Leadership-driven circular economy framework for advanced plastic recycling: Integrating advanced technologies, system dynamics and digital leadership

The escalating global plastic waste crisis demands not only technological innovation but also strong leadership and systemic governance to enable a truly circular economy. While advanced plastic recycling technologies such as chemical depolymerization, catalytic pyrolysis, and enzymatic recycling offer promising pathways beyond conventional mechanical recycling, their large-scale adoption remains limited due to organizational, economic, and policy barriers. This paper proposes an integrated, leadership-driven framework that connects advanced plastic recycling technologies with system dynamics thinking and digital leadership for sustainable circular transformation. By synthesizing insights from recent studies on advanced plastic recycling, leadership influence in sustainable supply chains, and digital leadership for circular economy (CE) performance, this research conceptualizes how leadership acts as a central leverage point enabling technological integration, cross-stakeholder collaboration, and long-term sustainability outcomes. The paper contributes a holistic perspective that bridges engineering innovation with leadership and governance, offering guidance for policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers seeking scalable and resilient plastic circularity solutions.