The European Union has made the development of a circular economy one of the central ambitions

of its Green Deal, in which plastics are a defined priority. The current policies, however, have drawn

criticism that the narrow focus on techno-innovation opportunities and economic growth falls short to

address multifaceted socio-ecological challenges and conceals conflicts of interest among different

actors. This research contributes to opening-up the critical political debate on the circular plastics

economy.