The Political Economy of Circular Economies: Lessons from Future Repair Scenario Deliberations in Sweden

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Sociology
• Economics

Background:

• The dominant technocratic and neoliberal imaginary of a circular economy is explored.
• This research examines diverse scenarios for promoting repair within a circular economy framework.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze stakeholder responses to different circular economy scenarios.
• To distinguish between dominant and subaltern narratives in circular economy discussions.
• To understand how political economy influences circular economy expectations.

Main Methods:

• Deliberative stakeholder workshops were conducted.
• Four scenarios were examined: digital circularity, planned circularity, circular modernism, and bottom-up sufficiency.
• Stakeholder responses were analyzed based on ideologies, interests, and institutions.

Main Results:

• A dominant narrative emphasizes individualist and consumerist ideologies, focusing on market and education interventions.
• A subaltern narrative challenges productivist assumptions, hinting at transformative change.
• Conflicting responses reveal how Sweden's political economy constrains circular economy imaginaries.

Conclusions:

• Current circular economy approaches are constrained by existing political and economic structures.
• Future circular economies may involve contested and evolving political economies.
• There is a need to move beyond consumerist and productivist paradigms for effective circularity.