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Barriers to the adoption of the circular economy in the Brazilian sugarcane ethanol sector

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Abstract

Brazil plays a prominent role in the global production of sugarcane and contributes to the renewable energy sector by producing ethanol. However, few studies have explored the adoption of the circular economy in the sugarcane ethanol sector. This article is aimed at analyzing and prioritizing barriers to the adoption of the circular economy in leading Brazilian sugarcane ethanol companies. For this, the analytical hierarchy process method and case studies methods were used. The main barriers identified were economic and financial, mainly due to dependence on high investments in production process technologies and the resulting uncertainties about returns. Another barrier was the lack of Brazilian legislation concerning the circular economy. We discuss the implications of our findings and present mechanisms for overcoming barriers and the role in supporting circular economy adoption in emerging economies.

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Fig. 1
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Source: Adapted from Delmonico et al. (2018). Note: BS1—lack of awareness of CE principles; BS2—low demand for reused, remanufactured and shared products; BS3—lack of regulation and legislation; BEF1—lack of financial support and tax incentives; BEF2—low cost of virgin materials; BEF3—high cost of CE processes; BTO1—lack of technology and equipment; BTO2—lack of qualified labor; BTO3—lack of design and production information; BTO4—difficulty establishing partnerships in the supply chain

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of: (i) the Brazilian research funding agency CAPES, Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, Brazil (Grant 88887.605415/2021-00); (ii) the São Paulo Research Foundation. (FAPESP) Grant no. 18/23972-1

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  1. Production Engineering Department, Sao Paulo State University – UNESP, Av. Engenheiro Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube 14-01, PO BOX, Bauru, SP, 17033-360, Brazil

    Gessica Mina Kim Jesus, Daniel Jugend, Luis Alberto Bertolucci Paes, Regiane Máximo Siqueira & Matheus Artioli Leandrin

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  1. Gessica Mina Kim Jesus
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  2. Daniel Jugend
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Correspondence to Daniel Jugend.

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Jesus, G.M.K., Jugend, D., Paes, L.A.B. et al. Barriers to the adoption of the circular economy in the Brazilian sugarcane ethanol sector. Clean Techn Environ Policy 25, 381–395 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-021-02129-5

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