Project to explore the feasibility of community circular economy hubs
A new project in the Yorkshire Circular Lab assesses the feasibility of circular economy hubs in towns and cities across Yorkshire and the Humber. The 10-week project is delivered by Emilie Pymm, a postgraduate student of the MSc Sustainability and Consultancy at the University of Leeds.
The outcome of this project will illustrate what such circular economy hubs could look like and will detail the social, environmental and economic benefits to their communities. The ideas for the hubs will be prepared in collaboration with existing initiatives and community leaders and groups. Huddersfield and Scarborough have been suggested as case studies, due to their existing circular economy community activities and networks, but other locations can also be considered.
Engagement with stakeholders at the Yorkshire Circular Economy Festival in 2022 indicated a need for circular economy initiatives to be more easily accessible across Yorkshire and the Humber. Ensuring that access to circular economy initiatives is more straightforward will help to increase community involvement in circular behaviours and could therefore reduce resource use.
Image credit: istock.com/gpointstudio
Circular economy hubs aim to address the overconsumption of resources and the environmental impacts of their use, as well as combatting a range of social issues such as isolation and loneliness. Hubs achieve this through activities to repair and reuse products, and to turn products into entirely new things, providing affordable alternatives to buying new whilst providing opportunities for companionship.
The need for an increased engagement in circular economy initiatives is increasingly apparent due to the climate crisis, which is largely driven by an overconsumption of resources and a reliance on fossil fuels. In addition to strengthening communities, circular economy hubs can support the UK government’s pledge to reach net zero by 2050 whilst also helping to address the current cost-of-living crisis.
Community involvement is crucial to the success of the project, allowing ideas for the hubs to be tailored towards the communities which they will serve and allow benefits to be felt by as many individuals as possible. Emilie is therefore seeking participants from Huddersfield and Scarborough to take part in interviews (either in person or online) or focus groups to discuss ideas for the circular economy hubs.
Please email Emilie at: gy19ep@leeds.ac.uk if you would like to take part in the project. Any input or thoughts you can provide, would be greatly appreciated.
