This report addresses blind spots in current research about the understudied circular phenomenon of reuse and the variety of formal (i.e. included in our economy through regulated economic units and protected workers) and informal (i.e. part of an informal economy in which transactions do not get registered) channels through which it may occur.
The Circular Economy Policy Research Centre investigates three important policy questions:
The policy research centre has been organised as a cluster of research projects in order to answer these questions. Each of the projects has a particular perspective to better understand and shape circular economy as a system. Besides our work on theory and on finding ways to answer these general questions, we will also conduct tangible case studies.
How can we measure where we are in the transition?
How can we clarify the environmental impacts of activities in the circular economy?
How can we help consumers and businesses make the shift towards a circular economy?
How can we compare the extent to which products fit in a circular economy?