Circular Responsibility Alliances:Rethinking Responsibility in the Transformation towards Circular Economy

This paper examines the normative foundations of the circular economy transition through the lens of responsibility ethics. It argues that although the implementation of a circular economy constitutes a morally desirable societal goal, prevailing models of responsibility—rooted in retrospective, individualistic, and polluter-pays-based logics—are ill-suited to guide this transformation. These models are not only dominant in moral tradition and public discourse, but are also deeply institutionalized in key governance instruments such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. The paper develops an expanded model of responsibility for the circular economy transition that is prospective, shared (though not collective), and systemic, grounding responsibility in agents’ participation in and benefits from linear economic structures. Building on the normative principle “ought implies can”, it further proposes that the degree of responsibility borne by an economic agent depends on its capacity to initiate, sustain, or enable collaboration within circular ecosystems. To operationalize this, the paper introduces the framework of Circular Responsibility Alliances (CRAs), defined as collaborative arrangements in which economic agents mutually enable one another to assume shared responsibility for developing circular ecosystems, while policymakers act as alliance enablers. It further provides recommendations for action for policymakers, organizations, and consumers. In this way, the paper highlights the importance of rethinking responsibility in the transformation toward a circular economy.