The Consumer Experience Perspective in European Projects on Packaging and the Circular Economy

Abstract

During the last 5 years we have had the chance to develop and participate in European and national research projects in which the organizations belonging to Euroconsumers.org network were partners, and which investigated consumer needs and concerns about packaging and the circular economy. This article aims at sharing the main learnings and meaningful experiences of consumer involvement in four projects: Cirthread, Circkpack, Resss, Meno Plastica in Comune. Why is citizens’ science so relevant in discussions about packaging? Because design’s consumer-centric approach prevents usability problems that producers and retailers might discover too late, because UN Agenda 2030 SDG12 calls for sustainable production and consumption patterns (UN, 2022), and finally because in the New Consumer Agenda (European Commission, 2020) key priorities are green transition and consumer empowerment.