Circular Society Innovations for place-based equitable, inclusive & environmentally sustainable living

Advocates of the circular economy promote it as a more sustainable alternative to the linear (take-make-waste) economy. While the economic and environmental benefits of circular initiatives are targeted and trumpeted, the social implications remain poorly understood, vaguely defined and marginal, especially in relation to social equity and justice. The outcomes of circular initiatives are contingent on many factors that manifest themselves in 'places'. And yet, place-based circular initiatives have only recently begun to intentionally foreground social objectives. There is an emerging reformist agenda that refers to 'circular society' -as opposed to circular economy- where social justice and wellbeing are central and where outputs, outcomes and approaches are inclusive and participatory. We translate these imperatives into a set of four social dimensions that circular society innovation (CSI) processes involve:
1. Foregrounding discreet social imperatives;
2. Anticipating unintended social consequences;
3. Designing-in explicit social objectives; and
4. Prioritising the quality of job creation and training, and value non-work activities.

CSI could emerge in the context of closing the loop of local food consumption and production through urban farms; repairing and repurposing textiles and electronic appliances through community hubs; extending tools and equipment sharing through lending libraries; reusing construction industry 'waste' by connecting supply and demand; and so on. Consideration of the four dimensions is important for evaluating the embeddedness of societal objectives within CSI projects.

The aim of our project is to explore the processes by which places can become more equitable, inclusive and environmentally sustainable by developing, implementing and scaling CSI. Our objectives are to:

(1) Assess how policy, practitioners and projects address sustainability challenges through the development and implementation of place-based CSI;

(2) Evaluate...