Integrating sustainability into business is gaining increased attention. Yet, implementing long-lasting sustainability approaches remains a complex task. Many empirical studies have identified the barriers to such implementation but the variation in challenges faced by companies, depending on the focus of the approach being implemented, is not addressed. The aim of this paper is i) to explore the barriers related to implementing different types of sustainability approaches and ii) to look for indications of similarities and differences across types of approaches. The research builds on data about the barriers, collected from a sample of twenty-two empirical studies in academic research and additional reports. The findings show that performance measurement systems and access to industry-specific information, benchmark or reference cases are common areas of difficulty across all types. The main variation is an increase in barriers beyond the company's boundaries, when shifting from a production to a value proposition focus. The results are limited by the unbalanced distribution of studies and the variety in methodologies present in the sample. Further research on barrier identification, prioritization and influential parameters is recommended

It is undisputed that the recycling of aluminium is desirable as long as the environmental and economic implications of its reintegration do not exceed the burdens of its primary production. The efficiency of any aluminium recycling system can be expressed by the total material losses throughout the entire process chain, ideally reaching 0%, thus equivalent to 100% metal recovery. However, in most cases metals are recycled in open/cascade recycling loop where dilution and quality losses occur. Innovations in aluminium beverage can (ABC) design as well as in sorting and recycling technologies have the potential to increase recyclability and avoid downcycling issues due to mixed alloy scrap streams. By means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) seven scenarios, comprising specific systemic changes, are compared to the current recycling practice of the used beverage can in the UK. The End-of-Life modelling of recycling is performed in accordance with the equal share method to account for impacts both on the recyclability and the recycled content. The results confirm the primary aluminium production and energy consumption in the ABC production as the hotspots in the life cycle of the ABC. The toxicity and energy-related impact categories show the highest susceptibility to increasing recycled content and recycling rate, while the technological novelties show little effect. In terms of abiotic resource depletion the introduction of novel technologies could have the potential to retain quality of the aluminium alloys by either establishing dedicated waste streams or upgrading the aluminium scrap by dedicated sorting strategies.status: publishe