Circular economy strategies for the SMEs in Ecuador. A systematic review

In Ecuador, the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise the largest sector within the country's economy, an aspect that represents great opportunities and challenges for the planning, development, application, and evaluation of innovative strategies that point towards sustainability. In th...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Soria Cubillo, Ramiro Mauricio (author)
Other Authors: Altamirano Cumbajín, Jorge Patricio (author), Gavilanes Capelo, Raisa Michelle (author), Tipán Barros, Boris Genaro (author)
Format: article
Language:spa
Published: 2025
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Online Access:https://revistas.uta.edu.ec/erevista/index.php/bcoyu/article/view/2716
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Summary:In Ecuador, the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) comprise the largest sector within the country's economy, an aspect that represents great opportunities and challenges for the planning, development, application, and evaluation of innovative strategies that point towards sustainability. In this context, this article aims to define those Circular Economy (CE) strategies that are most likely to be incorporated into the production process of Ecuadorian SMEs in the current context. Through a systematic review of literature with a qualitative approach by keywords in high impact digital indexed databases, 20 documents were chosen that address various case studies within the national context, and with a maximum age of five years, which underwent a rigorous bibliometric analysis. These CE strategies were classified into public policies and financing, sustainable production, waste management, and responsible consumption for analysis. At this point, the main advantages were specified, in addition to the limitations that this sector still faces. Through this process, it is concluded that the CE includes strategies that can easily be incorporated into SMEs; however, a high level of commitment is required among all the actors involved.