Utopias as catalysts for a sustainable circular economy

Abstract

Several sustainability challenges and crises are driving the world towards a circular economy (CE). However, despite the extensive research coverage of CE, the concept of circular futures and especially preferable futures or utopias remains insufficiently explored. Examining plausible or probable futures easily leads to continuing what we already have: a linear economy or an incremental transition to a CE. Since the time available to address sustainability crises is running short, researching desirable futures can at best open radically new perspectives and emphasise the importance of human agency in shaping reality. Hence, the aim of this chapter is to study how CE utopias can be used to catalyse sustainable CE. We use Finland, a CE frontrunner, as our empirical context; the data consist of 61 interviews with CE experts. The results led to the depiction of four utopias based on the four dimensions of sustainability: economically sustainable CE, environmentally sustainable CE, socially sustainable CE, and culturally sustainable CE. This study contributes to CE research by offering utopias and detailed descriptions of a sustainable CE. We hope that these futures images can serve as new mental models that will inspire all of us to make better decisions, shape a sustainable CE future, and take more effective actions towards attaining that future.