The (Im)possible Circular Economy? Barriers and Best Practices in Resource‐Intensive Industries
通过对12家欧洲资源密集型企业的多案例研究，识别循环经济实施的主要障碍，并提炼出可跨行业迁移的最佳实践框架，为管理者和政策制定者提供系统转型的行动指南。
ABSTRACT The circular economy (CE) promises to replace the linear ‘take–make–waste’ model with closed material and energy loops, yet its implementation is constrained by thermodynamic limits, rebound effects, definitional ambiguities and system‐boundary challenges. Existing research tends to emphasise sector‐specific or single‐element solutions, leaving a gap in industry‐agnostic and holistic best practices. Using a qualitative multiple‐case study of 12 European, globally active firms across resource‐intensive industries (RIIs), such as construction, plastics, electronics, chemicals and packaging, we (1) identify principal barriers impeding CE adoption and (2) derive transferable, practice‐based strategies that address these barriers. We synthesise our findings into an industry‐agnostic, holistic best‐practice framework organised by context, intervention, mechanism and outcome (CIMO), offering actionable guidance for managers and policymakers pursuing systemic circular transitions. The study advances theory on CE barriers and provides scalable, cross‐industry solutions to accelerate circular transformation in RIIs.