Tech Roadmap: Circular Economy And Supply Chain Sustainability Technologies (2024)

Report

Sustainable Product Solutions

Jessie Wilson

Guy Lewis

Kim Knickle

23 Sep, 2024

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Executive Summary

This Tech Roadmap report clarifies the business value, pace of innovation and maturity phase of 22 circular economy and supply chain sustainability technologies. Verdantix conducted a fact-based assessment of the maturity, innovation, future prospects and business value of each solution. Sustainability leaders, product and supply chain managers, and budget-holders responsible for selecting technologies to support circular economy processes and build sustainable supply chains should use this report to identify the technologies that can add value. The technologies profiled range from those in Research and Development, such as AI air sorting, to Mature technologies, such as lifecycle assessment (LCA) and supply chain management (SCM) software. Technology buyers can use the Tech Roadmap methodology to identify new technologies for pilot projects and to develop technology and digital strategy plans for circular supply chains. Risk-averse firms should focus on the potential of technologies with proven business value that are in the Growth or Maturity phases of the technology life cycle. Innovators and early adopters should take note of Launch-phase technologies.

Table of contents

Tech Roadmap analysis as a tool for managers and vendors
Key questions answered by the Tech Roadmap analysis
Tech Roadmap analysis aligns with circular economy and supply chain sustainability solutions
Tech Roadmap for circular economy and supply chain sustainability technology solutions
Defining the market for circular economy and supply chain sustainability technology solutions
Tech Roadmap methodology
Five market phases of technology maturity
Three technology life cycles differentiate business value
Technology adoption and market success influence positioning
Pace of innovation determines time to next lifecycle phase
Circular economy and supply chain sustainability technologies in Phase 1: Research and Development
Nanotechnology for material enhancement and circularity
AI air sorting
Circular economy and supply chain sustainability technologies in Phase 2: Launch
IoT-enabled smart waste bins
Augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) for virtual-try-on (VTO)
AI robotic sorting and waste data analytics
Augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) for maintenance and repair
Augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) for training
Advanced recycling technology
Sustainable product and materials traceability
Next-generation design applications
Circular economy and supply chain sustainability technologies in Phase 3: Growth
3D printing
Digital circular marketplace platforms
Supply chain sustainability software
Product compliance software
ESG reporting software
Carbon management software (CMS)
Reverse logistics
Circular economy and supply chain sustainability technologies in Phase 4: Maturity
Transportation management systems (TMSs)
EHS software
Product lifecycle management (PLM) software
Supply chain management (SCM) software
Lifecycle assessment (LCA) software

Table of figures

Figure 1. Tech Roadmap circular economy and supply chain sustainability technology definitions
Figure 2. Tech Roadmap for circular economy and supply chain sustainability technologies

Organisations mentioned

3D Hubs, 3D Systems, 3E, 3M, Achilles, Agylix, Airbnb, Airbus, Alameda County Industries, Alcumus, Alibaba, Alibre, AllocNow, Alpega, Alstom, Altana, Altermaker, Altium, Amazon, Amcor, AMCS, AMP Robotics, ANSYS, Apax Funds, APlanet, Apple, Appruv, Aryel, Assent, Atelier Riforma, Aucto Marketplace, Augmentir, Autodesk, Avatar Academy, Avery Dennison, Avetta, AVEVA, Back Market, Backacia, BanQu, Barreleye, BASF, BCN3D Technologies, Benchmark Gensuite, Best Buy, Bext360, Bigbelly, Bin-e, Blue Yonder, BlueKanGo, Boom & Bucket, Bosch, Brightmark, Builder 3D Printers, Bulk Handling Systems, Cadbury, Cambium Carbon, Carbios, Carbmee, carbon 3D, Carbon Clean, Carbonfact, CEMAsys, Cerclos, CeX, CHEP, Circular Ecology, Circular IQ, Circular.co, Circularise, Circularity Capital, Circulor, cirplus, Clarity AI, Clear Returns, CLEVR, Cling Systems, CMX1, Coca-Cola, Compass Group Canada, ComplianceQuest, COMSOL, ConformIT, Copperleaf, Cority, Cozero, Credibl, CYCLED, Cycled Technologies, Dassault Systèmes, DeepAR, Desktop Metal, Digimarc, Diligent, DNV , Doddle, E.ON, E2open, eBay, Ecochain, EcoMundo, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), EcoOnline, EcoVadis, Ecube Labs, Electrobac, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Emitwise, Empower.eco, Enevo, ENGIE Impact, Enhesa, Enterprise Health, Enviromate, Epicor, Epson, ESG Playbook, ethiXbase, ETQ, EverestLabs, Everledger, Evotix, Evreka, Excess Materials Exchange, Exiger, ExxonMobil, FFFace.me, FibreTrace, FigBytes, Finboot, FixFirst, Flex, Formlabs, FPD Recycling, FreeFlow, Freepoint Eco-Systems, FreightPOP, FXMirror, GAN Integrity, Gendo, GIST Impact, Glacier, Globechain, GOARC, GoodsTag, Google, goTRG, GrayMatter, Green Supply, Greenly, Greenspark, Greyparrot, Grover, Grydd, Gucci, Happy Returns, Haz, Heineken, Hiden Analytical, HighJump, Honeywell, HSI, HSI Donesafe, HTC Vive, IBM, Ideagen, Ideagen DevonWay, Ideagen EHS, IFS, IKEA, immerse.io, Immersive Factory, Infor, Infor Nexus, Inspectorio, IntegrityNext, Intelex, InterSystems, Invesp, INX Software, iPoint-systems, ISCC System, Ishitva Robotic Systems, ISN, IsoMetrix, Kezzler, Kinaxis, KPA, KPMG, kShuttle, Kuebix, KURZ Digital, L’Oréal, LanzaTech, Lasso, Librestream, Licella, LogicGate, Logility, Loop Returns, LRQA, Machinex, Made2Flow, Magaya, Makersite, Manhattan Associates, Markforged, Materialise, Matmatch, McKinsey & Company, Mercedes-Benz, Mersus Technologies, Meta, Metalshub, Microsoft, Minespider, Mint Innovation, Mirus, Moore Nanotechnology Systems, MSS, Nanophase Technologies, Narvar, NASDAQ, NAVEX, Nestlé, Netstock, Newmine, Nike, Nikon SLM Solutions, Nona Source, Normative, Novisto, Octa, Oculus, Ombori, One Click LCA, OneTRust, openLCA, OPTEL Group, Optera, Optoro, Oracle, Organix, Organovo, Origami Risk, Oritain, ORTEC, Outdoor Voices, P2i, P6 Technologies, Patagonia, PepsiCo, Persefoni, Pivot88, Pixaera, PIXO VR, PLAEX Technologies, Plan A, Planet FWD, Plutomen, Poplar Studio, Position Green, PRé Sustainability, Prevsis, ProductIP, Pro-Sapien, Protolabs, PTC, Puma, PwC, QIMA, Quartix, Quentic, RateLinx, Reactive Reality, ReBound Returns, Recurate, Recycleye, Recykal, Recytrust, Red-on-line, Redwood Materials, RE'FLEKT, REMADE Institute, ReMatter, Resortecs, Responsible Business Alliance, Rethink Robotics, Retraced, Reusables.com, ReverseLogix, Revive, Rezycl, Rheaply, Rice University, Rockwell Automation, Route2 Sustainability, Rubicon Global, RUBICONMarketplace, SABIC, Sadako Technologies, SafetyCulture, SafetyStratus, Safi, SAI360, Salesforce, SAP, Scantrust, Schneider Electric, Scope AR, Scrapo, Sculpteo, Sedex, Selerant, Sensoneo, Shapeways, Shipwell, ShopExp, Shopify, Siemens, Siemens Digital Industries Software, SimaPro, Simon Fraser University, SimScale, Smartbin.io, SmartSort Technologies, SMS360, Snapchat, SolidWorks, Source Intelligence, Sourcemap, Sphera, Spherity, StarTex Software, Stratasys, STRIVR, Stuffstr, SuperProcure, Supima, SupplyChainBrain (SCB), SupplyShift, Sustain.Life, Sweep, TALESPIN REALITY LABS, TeamViewer, Teletrac Navman, TenForce, Terrascope, Textile Genesis, The Fabricant, thredUP, Tommy Hilfiger, TOMRA, Trace for Good, Trace X, TradeBeyond, Trimble, TrusTrace, Trustwell, TWIG, Twintag, TwinThread, UL Solutions, UltiMaker, Unilever, UNISOT, unspun, Upskill, Upwork, VelocityEHS, Vestiaire Collective, Virti, VisiumKMS, Vyking, Walmart, WANNA, Waste Connections, Waste Robotics, Waste Solutions, Watershed, WayCarbon, weareimmersive, Wellington Management, Wholechain, Winnow Solutions, Wisan, Wolters Kluwer, Wolters Kluwer Enablon, Workiva, Worldfavor, Worn Again Technologies, XJET, XMReality, Xybion, ZEISS Microscopy, ZenRobotics, Zmorph, Zortrax, Zuyu

About the Authors

Jessie Wilson

Industry Analyst

Jessie is an Industry Analyst at Verdantix, with a research agenda spanning ESG reporting, the circular economy and supply chain sustainability. Jessie has a BSc in Geography ...

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Guy Lewis

Industry Analyst

Guy is an Industry Analyst in the Verdantix ESG & Sustainability practice. He currently leads research on circular economy software and services and supports research acro...

Kim Knickle

Research Director

Kim Knickle is a Research Director at Verdantix, bringing more than two decades of analyst experience to the evolving world of sustainability. Her current research spans ESG a...

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