracing a Circular Economy can potentially advance sustainability without compromising the competitiveness of value chains.

Unfortunately, several challenges arise in this transformation [3]. Nevertheless, the digital age we live in offers companies many opportunities for overcoming such challenges [4] since digital technologies can support the implementation of Circular Economy strategies into businesses by enabling the redesign of products, business models, consumption patterns, and value chains [5].

To advance the discussion on these aspects, the Special Issue ‘Circular Economy in the Digital Age’ called for a more critical discussion on the emerging Smart Circular Economy paradigm [6]. In response, eight articles were received and published, with original contributions to both theory and practice.

These papers are briefly illustrated in this Editorial in a sequence that starts from the theoretical basis (e.g., literature reviews and conceptual development) to practical implementation aspects of the Smart Circular Economy paradigm (practices, drivers, and barriers).