Communication plays a crucial role in promoting the transition to a circular economy. However, traditional communication models often reinforce linear economy practices, as they focus on mass consumption and associate materialism with happiness. The key lies in a paradigm shift, where communication strategies go beyond awareness-raising campaigns and embrace a social marketing approach.

Social marketing encourages a sense of collective responsibility and motivates behavioural change among citizens, as it addresses psychological and social barriers, such as resistance to change. Emphasising the collective benefits of circularity—such as resource preservation and social well-being—can further enhance public involvement and the acceptance of circular economy initiatives.

This is the conclusion of a study conducted in Spain and published in the Journal of Environmental Management, which analyses the perceptions of key stakeholders involved in the management, design, development and implementation of innovative technologies to foster the transition towards a circular economy model.

The research is based on 44 interviews with individuals from public administration, private companies, universities, and research centres. The results show that, beyond demographic segmentation, communication efforts must consider factors such as values, motivations and perceived barriers of different audiences. They also reveal that, despite the development of technological innovations, their social impact remains limited due to weak communication and insufficient cooperation among key actors.

Regarding the role of public administrations and the business sector, the study concludes that both play an important role in raising public awareness. Public institutions should provide resources and integrate communication initiatives into their research projects. Companies, on the other hand, must be more transparent in disseminating their technological innovations and effectively communicate their social benefits.

For all these reasons, the authors conclude that “cooperation and coordination among different actors is essential to accelerate the transition to a circular model.”

Communication: a critical challenge to support the circular economy

As highlighted in the article, the transition towards a circular model in Spain shows “a clear gap at the European level,” as coordination among stakeholders is still limited and differing perceptions among SMEs, large companies and public institutions hinder progress. For this reason, the authors argue, understanding these perceptions can help identify barriers and paths for collaboration, ultimately helping to close this gap.

Effective communication is essential to promote the circular economy, raise public awareness and foster changes in behaviour. While the concept of circular economy is increasingly known, its widespread adoption across Europe remains limited. One of the reasons may be the lack of a shared conceptual framework, which makes it harder for social actors to understand and apply circular practices. This highlights the need for more coherent and inclusive communication strategies.

Among other proposals, the authors suggest integrating the principles of the circular economy into national education curricula, promoting targeted communication strategies for different population segments, and establishing regional innovation centres to support new forms of social communication around the circular economy.