A new scientific research article “Transition to Circular Economy of Urban Areas and Communities with Special Attention to Lifestyles” has been published as a part of collection entitled Transformative Knowledge for Urban Sustainability: Envisioning, Enabling, and Realizing Change Under the New European Bauhaus in Discover Sustainability journal at Springer Nature!
The article acknowledges that cities are important hubs of consumption and public services, but also, for exchange of goods and ideas among people, institutions and businesses. As current literature suggests regarding the enforcement of SDG12, Sustainable Consumption and Production in cities is supported by the promotion of circular economy (CE). There is a growing number of circular businesses, but this does not guarantee the spread of circular lifestyles in the whole society. In addition, the effects of awareness raising activities and any actions aiming to change the behavioural patterns of consumers can be limited if people cannot find sufficient offers for sustainable consumption. Therefore, in our research we have aimed to answer two specific questions: 1. What kind of circular offers and initiatives are available which enable consumers to implement circular lifestyles in cities? 2. What kind of methodologies and forms can support engaging consumers to circular lifestyles in urban areas?
The research aims to enrich the knowledge base connected to encouraging CE citizenship in urban areas by providing an overview of circular offer types based on the analysis carried out in three examined cities (Bologna, Italy; Budapest, Hungary and Würzburg, Germany). Circular offers and initiatives have been examined by desk research to foster urban portfolios. 101 good examples have been collected and analysed with self-developed typology for circular lifestyle enablers. Results indicate that in the examined cities special attention is devoted on forming behavioural patterns of inhabitants. In this context, the Living Lab approach as a specific form for community engagement and awareness raising has high importance for the facilitation of circular lifestyles. Moreover, care should be taken to ensure that the important activities for a circular lifestyle and sustainable consumption, the Big Points, are considered and included within the different initiatives and offers.
The article is available via https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43621-024-00726-0
The article has been developed by an international team composed of NiCE Project Partners: Mariann Szabó (Department of Environmental Economics and Sustainability, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics), Jan Gimkiewicz (German Environment Agency), Francesca Cappellaro (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Bologna Research Centre), Carolina Innella (Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Trisaia Research Centre) and Noémi Csigéné Nagypál (Department of Environmental Economics and Sustainability, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics).
The definition we have developed for circular lifestyles is rooted in the model of Reike, Vermeulen & Witjes (2018) covering refusing unnecessary goods (R0), reducing buying new goods including renting and valorising sharing economy options (R1), reusing/ re-selling (R2), repairing (R3), re-furbishing (R4), re-manufacturing (R5) and re-purposing (R6) products and only recycling waste (R7) after an item is beyond repair and reuse. The incorporation of the CE value retention options into citizens’ lifestyles can affect inhabitant’s purchasing behaviour in various consumption domains.
The value retention options represent how materials can be saved, used and reused at their highest value while minimizing waste and environmental destruction, therefore suggest different approaches for closing material loops:
- in case of short loops goods remain close to its user and function, therefore it is the best option for energy and material reduction,
- in case of medium long loops goods are upgraded and producers are again involved for value creation therefore the energy and material need appear while,
- in case of long loops goods lose their original function and the value retention will require significant energy and material use compared to the short and medium long loops, but still lower level then creating a brand-new product. (Reike, Vermeulen & Witjes, 2018)
In our research, while focusing on the circular lifestyles enablers we have targeted how city centres can contribute to sustainable lifestyles.
In our analysis, based on literature findings, we have developed a typology for circular lifestyle enablers covering:
- Services, circular offers,
- Education and awareness raising,
- Local community exchange and
- Incentives and support.
Our research shows the diversity of both circular lifestyle offers and the stakeholders who implement them. It is therefore important for cities to consider all these options if they want to promote circular lifestyles in their centres. Our analysis has proved that consumption alternatives for circular lifestyles are offered by wide range of stakeholders including not just businesses rather NGOs, municipalities, municipal institutions, public service companies, Living Labs and different initiatives, regional authorities. We have mapped 14 different methods for implementing circular services including 1. zero-waste service & renting, 2. sharing economy initiatives for transportation, co-working spaces and community places for goods’ exchange, 3. second-hand markets on temporary base, 4. second-hand and charity shops, 5. reuse and recycling initiatives, 6. repair, upcycling and recycling including good examples of Repair Cafés, services, businesses, social enterprises with recycling purposes, 7. production and promotion of fair, local and eco-conscious products, 8. package free shops, 9. knowledge platforms, cooperation, 10. information on fair, local and eco-conscious products, 11. funding schemes for circularity transitions, 12. donation, 13. circularity and reuse centres, 14. awareness raising initiatives. Circular lifestyles can be facilitated through various forms either on permanent or temporary base. The assessment of good examples for enablers can help to identify right decisions. Like in our assessment, it is important to assess various forms of offers and initiatives.
For politics on each level, this means that in future they should actively consider circular lifestyle offers in urban development and take advantage of their benefits for citizens and the environment. On the other hand, funding and support services should be designed flexibly so that the diversity of offers can be fully utilized (who will implement it how; permanent or temporarily).
Cities must consider environmental protection and sustainability in their planning. In doing so, they are dependent on circular lifestyle pioneers and offers. And our research shows: The range of circular lifestyle actors, forms and methods is almost unlimited. Practitioners should therefore also think about unusual cooperation’s. Temporary actions also have many advantages, such as making options and visions tangible before they are planned in a time-consuming and permanent manner, they are creating opportunities for small businesses/offers, they are increasing the attractiveness of real estate as well as stakeholders can test new formats.