ABSTRACT The intersection of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and circular economy (CE) has attracted increasing academic and practical attention, emphasizing the need for integrated sustainability approaches. This study employs the PRISMA protocol and conceptualizes the CE–SSCM relationship as a dynamic system in which internal capabilities, such as resilience and dynamic capabilities, interact with external legitimacy pressures to shape sustainable performance outcomes. The review explores the scope, evolution, and structure of the CE–SSCM nexus using a dataset initially composed of 1289 citations retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, supplemented by targeted searches in Emerald Insight, IEEE Xplore, and Wiley Online Library. The literature covers the period from 2010 to June 2025. Following the screening process, 100 peer‐reviewed articles from 55 international journals were retained for in‐depth analysis. Three complementary analytical approaches were applied: descriptive statistics, geographical distribution analysis, and bibliometric mapping, enabling a multidimensional understanding of research patterns. Methodological quality was evaluated using the CASP framework, ensuring the robustness and credibility of the evidence base. The findings reveal significant geographical disparities and methodological inconsistencies across studies, reflecting uneven engagement with CE–SSCM integration at both conceptual and empirical levels. This review provides a consolidated synthesis of current knowledge, identifies theoretical and methodological gaps, and offers actionable insights for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to advance sustainable supply chain transformations.
Barkaoui et al. (Sun,) studied this question.