The Roles of Civil Society Associations in Organising the Informal Circular Economy

Wim Van Opstal; Nancy Bocken; Jan Brusselaers

doi:10.1002/sd.70168

The Roles of Civil Society Associations in Organising the Informal Circular Economy

Wim Van Opstal
, Nancy Bocken
, Jan Brusselaers

Environmental Economics

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

A circular economy (CE) transition requires more than technological innovation and market-based solutions. It demands a circular society that values informal repair, reuse and sharing practices. This study investigates how civil society associations (CSAs) support such practices in an industrialised setting. We apply a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data from 820 households in Flanders (Belgium) with 24 interviews involving CSA representatives at local, regional and European levels. Findings indicate that CSA membership increases participation in informal CE activities by strengthening trust, skills and accessibility, enabling activities that are less viable through market mechanisms alone. Respondents identify barriers to distributive, procedural and recognitional justice, which can be reduced by CSAs. We draw lessons for policymakers: providing structural support, reducing regulatory barriers and integrating informal CE practices into policies at municipal, regional, and European levels. These measures can help communities scale citizen-driven CE practices, enhancing resilience and supporting vulnerable groups throughout the CE transition.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	148-169
Number of pages	22
Journal	Sustainable Development
Volume	34
Issue number	S1
Early online date	20 Aug 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70168
Publication status	Published - Jan 2026

Funding

Funding: This work was supported by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), European Research Council (850159) and Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek. The authors acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), for the Strategic Basic Research (SBO) project MICHELLE: Modelling the Impact of a Circular Holistic Economy on the Labour market and Lifelong lEarning and funding from the European Research Council (ERC), project Circular X, grant agreement No 850159. They also would like to thank participants at the SCORAI 2025 conference in Lund (April 2025) and Lize Borms, Natalja Leciejewski, Saskia Manshoven, Emma Pals, Anse Smeets and interview respondents for valuable feedback and discussions. All remaining errors are the sole responsibility of the authors. The authors acknowledge funding from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), for the Strategic Basic Research (SBO) project MICHELLE: Modelling the Impact of a Circular Holistic Economy on the Labour market and Lifelong lEarning and funding from the European Research Council (ERC), project Circular X, grant agreement No 850159. They also would like to thank participants at the SCORAI 2025 conference in Lund (April 2025) and Lize Borms, Natalja Leciejewski, Saskia Manshoven, Emma Pals, Anse Smeets and interview respondents for valuable feedback and discussions. All remaining errors are the sole responsibility of the authors.

Funders	Funder number
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
European Research Council	850159

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title = "The Roles of Civil Society Associations in Organising the Informal Circular Economy",

abstract = "A circular economy (CE) transition requires more than technological innovation and market-based solutions. It demands a circular society that values informal repair, reuse and sharing practices. This study investigates how civil society associations (CSAs) support such practices in an industrialised setting. We apply a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data from 820 households in Flanders (Belgium) with 24 interviews involving CSA representatives at local, regional and European levels. Findings indicate that CSA membership increases participation in informal CE activities by strengthening trust, skills and accessibility, enabling activities that are less viable through market mechanisms alone. Respondents identify barriers to distributive, procedural and recognitional justice, which can be reduced by CSAs. We draw lessons for policymakers: providing structural support, reducing regulatory barriers and integrating informal CE practices into policies at municipal, regional, and European levels. These measures can help communities scale citizen-driven CE practices, enhancing resilience and supporting vulnerable groups throughout the CE transition.",

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The Roles of Civil Society Associations in Organising the Informal Circular Economy

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