A institucionalização da Economia Circular na cadeia produtiva do vestuário no oeste do Paraná

Abstract

The Circular Economy is a model that redefines the concept of waste, maintaining the value of materials after their first use and promoting a continuous cycle of production, consumption, and recycling. With the growth in clothing consumption driven by e-commerce and fast fashion, significant challenges arise for waste management and closing the product life cycle. The Circular Economy presents itself as a solution, encouraging the use of sustainable raw materials and the adoption of production methods and technologies that minimize environmental impacts and promote sustainable development. From the perspective of Institutional Theory, it is possible to evaluate this paradigm with a deeper understanding of organizational and institutional environments, by responding to institutional pressures and enabling institutional legitimation. In this sense, this dissertation aims to analyze the stage of institutionalization of the Circular Economy in the clothing production chain in the Western Region of Paraná, based on the perception of different links in the chain. This study is justified by the importance of the sector in the region and aims to strengthen it by providing clarity on Circular Economy practices, challenges, and opportunities, improving the integration of the production chain, and strengthening existing links, promoting more sustainable economic development. In addition to offering a theoretical contribution, deepening the understanding of the institutionalization of the Circular Economy from the perspective of Institutional Theory, by articulating the concepts of legitimacy and the stages of institutionalization, this research allows us to analyze how circular practices emerge, spread, and are incorporated into the clothing production chain, thus expanding the academic debate on the relationship between the Circular Economy and institutionalization. The results reveal that the institutionalization of circularity in the clothing production chain in the Western Region of Paraná is predominantly in the habitualization stage, in which sustainable practices are beginning to be disseminated but still need formal and normative consolidation. It was identified that this process is influenced by regulatory institutional pressures, such as environmental legislation and compliance requirements, by normative pressures resulting from sectoral expectations, certifications, and customer demands, and by cognitive pressures, still incipient, related to the internalization of circular values and habits in organizations. Furthermore, it was found that organizational compliance responses predominate, evidencing a more reactive character in the adoption of the Circular Economy. The combination of these factors highlights the need for greater sectoral coordination, strengthening of public policies, and expansion of cooperation mechanisms capable of driving progress toward the objectification and consolidation of circular practices, contributing to a consistent transition toward more sustainable development.