Making circular economy more attractive for people on middle-incomes

The Lab is excited to welcome a visiting researcher to investigate how circular economy initiatives can attract a broader range of people. In this news item, Nashat Alhalabi introduces himself and his study: 

I’m Nashat Alhalabi and I’m a post graduate student at the University of Leeds studying for a master’s degree in Sustainability and Consultancy. I’m working on my consultancy project hosted by the Yorkshire Circular Lab from May until July 2022. As part of my project, I will be proposing a framework to facilitate behavioural change for people on middle-incomes and promote their engagement in circular economy. I will investigate their perceptions and attitudes towards circular economy in areas such as reusing clothes, sharing products and redistributing food.

Overview

The Yorkshire Circular Lab supports balanced, inclusive and sustainable access to resources to enable people to have a good life within environmental limits. However a number of behavioural barriers within the community are currently preventing the development and adoption of circular economy practices because of the perception that circular economy solutions, such as uniform exchanges and surplus food sharing, are just for people on lower incomes. Therefore, a deeper investigation on the social values and human attitudes, especially of people on middle-incomes, is a key factor for the collaborative implementation of this transition.

Within the scope of the project, I will be:

• Identifying how behaviours of people on middle-incomes can be changed in support of the adoption of circular economy practices in the region including textile reuse, product sharing and food redistribution by:
• Investigating the middle-income demographic’s knowledge and attitudes on circular economy, circular economy-related behaviour, and future development of circular economy in the region.
• Exploring the consumption patterns of people on middle-incomes and the factors that affect their acceptance and perception of reusing textiles, sharing products, and redistributing food.
• Increasing public awareness on the purpose and principles of circular economy among the middle-income demographic in Yorkshire and Humber.
• Examining the role of middle-income demographic’s awareness and acceptance in implementing and promoting circular economy practices in Yorkshire and Humber.
• Providing Yorkshire Circular Lab with robust recommendations on further steps to gain public acceptance and familiarize people on middle-incomes in the region with circular economy initiatives.

Data Collection

I will be conducting an online and in-person survey to gather the views of people on middle-incomes in Yorkshire and Humber about circular economy practices, including their attitudes and level of awareness on circular economy initiatives specifically on textile reuse, product sharing and food redistribution.

The questionnaire will include some introductory questions to help capture regional and demographic variations, and other sets of questions relating to consumptions patterns, level of awareness and attitudes on circular economy initiatives and the future development of a circular economy in the region. The results of the questionnaire will be used in the preparation for a behaviour change framework in Yorkshire and Humber.

I am seeking participants to complete this questionnaire as part of the project. Those who are based in the region of Yorkshire and Humber and are interested in participating in this study  can fill in a form (link opens in new tab) to be send a link to the questionnaire when it goes live early June. Information obtained from the participant remains confidential throughout the course of the study and the data to be used in the final paper will be fully anonymous.

Image source: United Nations Academic Impact. Transforming Communities: Demystifying Circular Economy.

Further Information

Please feel free to contact me through my university email ee21nna@leeds.ac.uk if you need any further information or have any questions or comments about the project and the questionnaire.

If you would like to propose a research project too, please read more in "Start Circular Projects" and get in touch with Mike Howroyd m.a.howroyd@leeds.ac.uk.