“Plastics in a circular society” unfolds in three key steps:

1. Mapping initiatives

We identify and map alternative organising initiatives that address the plastic crisis, understanding the unique contributions they bring to the table.

During this phase of our project, we have identified and mapped over 150 initiatives that address the plastic crisis worldwide. Bringing their creative and groundbreaking work to attention is an important part of our research. This stage is currently close to completion.

2. Case studies

We conduct in-depth case studies and explore the values, ways of organising, scaling logics, and transformative potentials of selected initiatives.

3. Policy and governance

We analyse existing and potential policies and governance frameworks relating to the plastic crisis, examining how they align with or hinder the alternative organising initiatives.
 

The production, consumption and disposal of plastics in today’s economies simultaneously contribute to climate change and pollution. We refer to this dual problem as the plastic crisis. 

Derived from fossil fuels, plastics already make about 4.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Cabernard et al., 2022 – article on Nature's website). Only 9% of it is recycled, while 60% of plastics ever made have ended up in landfills or in the natural environment (Geyer et al., 2017 – article on Science's website). With expected production growth for plastics, these problems will only exacerbate. 

Conventional approaches within the circular economy framework have largely focused on technical solutions to the plastic crisis, such as resource efficiency and increased recycling rates, sidelining a fundamental problem with projected exponential growth of plastic production. 

In response, a new phenomenon has emerged – alternative organising initiatives that directly address unsustainable plastic practices. Ranging across the plastic’s lifecycle, from production of new bio-based and biodegradable materials to plastic avoidance and reuse practices, and to multiple ways of giving plastic waste a new life, these initiatives signal the beginnings of a circular society.

Often smaller in scale whilst globally connected, alternative organising initiatives have so far received little attention in public discussion, academia, and policymaking. Our research seeks to understand multiple solutions that these initiatives bring to address the plastic crisis, how they are organised, and their transformative potentials, acknowledging their pivotal role in reshaping our relationship with plastics.