Journal
SUSTAINABILITY
Volume 13, Issue 22, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/su132212790
Keywords
industry 4.0; circular economy; environmental regulations; manufacturing supply chains; COVID-19
Funding
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Urban Spatial Information Engineering [20210218]
- Prince Sultan University
Ask authors/readers for more resources
This study investigates the relationship between industry 4.0 technologies, COVID-19 outbreak, environmental regulation policies, and circular economy practices. The results indicate that industry 4.0 technologies and environmental regulations are promoting circular economy practices during the pandemic, but there is no evidence supporting COVID-19 as a determining factor in the adoption of the circular economy.
The degradation of the environment is associated with economic activity, particularly with the linear way in which the economy does not make efficient use of resources. However, the circular economy is opposed to this linear paradigm, since it makes the most of the resources in trying to achieve zero waste. In this context, this study investigates the relationship between industry 4.0 technologies, COVID-19 outbreak, environmental regulation policies and circular economy practices. A questionnaire is designed to collect information from 214 big and private manufacturing firms in Ecuador, and subsequently, through CB-SEM, the information is processed, and the study paths are validated. The results suggest that industry 4.0 technologies and environmental regulation policies are driving circular economy practices during the pandemic. The study finds no evidence favoring COVID-19 being a determining factor in the adoption of the circular economy. The results provide a policy framework for the adoption of a circular economy.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available