A behaviour-informed approach for circular economy in cities and regions

The City Scan, developed by Circle Economy, has supported over 39 cities worldwide in their journey from linear to circular by helping them uncover where they are, envision where they can go, and understand how to get there. In collaboration with The Behaviouralist, this new iteration of the City Scan brings together the strengths of circular economy expertise and behavioural science to ensure that circular opportunities are designed not only for impact, but for uptake. While circular strategies often focus on materials, infrastructure, and policy, their success ultimately depends on people: how citizens, businesses, and institutions make decisions, form habits, and respond to incentives. By integrating behavioural insights, the City Scan explores how human decisions, social norms, and contextual cues shape material flows, helping cities design interventions that align with real-world behaviours.

Through this approach, cities can not only identify leverage points for circular interventions but also understand how to activate behavioural change across government, business, and community actors. Grounded in both behavioural research and circular urban practice, the partnership between Circle Economy and The Behaviouralist represents a vital step in translating circular economy principles into concrete, sustained urban transformation—ensuring that cities don’t just design for circularity, but live it. 

This project aims to accelerate cities’ transition to a circular economy by combining systemic analysis with behavioural insights. Building on Circle Economy’s proven methodologies—such as the Circle Scan, Material Flow Analysis (MFA), and circular strategy development—it integrates behavioural dimensions to ensure that circular opportunities reflect real-world practices and are designed for uptake.

https://www.circle-economy.com/

https://thebehaviouralist.com/