Journal of Circular Economy

Although the circular economy (CE) aims to address ecological and social challenges of our times, a narrow focus on technical solutions risks perpetuating the structures that underpin today’s eco-social crisis. Achieving a fair and sustainable CE therefore requires approaches that go beyond business-as-usual and consider the deeper economic, social and political dimensions of circularity. In this regard, Techniques of Futuring (ToFs) are powerful tools for envisioning and co-creating alternative pathways. To date, much of circular futures research has relied on static, scenario-based planning that successfully identifies possible endpoints, but not how to navigate from the present to a transformative future. By systematically integrating ToFs such as backcasting, Delphi and SWOT analyses, researchers and practitioners can identify the necessary policy measures, technological innovations and cultural shifts to realise an equitable and ecologically sound CE. This action-oriented perspective is essential to overcome current limitations, guide societal change and ensure that the CE becomes a genuinely inclusive and sustainable paradigm.

Bauwens, T., Hekkert, M., & Kirchherr, J. (2020). Circular futures: What Will They Look Like? Ecological Economics, 175, 106703. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106703

Bradfield, R. M. (2008). Cognitive Barriers in the Scenario Development Process. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 10(2), 198-215. https://doi.org/10.1177/1523422307313320

Calisto Friant, M., Vermeulen, W. J. V., & Salomone, R. (2020). A typology of circular economy discourses: Navigating the diverse visions of a contested paradigm. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 161, 104917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104917

Genovese, A., & Pansera, M. (2021). The Circular Economy at a Crossroads: Technocratic Eco-Modernism or Convivial Technology for Social Revolution? Capitalism Nature Socialism, 32(2), 95-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/10455752.2020.1763414

Hajer, M. A., & Pelzer, P. (2018). 2050—An Energetic Odyssey: Understanding ‘Techniques of Futuring’ in the transition towards renewable energy. Energy Research & Social Science, 44, 222-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.01.013

Kirchherr, J. (2022). Circular economy and growth: A critical review of “post-growth” circularity and a plea for a circular economy that grows. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 179, 106033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.106033

Lowe, B. H., & Genovese, A. (2022). What theories of value (could) underpin our circular futures? Ecological Economics, 195, 107382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107382

Murray, A., Skene, K., & Haynes, K. (2017). The Circular Economy: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Concept and Application in a Global Context. Journal of Business Ethics, 140(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2693-2

Oomen, J., Hoffman, J., & Hajer, M. A. (2022). Techniques of futuring: On how imagined futures become socially performative. European Journal of Social Theory, 25(2), 252-270. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368431020988826

Pinyol Alberich, J., Pansera, M., & Hartley, S. (2023). Understanding the EU’s circular economy policies through futures of circularity. Journal of Cleaner Production, 385, 135723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135723.