Beyond the consumer: enlarging the role of the citizen in the circular economy

The consumer undoubtedly has a pivotal role to play in mainstream frameworks of the Circular Economy. This entails being willing and able to respond to market signals about new products and services; to internalise some of the work that being a consumer in the Circular Economy requires (e.g. repairing, returning goods for remanufacturing etc.); and to participate in the forms of collaborative consumption (or Sharing Economy). As yet, the uptake by consumers of Circular Economy practices has been slow, with research detailing the barriers and challenges. This chapter aims to consider why that is, examining how being framed and treated as a Consumer—as a specific, historical subject, and form of transactional relationship—may delimit the reach and impact of the Circular Economy, as a larger transformative project.