Navigating a Transformative Governance Maze: Tensions in Food Packaging Governance within the Circular Economy Transformation

In an era defined by global, human-induced environmental crises—such as advancing climate change, deteriorating biodiversity and increasing pollution—transformative solutions are actively sought. The need for transformative approaches has been growing, as mere mitigation and adaptation alone are perceived to be inadequate to overcome complex environmental problems. Transformation to a circular economy is suggested as a pathway to sustainability, with governance and policies playing an essential role. This study examines public and public-private governance and related policies and instruments, with the aim of better understanding their ability to steer and create conditions for circular economy transformation, in an empirical case of food packaging in a European Union member state, Finland.