Orchestrating resources for recycling – how digital platforms enable circular economy business models

Abstract

The rapid expansion of global plastics demand increasingly threatens planetary boundaries, necessitating systemic interventions through circular economy frameworks. While circular strategies such as high-quality recycling and reuse can significantly mitigate environmental impacts, their implementation is often hindered by fragmented value chains and information asymmetries. Digital platforms have emerged as orchestrators capable of coordinating these complex interactions, yet the specific mechanisms through which they enable circular business models remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on Resource Orchestration Theory, this study investigates eleven digital platforms in the plastics industry to analyze how they structure, bundle, and leverage resources to scale circularity. Using a qualitative case study design, we identify three distinct platform archetypes: Reusable Packaging Trackers, Reuse and Resale Hubs, and Data Platforms. Our findings reveal that these platforms enable business models by standardizing material quality data, integrating fragmented logistics, and providing digital product passports to reduce information asymmetries. Thus, these platforms act as focal actors that align economic value capture with circular material flows. This research contributes an integrative framework linking digital platform logic with resource orchestration, offering actionable insights for stakeholders seeking to accelerate the circular transition in the plastics industry.