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Level of Competitiveness and Innovation in the Circular Economy of the European Union
1
Department of Food Production and Safety, Carpathian State College in Krosno, 38-400 Krosno, Poland
2
Department of Law and Social Sciences, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, 25-406 Kielce, Poland
3
Department of Law and Administration, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, 20-400 Lublin, Poland
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
*
For correspondence.
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Received: 23 July 2024 Accepted: 13 January 2025 Published: 1 February 2025
This article is part of the Special Issue Economic Growth and Environmental Degradation.
Abstract
Sustainable development, as a cornerstone of contemporary political frameworks, is closely linked to the concept of the circular economy (CE). In the context of the European Union (EU), the transition towards a circular economy is considered a key element in achieving a sustainable, low-carbon, resource-efficient, and competitive economic model. The aim of this article is to partially fill the research gap regarding the connections between recycling, the use of secondary raw materials, and the innovation and competitiveness of EU member states’ economies. Based on a critical literature review, it was identified that there is a lack of comprehensive studies analyzing these relationships in the context of EU countries, which serves as the starting point for this research. The study applies CE indicators proposed by the European Commission, which, after conducting a literature review, were deemed the most appropriate for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data on recycling rates and the use of secondary raw materials in EU countries. Additionally, the study was enhanced by an analysis of the impact of recycling and circular economy practices on innovation and competitiveness in various countries, conducted through a multidimensional comparative analysis using the Hellwig's method. The analysis results indicate a significant positive correlation between recycling rates, the use of secondary raw materials, and economic innovation and competitiveness. Specifically, Germany, with a municipal waste recycling rate of 69.3% in 2021, ranks at the top among countries in terms of the number of patents and investments in technologies related to the circular economy. The findings suggest that national policies should focus on supporting innovation and increasing recycling efficiency, which could benefit both environmental protection and economic growth. The results also indicate that countries with lower recycling rates may face limitations in terms of innovation and competitiveness. In the case of these countries, policies focusing on investments in recycling technologies and the promotion of innovation could help improve performance in both areas.
Graphical Abstract
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Keywords
sustainable development goals; circular economy sectors; competitiveness and innovation; waste management; secondary raw materials
Copyright © 2025
Ślusarczyk et al. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use and distribution provided that the original work is properly cited.
Funding
This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Cite this Article
Ślusarczyk, B., Kozłowska, M. A., & Kozłowska, Z. A. (2025). Level of Competitiveness and Innovation in the Circular Economy of the European Union. Highlights of Sustainability, 4(1), 16–37. https://doi.org/10.54175/hsustain4010002
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