IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/circec/v3y2023i3d10.1007_s43615-022-00218-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contesting Consumerism with a Circular Economy?

Author

Listed:
  • Isaac Arturo Ortega Alvarado

    (NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • Ida Nilstad Pettersen

    (NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

  • Thomas Berker

    (NTNU – Norwegian University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

The circular economy (CE) concept has recently entered the public discourse. A CE should contest the reproduction of a so-called linear economy. However, it is largely promoted as a normative top-down fix for business models and waste management. A branch of CE research calls for critical revisions of the concept to support the integration of social aspects. A related shortcoming is the lack of definition of the change that CE can bring about. Two research questions guide the work presented in this article: (1) What should be included in a socio-cultural and institutional framing to study CE? (2) What could leverage an alternative CE? We address the first question by proposing practice-driven institutionalism as a relevant perspective, focusing on studying consumption practices — practical engagements and alternative logics. We further apply a practice-driven institutional framework to an empirical study of cases from sources in a city in Norway, where consumption and production practices are highly embedded in consumerism. For the second question, we describe consumerism and its institutional dimension as the backdrop against which practical engagements are negotiated. Finally, we identify aspects of alternative logics bundled with these practical engagements. In conclusion, the article proposes a practice-driven institutional approach to socio-culturally frame CE and to identify grammars of practice that can leverage change that does not rehearse consumerism. In the specific case of our study, we highlight contextualizing use-value through social relations as a critical part of an alternative CE.

Suggested Citation

  • Isaac Arturo Ortega Alvarado & Ida Nilstad Pettersen & Thomas Berker, 2023. "Contesting Consumerism with a Circular Economy?," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1623-1647, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:circec:v:3:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s43615-022-00218-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s43615-022-00218-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s43615-022-00218-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s43615-022-00218-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Debnath, Ramit & Bardhan, Ronita & Sunikka-Blank, Minna, 2019. "How does slum rehabilitation influence appliance ownership? A structural model of non-income drivers," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 418-428.
    2. Juana Camacho‐Otero & Ida Nilstad Pettersen & Casper Boks, 2020. "Consumer engagement in the circular economy: Exploring clothes swapping in emerging economies from a social practice perspective," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(1), pages 279-293, January.
    3. Thomas Wiedmann & Manfred Lenzen & Lorenz T. Keyßer & Julia K. Steinberger, 2020. "Scientists’ warning on affluence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Bauwens, Thomas & Hekkert, Marko & Kirchherr, Julian, 2020. "Circular futures: What Will They Look Like?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    5. Fenna Blomsma & Geraldine Brennan, 2017. "The Emergence of Circular Economy: A New Framing Around Prolonging Resource Productivity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(3), pages 603-614, June.
    6. Clube, Rebecca K.M. & Tennant, Mike, 2020. "The Circular Economy and human needs satisfaction: Promising the radical, delivering the familiar," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Risa Arai & Martin Calisto Friant & Walter J. V. Vermeulen, 2024. "The Japanese Circular Economy and Sound Material-Cycle Society Policies: Discourse and Policy Analysis," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 619-650, March.
    2. D. D’Amato, 2021. "Sustainability Narratives as Transformative Solution Pathways: Zooming in on the Circular Economy," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 231-242, June.
    3. Vibeke Grupe Larsen & Valentina Antoniucci & Nicola Tollin & Peter Andreas Sattrup & Krister Jens & Morten Birkved & Tine Holmboe & Giuliano Marella, 2023. "A Methodological Framework to Foster Social Value Creation in Architectural Practice," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-25, January.
    4. Hans Eickhoff, 2024. "The appeal of the circular economy revisited: on track for transformative change or enabler of moral licensing?," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Alejandro Aristi Capetillo & Fredric Bauer & Cristina Chaminade, 2023. "Emerging Technologies Supporting the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Plastic Materials Value Chain," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 953-982, June.
    6. Abderahman Rejeb & Karim Rejeb & John G. Keogh & Suhaiza Zailani, 2022. "Barriers to Blockchain Adoption in the Circular Economy: A Fuzzy Delphi and Best-Worst Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-23, March.
    7. Hervé Corvellec & Alison F. Stowell & Nils Johansson, 2022. "Critiques of the circular economy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(2), pages 421-432, April.
    8. Sven Kevin van Langen & Renato Passaro, 2021. "The Dutch Green Deals Policy and Its Applicability to Circular Economy Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-17, October.
    9. Fenna Blomsma & Mike Tennant & Ritsuko Ozaki, 2023. "Making sense of circular economy: Understanding the progression from idea to action," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1059-1084, March.
    10. Animesh Ghosh & Prabha Bhola & Uthayasankar Sivarajah, 2022. "Emerging Associates of the Circular Economy: Analysing Interactions and Trends by a Mixed Methods Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-41, August.
    11. Julian Kirchherr & Thomas Bauwens & Tomás B. Ramos, 2023. "Circular disruption: Concepts, enablers and ways ahead," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1005-1009, March.
    12. Daniel Holzer & Claudia Mair-Bauernfeind & Michael Kriechbaum & Romana Rauter & Tobias Stern, 2023. "Different but the Same? Comparing Drivers and Barriers for Circular Economy Innovation Systems in Wood- and Plastic-Based Industries," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 983-1011, June.
    13. Martin Calisto Friant & Walter J. V. Vermeulen & Roberta Salomone, 2024. "Transition to a Sustainable Circular Society: More than Just Resource Efficiency," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 4(1), pages 23-42, March.
    14. Nancy M. P. Bocken & Ilka Weissbrod & Maria Antikainen, 2021. "Business Model Experimentation for the Circular Economy: Definition and Approaches," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 49-81, June.
    15. Fenna Blomsma & Thomas Bauwens & Ilka Weissbrod & Julian Kirchherr, 2023. "The ‘need for speed’: Towards circular disruption—What it is, how to make it happen and how to know it's happening," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 1010-1031, March.
    16. Josep Pinyol Alberich & Leandro J. Llorente-González & Mohammad Javad Ramezankhani & Meletios Bimpizas-Pinis & Benjamin H. Lowe, 2023. "Using Macroeconomic Indicators to Enact an Ambitious Circular Economy," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1515-1544, September.
    17. Florian Hofmann & Dodo zu Knyphausen‐Aufseß, 2022. "Circular business model experimentation capabilities—A case study approach," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2469-2488, July.
    18. German Arana‐Landin & Waleska Sigüenza & Beñat Landeta‐Manzano & Iker Laskurain‐Iturbe, 2024. "Circular economy: On the road to ISO 59000 family of standards," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(3), pages 1977-2009, May.
    19. Davide Bruno & Marinella Ferrara & Felice D’Alessandro & Alberto Mandelli, 2022. "The Role of Design in the CE Transition of the Furniture Industry—The Case of the Italian Company Cassina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, July.
    20. Monia Niero & Charlotte L. Jensen & Chiara Farné Fratini & Jens Dorland & Michael S. Jørgensen & Susse Georg, 2021. "Is life cycle assessment enough to address unintended side effects from Circular Economy initiatives?," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(5), pages 1111-1120, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:circec:v:3:y:2023:i:3:d:10.1007_s43615-022-00218-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.