‘Nexus of circulation’ and interlinked circular economies: an integrative perspective on the transition towards more circular, resource-efficient provision

Abstract

The concept of Circular Economy is central in addressing efforts to improve societal resource efficiency. However, many current strategies remain partial and localised, focusing on individual resource flows (such as plastics or aluminium) or systems of provision (like mobility or clothing), lacking a clear vision of what the system transformation would entail, failing to bridge across complex material systems and societal needs. The methodological design of this study follows a systematic approach to theory building, incorporating an analysis of current CE policy formulation as formalised in roadmaps and CE indicators. Our work results in a ‘nexus of circulation’ conceptualization, which identifies 8 distinct linkages through which circular economy initiatives interact and impact each other across systems of provision. We show how such linkages can act as conduits for acceleration or for slowing down the circular transition in an economy. The results also provide evidence showing that the identified linkages are not at the heart of current policy making for CE, as they are reflected at best partially in CE indicators and CE roadmaps. We conclude that this likely results in limiting the scope of circular interventions, resulting in unintended negative consequences elsewhere in the economy, or in the economy as a whole. The proposed ‘nexus of circulation’ conceptualisation has been purposefully designed from a policy design perspective, so that it helps societal stakeholders to recognize leverage points across systems of provision in a way that enables active policy making towards accelerating the circular transition and helping to eliminate obstacles that block this transition.