SEM1 W10 How to frame a just circular economy vision?
A Just Circular Economy: Vision and Academic Framing
1. What does a just circular economy look like to me?
A just circular economy (CE) ensures that the benefits of transitioning to circularity—such as resource conservation, economic efficiency, and waste reduction—are equitably distributed across society. It prioritizes marginalized and vulnerable communities, often disproportionately affected by waste and environmental degradation, ensuring they have access to sustainable livelihoods and decision-making power. A just CE also actively addresses historical and systemic injustices, particularly those related to colonialism, capitalism, and environmental exploitation. It incorporates principles of environmental justice, such as recognition, participation, and distribution, into all policy and practice levels. Provide rewarding work with opportunities for personal advancement and improve worker conditions in informal (waste picker) sectors.
Key Elements:
- Inclusive participation: Stakeholders from vulnerable and underrepresented groups actively participate in decision-making processes.
- Equitable distribution: Resources, benefits, and responsibilities are shared fairly.
- Recognition of historical injustices: Acknowledging and addressing systemic inequalities in waste management and resource extraction.
- Sustainability beyond profit: Ensuring ecological preservation and community well-being precede purely economic gains.
2. How might I frame that vision in academic terms?
To frame the vision of a just circular economy academically, I would draw upon interdisciplinary frameworks combining environmental justice theory and circular economy principles. The academic framing would focus on:
- Environmental Justice Frameworks: neoliberal, distributive, and procedural justice concepts. For example:
- Neoliberal justice is a justice framework that emphasizes market efficiency and individual responsibility but overlooks issues of structural inequality and collective well-being.
- Distributive justice ensures equitable access to the benefits of circular systems and equitable burden-sharing.
- Procedural justice advocates for transparent governance and active participation of marginalized groups.
- Critical Political Ecology: Highlight how power dynamics influence the implementation of CE policies, often marginalizing vulnerable groups.
- Social and Economic Equity: Integrate theories of equity and social capital into CE research, emphasizing community empowerment and local economic resilience.
- Decolonial Perspectives: Challenge dominant CE narratives centered on Global North priorities, advocating for localized solutions and indigenous knowledge systems.
3. How will this impact the design of my KIPP project?
The KIPP project design will integrate the principles of justice-focused circularity by:
- Stakeholder Mapping and Inclusion: Identifying and actively engaging underrepresented groups—such as informal waste workers or marginalized communities—ensuring their needs and voices shape project outcomes.
- Data Collection and Analysis: Using both quantitative (e.g., waste flow data) and qualitative (e.g., lived experiences) methods to understand justice dimensions in local waste systems.
- Policy Advocacy and Education: Creating tools or educational materials that highlight justice dimensions in circularity, influencing policymakers and raising public awareness.
- Localized Interventions: Developing site-specific, culturally sensitive solutions that empower local actors while promoting sustainability.
- Outcome Metrics: Measuring project success not only through traditional CE metrics (e.g., waste reduction) but also through justice-oriented indicators, such as improved livelihoods for marginalized groups and increased participation in governance.
By focusing on justice within the CE framework, the project will not only address environmental and economic sustainability but also promote fairness, equity, and resilience in affected communities.
I really like some of the thoughts here about integrating justice within your KIPP project – especially the ambitions regarding critical political ecology and decolonial perspectives. Are there writers or papers you’ve found particularly interesting in these arenas?