Author(s)

IONELA GAVRILA-PAVEN, MARION MANSBERGER, ANCA TULBURE, CIPRIAN CĂPĂŢÂĂ, RAMONA GIUREA, LUCA ADAMI, ELENA CRISTINA RADA

Abstract

This article critically examines the relationship between circular economy performance and the socio-institutional contexts in which waste management systems operate across selected European Union Member States. Drawing on publicly available Eurostat data for the period 2012–2022, the study analyses six core circular economy indicators, including the circular material use rate, recycling rates of municipal and packaging waste, municipal waste generation per capita, landfilling rates and material footprint per capita. Using a stratified sample of 12 EU countries, the paper provides a comparative and trend-based assessment of structural disparities between high-performing, intermediate and emerging circular economy contexts. The findings reveal pronounced regional and institutional asymmetries. While several western and northern European countries display higher circular material use and recycling rates, these outcomes co-exist with persistently high levels of waste generation and increasing system costs. Moreover, the analysis confirms that high recycling performance does not automatically translate into higher material circularity, underscoring the distinction between waste management efficiency and deeper structural transformations of production and consumption systems. The results also highlight limitations inherent in macro-level circular economy indicators, which may obscure issues such as downcycling, export of waste streams and reliance on incineration. Within this complex landscape, the role of the social economy is examined not as a dominant actor in capital-intensive waste infrastructures, but as a complementary and locally embedded facilitator of reuse, repair, refurbishment and community-based circular practices. Social economy organizations contribute primarily to upstream waste prevention and life-extension strategies, particularly in contexts where market mechanisms alone prove insufficient. However, their impact remains constrained by limited financial resources, fragmented policy support and structural market distortions, including the low price of virgin materials. By integrating macro-indicator analysis with an institutional perspective, the study offers a more nuanced understanding of circular economy transitions and the conditional role of the social economy within them. The results suggest that advancing circularity requires not only technological and regulatory measures, but also systemic economic reforms and targeted policy frameworks capable of aligning environmental, social, and market incentives.

Keywords

circular economy, sustainable development, environmental sustainability, social economy initiatives, municipal solid waste