- Convenors:
-
Stephen Parkinson
(Earthwatch Europe and University of Nottingham)
Liz Dowthwaite (University of Nottingham)
Annelise de Jong (IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute)
Kaushiki Das (Earthwatch Europe)
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- Format:
- Panel
Short Abstract
The circular economy is increasingly adopted in policy, but the role of citizens in this transition remains uncertain. This session will bring together examples where citizen science is used to engage members of the public with the circular economy, waste reduction, and sustainable lifestyles.
Description
Systems of waste management are systems of power and create centres, where waste is created, and peripheries, where it is discarded (see for example, ‘Discard Studies’, Liboiron and Lepawsky, 2022). The concept of a circular economy challenges current approaches to waste and is proposed as a solution to many of the environmental challenges society faces. It is being adopted into government and business policies, including the EU’s circular economy action plan, part of the European Green Deal. Nevertheless, uncertainty still remains around: (i) how the transition to a circular economy will be achieved in practice; (ii) which impacts will be prioritised – economic, social or environmental; and (iii) who will get a say in how the transition is managed.
There is recognised potential for members of the public to play a greater role in the circular economy, not just as consumers and disposers, but as active “circular citizens”. However, to date, not many citizen science projects have engaged with the topic of the circular economy and the potential for citizen science to contribute to this area is under-explored. The aim of this session is to bring together examples where citizen science has been used to engage participants with the circular economy, waste reduction, and sustainable lifestyles. We are interested in, but not limited to, contributions addressing:
- what circular-economy data-needs citizen science can meet;
- how citizen science might lead to behaviour change;
- how to engage the public in the circular economy; how can the transition be democratised?
Accepted papers
Short Abstract
Citizen scientists and the vast knowledge they produced about plastic pollution were largely not considered during the United Nation’s “plastics treaty” negotiations – a result of a lack of civil society presenting themselves as knowledge holders.
Abstract
Citizen scientists have contributed substantially to our understanding of the global plastic pollution crisis. International initiatives such as the International Coastal Cleanup, Marine Debris Tracker, Marine Litter Watch, the Científicos de la Basura and the Plastic Pirates have involved thousands of citizen scientists, partially since decades, and have collected valuable research data about the extent of plastic pollution in different environments and the impact of policy measures and legislation. Currently, efforts are undertaken to develop and adopt a “global plastics treaty”, meaning a legally binding document to effectively address plastic pollution at the international level. So far, six negotiation sessions have been concluded without an agreement between United Nation’s Member States. In this contribution we evaluate the pathway of citizen science knowledge and engagement throughout the treaty negotiations. While some states (such as Mexico) emphasized the value of citizen science, we found little evidence that this research approach played a meaningful role during the negotiations, for example in public plenaries or in contact groups discussing treaty articles. Representatives of civil society (e.g. environmental NGOs, youth groups, waste pickers) voiced their concerns about plastic pollution during the negotiations, but rarely assumed the role of knowledge producers and holders. Indigenous people on the other hand leveraged their position for an ambitious treaty by presenting themselves as rights and knowledge holders. Industry representatives and lobbyists, supporting an unambitious treaty, similarly leveraged their position by producing reports (among finding other impactful engagement opportunities). We suggest that meaningful consideration of knowledge produced by civil society during the plastics treaty negotiations requires (i) actors to form alliances that represent themselves as knowledge holders, (ii) limiting the influence of actors with vested interests, and (iii) ensuring procedural justice, so that actors from civil society have a voice apart from being considered as concerned citizens or vulnerable populations.
Short Abstract
Circular economy is seen as a way to increase prolonged use of products, and to reduce consumption and waste (European commission, 2025). The CARE project involved over 100 households to study their current practices regarding food waste and circular clothing with the aim to be scaled up in Europe.
Abstract
Households throw away one third of edible food (Swedish Food Agency, 2024) and almost one fifth of clothes that go to waste could have been reused (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2024). Circular economy is seen as a way to increase prolonged use of products, and to reduce consumption and waste (European commission, 2025). The CARE project involved over 100 households to study their current practices regarding food waste and circular clothing with the aim to be scaled up in Europe. A practice-oriented perspective in conjunction with the use of an intervention-based approach are applied in the project that takes place in five different European countries and cities, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Estonia. We will present the outcomes of the first phase in the project in which the households have been recruited and observation of current practices as well as assessment of environmental impact including community related activities have been performed.
Short Abstract
CircleUp explores how citizen science can connect citizen engagement, data generation, and policy action in circular economy transitions, using participatory methods to transform citizens from consumers into active co-creators of circular and data-driven governance.
Abstract
The transition to a circular economy demands not only technological innovation but also meaningful citizen participation and data integration across governance levels. Yet, a persistent gap remains between citizens’ engagement, the data they generate, and how this evidence informs decision-making. CircleUp investigates how citizen science can address this gap through participatory approaches that connect behavioural data, social learning, and governance. Existing research recognises citizens as political and social actors in circular transitions, moving beyond consumer roles to influence how circular systems are governed (Ortega Alvarado, 2023; Korsunova et al., 2021). CircleUp builds on this evidence to explore how participatory methods can embed citizen agency within environmental governance frameworks. By examining behavioural patterns, digital data practices, and collaborative interpretation processes, the project tests how citizen-generated evidence can inform circular strategies and create transparent, inclusive decision-making environments. Implemented across four pilot sites in the United Kingdom, Latvia, Norway, and Germany, CircleUp demonstrates how citizen science can strengthen accountability and civic ownership in circular economy governance, reframing circularity as both a social and data-driven transformation.
Short Abstract
This contribution provides insights on citizen science initiatives in waste valorisation as collected within the EU-funded AGRIMA project. The contribution will share reflections on types of waste and technologies used, as well as levels of citizen participation in the circular economy transition.
Abstract
The transition to a circular economy requires not only technological innovation but also active citizen involvement. Yet the role of citizens in waste valorisation is often underexplored. The AGRIMA project (Erasmus+ KA2, 2024–2026, https://web2learn.eu/portfolio/agrima/) addresses this gap by documenting and analysing citizen science (CS) projects on waste management and valorisation in the agri-food sector.
In particular, the AGRIMA collection of such CS projects brings together diverse initiatives across Europe, focusing on four key features: (i) levels of citizen participation, from data gathering to co-creation of solutions; (ii) technologies used, ranging from composting to AI and machine learning; (iii) types of waste valorised; and (iv) fields of application, such as agriculture, pharmaceutics, and packaging. This systematic mapping provides insights into how CS initiatives on waste valorisation contribute to the circular economy by producing relevant data, raising awareness, and fostering behavioural change. It also reveals the challenges of scaling up, ensuring inclusivity, and embedding citizen-driven practices into policy frameworks.
By showcasing the AGRIMA collection, this contribution aims to demonstrate that CS can act as a catalyst for waste reduction, resource efficiency, and civic participation in sustainability transitions. The presentation will discuss lessons learned from the collected projects, as well as opportunities for expanding citizen involvement in circular economy strategies. This contribution presents results of Work Package 4 Activity 1 (WP4A1, led by Web2Learn) of the EU-funded project AGRIMA (Agri-food Waste Management for Sustainable bio-economy through Higher Education curricula and upskilling).
Short Abstract
The EU project CHEERS upcycles brewery side-streams into new bio-based products. Its Zooniverse activity Who’s Responsibility is it Anyway? lets citizens rank sustainability priorities, showing how citizen science can shape circular economy innovations and make them more democratic.
Abstract
The transition to a circular economy can challenge conventional waste management systems, often driven by technological and policy changes, but the role of citizens remains underexplored. The Horizon Europe CHEERS project is developing new ways to upcycle brewery side-streams into high-value, bio-based products, including insect protein drinks and cosmetics. While these innovations promise environmental gains, their societal acceptance and priorities, economic, social, or environmental, are uncertain. By recognising citizens as active "circular citizens", not just consumers, CHEERS seeks to showcase how citizen science can engage the public in shaping the circular transition, waste reduction, and sustainable industrial practices.
To open these industrial processes to public reflection, CHEERS launched the citizen science activity Who’s Responsibility is it Anyway? on the Zooniverse platform. Participants are invited to compare pairs of business practices and societal factors, such as fair labour, local sourcing, carbon footprint reduction, or transparency, and vote on which they believe should take priority when designing new circular bio-based products and services. The approach crowdsources values and expectations from diverse citizens, generating a dataset that informs both sustainability assessment and business model design within CHEERS.
This presentation reflects on lessons from running a value-elicitation citizen science project in an industrial circular economy context: how to translate complex bio-refinery processes into accessible online engagement, how participants’ choices reveal trade-offs between environmental, social and economic goals, and how such data can democratise and guide technology-driven circular transitions.
Short Abstract
This paper describes the results of a project that worked with a local environmental group in the UK to co-design citizen-social-science research. The project provided actionable evidence about how to increase the accessibility of several community circular economy activities.
Abstract
This paper presents the results from ‘Waste-free Wantage’, a collaboration between the University of Nottingham and Sustainable Wantage (a local environmental group in the town of Wantage, UK). The project has two key aims: 1) to co-design applied citizen-social-science research to investigate barriers to joining community circular economy initiatives; and 2) to strengthen the capacity of community members to design and carry out similar social science research projects in the future.
Volunteer citizen scientists are actively engaged in multiple stages of the project including (i) co-design workshops to set the project focus and aims; (ii) training for social science methods; (iii) development and testing of data-collection instruments (including surveys, focus groups, and think aloud protocols); (iv) data collection; (v) data analysis and co-evaluation; and (vi) sharing results with local authorities and other community environmental groups.
Activities in the project are organised around three studies, each investigating a different community circular economy initiative (a library of things, a refill shop, and a clothes swap event). In addition to presenting results from these studies, this paper also reflects on broader lessons from co-creating citizen-social-science and discusses the role of citizen science in advancing a just transition to a circular economy.