Where, why, and how psychology is relevant in circular economy – some reflections based on large interdisciplinary projects

The transition to a circular society requires not only changes in production processes, but also an adaption in citizen behaviour in many fields of their daily practices. The way access to products and services is realized (purchase, sharing, renting, …), the way they are used and stored, the way they are disposed of at the end of their lives, and – on a more general level – also how societal transitions are supported in political and economic processes are just some examples. The presentation will start with a general framework model, presenting the role of psychology in the greater canon of social sciences in relation to such processes. Afterwards, examples from finished and ongoing research projects will be presented in how such questions have been and can be addressed. This will include results from a Norwegian population survey on psychological plasticity of a large selection of climate related behaviours (including many relevant for circular economy practices), a waste separation intervention at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, an online design handbook for involving consumers in circularity practices in packaging recycling based on psychological theory developed by the Norwegian green dot, and some first ideas what will be focused on in the new Horizon Europe project CIRCOMOD, which will explore circular economy potentials for mitigating climate change from an interdisciplinary perspective, including psychology.