Enablers, Barriers, and Opportunities for the Implementation of Circular Economy Practices in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: An Explorative Systematic Literature Review

The importance of Circular Economy (CE) is increasing for the industry, and particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who must compete with larger companies to adhere to the ambitious sustainability regulations set by the EU. Therefore, this paper analyses the current literature on the implementation of CE in SMEs, with a particular focus on the findings of applied research. The authors systematically analyze 26 peer-reviewed articles from several journals on 1) enablers for CE implementation in SMEs, 2) barriers to CE implementation in SMEs, and 3) opportunities for CE implementation in SMEs. Additionally, the authors use a secondary data-based content analysis to identify promising fields of action for future research initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to utilize the developed framework to provide insight into the enablers, barriers, and opportunities that assist SMEs in implementing CE. This allows them to identify helpful factors for implementation at the planning stage, anticipate potential obstacles, and effectively eliminate them from the outset. Additionally, it highlights the opportunities that can arise for SMEs through CE implementation.