Purpose:The aim of the article is to identify the main barriers determining the low share of compostable food packaging in the circular economy in the country. Methodology:The IDI -Individual In-depth Interview method was conducted among stakeholders of the supply chain of compostable packaging in the food sector. The private sector, public sector, users and the non-profit sector were studied. Findings: From the obtained series of responses, those concerning the identification of barriers to the development of the compostable packaging market in the food sector were selected. Using the methods of induction and deduction, the catalog of these barriers was determined, the sources of their origin were indicated and their impact on the development of the market was shown. A particular focus for the analysis of the results was their reference to the postulates of the circular economy as the research background.. Practical Implications: The analysis of the research results provided knowledge and allowed to identify problem areas in the functioning of the compostable packaging market, supply chains and the circular economy, taking into account all stakeholders of the circular economy. Further directions of research and development in the presented problem were indicated. Originality/Value: Original research.

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Compostable packaging is one of the innovative alternatives to conventional packaging. This is also an opportunity in view of the current energy crisis and rising oil prices, firstly, because compostable packaging is produced only from renewable resources, and secondly, it can feed both the composting process and biogas plants. According to the CE principles, it is vital to effectively close product life cycles. Therefore, this paper is aimed at expounding the triggering role of social innovations co-created by stakeholders for improving compostable packaging waste management in accordance with the CE concept. The research procedure consisted of four integrated research phases. A qualitive study was undertaken by conducting 29 in-depth interviews and 3 Social Innovation Labs, engaging 67 bio-packaging market stakeholders, which are national and international companies (e.g., manufacturing, distributing), institutions and other organisations from the social, public and private sectors. The results show that one of the key problems for the development of the CE compostable packaging market is the low level of compostable waste packaging management. Its detailed analysis showed that this problem is associated with several barriers and their numerous causes. According to stakeholders, this can be effectively minimised by applying three social innovations that when combined stimulate all elements of waste management, moving it to a higher level of development.

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Material types, terminology, and labels -an introduction What are bioplastics? Bioplastics are a large family of different materialsBioplastics are not just one single substance, they comprise of a whole family of materials with differing properties and applications. According to European Bioplastics, a plastic material is defined as a bioplastic if it is either bio-based, biodegradable, or features both properties. Bio-based:The term 'bio-based' means that the material or product is (partly) derived from biomass (plants). Biomass used for bioplastics stems from e.g. corn, sugarcane, or cellulose.