A theoretical view on circular economy within the geography of sustainability transitions

Abstract

The circular economy concept has become increasingly widespread globally as a new approach to transitioning the economic system to a more sustainable model. This concept has been formulated as a specific (normative) objective by political, economic and civil society actors alike at a national and regional level, which ultimately corresponds to a system change. There are different definitions of what exactly constitutes a circular economy, for example from a new economic system aiming for sustainable development to a holistic system change, including organisations and institutions. Although the focus within the circular economy has been on technology solutions, social and institutional dimensions are significant as well and thus far less taken into account. Although this concept proposes a shift within the existing system, it has received little concern in the transition literature, especially from the perspective of the geography of sustainability transition. This paper aims to focus on this relationship and provide a conceptual contribution by linking the geography of sustainability transition to circular economy approaches under the following guiding question: How do specific actors shape and influence transitions to a circular economy through institutional work? Institutions play an essential part in the transition process, as one major characteristic of socio-technical regimes is their high degree of institutionalisation. Therefore, one understanding of the meaning of transition is the process of deinstitutionalization and institutional change of a current socio-technical regime, hence a shift from one institutional setting to another one. Institutions represent elements of social life influencing thoughts, feelings and behaviours of individuals and collectives and constitute a stable pattern of repeated social interaction. Further, they are influential and susceptible to human agency. The process of creating, maintaining and disrupting institutional settings is referred to as institutional work. The approach highlights how actors (within a heterogeneous constellation) interact with their institutional context and how they deal with the institutional plurality in a socio-technical regime. Hence, it analyses the activities shaping transition into a circular economy, as this understanding is still underdeveloped.