Circular economy, conditions for its implementation in the province of Carchi

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze the extent to which the province of Carchi meets the conditions for the implementation of the circular economy, providing a broad perspective on the possibilities it offers. The analysis is based on the diagnosis of the circular economy in that province, carried out in the ongoing research by Urgilés and Urresta (2024). The theoretical framework is based on the circular economy paradigm, which proposes a closed-loop production cycle in contrast to the traditional "take-make-dispose" model, and includes principles of regenerative design and sustainability, promoting the reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing of materials. The research adopted a non-experimental design with a quantitative approach and a descriptive-cross-sectional type. The study population included 67,966 companies from the province of Carchi, focusing on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Probabilistic random sampling was used, resulting in a sample of 359 organizations. The main technique was a survey, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.789, indicating high reliability. Among the results, it was identified that 68.2% of the companies keep a record of the materials consumed, while 54.9% have a waste management system. However, only 44.3% conduct periodic evaluations of material and waste flows. The availability of adequate technologies and processes scored nearly neutral (39.0%), and the capacity for adaptation and flexibility was 23%. The analysis concludes that the province of Carchi shows moderate potential for implementing the circular economy, with a condition compliance index of 26.05%. Among the conclusions, it is noteworthy that the study identified the main factors currently influencing the implementation of the circular economy as the widespread lack of awareness in the business sector regarding existing environmental regulations and current models of waste and emissions management resulting from the production process. This is compounded by the limited capacity for adaptation and rigidity of companies, which hinders the industrial-level technification of circular economy processes.