Blinded by Circularity: Ignoring Critical Limitations in the Quest for Sustainability – the Case of Operations and Supply Chain Management

This study critically examines the circular economy (CE) concept through two systematic literature reviews, conducted across general management and economics (28 articles) and operations and supply chain management (45 articles). The research addresses two key questions: how CE criticisms can be systematically categorised and how profoundly these criticisms are reflected in OSCM discussions. The analysis reveals six major criticism categories: conceptualisation, efficiency, implementation, regulation, product/process, and economic value. A critical finding shows that while OSCM literature acknowledges CE criticisms, only 20 % of publications move beyond superficial mentions to propose actionable solutions. The study challenges the prevailing utopian assumptions surrounding CE, revealing a disconnect between acknowledging limitations and addressing them in a meaningful way. The authors argue for interdisciplinary collaboration and deeper embedding of CE criticisms into research frameworks to develop realistic and implementable solutions rather than maintaining idealistic visions of circularity.