Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy

Summary: Sustainability challenges, such as transitioning to a circular economy, require people to engage in sustainable behaviors. Yet, current systems often inhibit sustainable behaviors, implying systemic changes are needed. Importantly, citizens can take action to provoke systemic changes. We pr...

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Main Authors: Isabel Maria Pacheco, Ellen van der Werff, Linda Steg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:iScience
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225011678
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author Isabel Maria Pacheco
Ellen van der Werff
Linda Steg
author_facet Isabel Maria Pacheco
Ellen van der Werff
Linda Steg
author_sort Isabel Maria Pacheco
collection DOAJ
description Summary: Sustainability challenges, such as transitioning to a circular economy, require people to engage in sustainable behaviors. Yet, current systems often inhibit sustainable behaviors, implying systemic changes are needed. Importantly, citizens can take action to provoke systemic changes. We propose the systemic change through citizen action (SCCA) framework that indicates which actions citizens can take to promote systemic changes that contribute to a circular economy. Specifically, the SCCA proposes that citizens can promote systemic change to support circularity by engaging in circular citizenship behaviors that aim at influencing other actors, including governments, businesses, and other citizens. The SCCA indicates which behaviors citizens can take to urge different actors to take action that would promote systemic change, thereby integrating previously dispersed research. We provide a research agenda indicating how the SCCA framework can inspire future research, including identifying key factors influencing citizens’ likelihood to engage in circular citizenship behaviors.
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spelling doaj-art-59ec73dff0664c6fb9645ede38bcfcad2025-08-20T03:29:10ZengElsevieriScience2589-00422025-07-0128711290610.1016/j.isci.2025.112906Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economyIsabel Maria Pacheco0Ellen van der Werff1Linda Steg2Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen 9712 TS, the Netherlands; Corresponding authorFaculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen 9712 TS, the NetherlandsFaculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen 9712 TS, the NetherlandsSummary: Sustainability challenges, such as transitioning to a circular economy, require people to engage in sustainable behaviors. Yet, current systems often inhibit sustainable behaviors, implying systemic changes are needed. Importantly, citizens can take action to provoke systemic changes. We propose the systemic change through citizen action (SCCA) framework that indicates which actions citizens can take to promote systemic changes that contribute to a circular economy. Specifically, the SCCA proposes that citizens can promote systemic change to support circularity by engaging in circular citizenship behaviors that aim at influencing other actors, including governments, businesses, and other citizens. The SCCA indicates which behaviors citizens can take to urge different actors to take action that would promote systemic change, thereby integrating previously dispersed research. We provide a research agenda indicating how the SCCA framework can inspire future research, including identifying key factors influencing citizens’ likelihood to engage in circular citizenship behaviors.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225011678Environmental scienceSocial sciencesSociology
spellingShingle Isabel Maria Pacheco
Ellen van der Werff
Linda Steg
Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy
iScience
Environmental science
Social sciences
Sociology
title Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy
title_full Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy
title_fullStr Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy
title_full_unstemmed Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy
title_short Circular citizenship behaviors: How individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy
title_sort circular citizenship behaviors how individuals can promote systemic change toward a circular economy
topic Environmental science
Social sciences
Sociology
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589004225011678
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AT ellenvanderwerff circularcitizenshipbehaviorshowindividualscanpromotesystemicchangetowardacirculareconomy
AT lindasteg circularcitizenshipbehaviorshowindividualscanpromotesystemicchangetowardacirculareconomy