The urgent need for societies and businesses to transition to a sustainable circular economy (CE) will require significant changes in the practices of diverse human stakeholders. The CIRCEX project studies the emergence and role of human experiences in the CE, arguing that these experiences are crucial for engagement in CE practices such as reducing, reusing and recycling. CIRCEX brings together research on CE, marketing, and design to study circular economy experiences (CEEX) in the pragmatically and theoretically relevant material domain of plastics. The project's qualitative multiple case studies draw on interviews, ethnographic observations and participatory design methods. CIRCEX breaks new ground by conceptualizing CEEX, unpacking how human stakeholders' experiences translate into action and creating a CEEX design framework that supports CE practices. Overall, CIRCEX aims to augment the role of experience research in advancing societal wellbeing and sustainability.

2023

2027