The Fragmentation of Material Flows: Mapping Barriers to Circular Economy Adoption in Bangladesh's Ready‐Made Garment Sector

This paper provides an empirical diagnosis of the systemic challenges preventing the transition to a circular economy (CE) in Bangladesh's ready‐made garment (RMG) sector. Drawing on in‐depth interviews ( n = 13) with key industry stakeholders, the study characterises current waste flows and analyses the barriers to circularity. Findings reveal a predominantly linear material flow dominated by informal networks and constrained by a lack of traceability, limited recycling infrastructure and weak policy support. The study identifies power asymmetry between global brands and local manufacturers as one of four interacting ‘lock‐in’ mechanisms, alongside institutional voids, infrastructural and technological constraints and traceability failure, that together prevent the industry from moving beyond fragmented, linear practices. This structural governance failure actively inhibits progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 12, particularly Targets 12.5 and 12.6. Based on the multilevel perspective, supplemented by institutional theory and the resource‐based view, the analysis argues that the current linear production regime is maintained by institutional voids and internal resource constraints that must be addressed before prescriptive solutions can be operationalised. The empirical scope centres on postproduction and preconsumer waste governance; postconsumer textile waste is examined specifically as an import‐ and feedstock‐classification barrier rather than as an empirically traced material flow.