3 Questions on Engaging Citizens with Stephan Schaller In this 3-question interview, Rosa Strube, Head of Sustainable Lifestyles unpacks why citizens can’t be an afterthought in the circular transition and what it takes to truly engage them. Citizens are key to the circular transition. So, how can we meaningfully involve them in making it happen? People are at the heart of every major transformation. Without their meaningful inclusion, efforts to change systems will ultimately fail. Circular change initiatives should therefore put citizens at the centre of participatory processes, ensuring their ideas are heard and understood while building the motivation, capabilities and opportunities needed for change. At the same time, we need to point out the benefits of circular systems for people’s everyday lives: more self-determination, less dependence on others, a shared transition towards greater wellbeing, and the opportunity to design cities in a way that truly benefits the people who live in them. Fortunately, there are already many positive examples: civil society initiatives transforming urban spaces into places for connection and happier living, companies developing new business models and enabling longer-term engagement with their products, or city governments involving citizens in decision-making and co-creation. Where do discussions around circular economy often overlook the needs and realities of citizens? Circular solutions can seem harder on the individual level at first. The way the linear economy is structured today makes it feel like everything is available at any time for a low price. Circularity acknowledges that there is a different way: one that is more sustainable, more independent and ultimately more fulfilling. But it can be difficult to see the true benefits of the transition, because “new” has been considered “better” and “easier” for a long time. Our goal is to show that prosperity is possible and more long-term oriented within circular economy systems. However, the time and money required for circular practices, the need to learn new or forgotten skills, and the perceived lower quality of “old” resources can stand in the way of widespread adoption. The same holds true for companies: long-term-oriented circular business models can go against existing structures and seem more complicated than beneficial. That’s why I can’t say it enough: we need to make the benefits of circular models clearer as much as we need to create the right conditions for circular choices, bring the right stakeholders together, and give a hand to those already willing to engage with the circular economy. What do you hope participants will do differently after taking part in your track? All the sessions in Track 3: Engaging Citizens are designed to encourage and empower participants to act. We will share inspiring examples of initiatives and communities where circular practices have successfully reached and inspired large numbers of people. We will also look into available tools, both digital and in the real world, for engaging with circular practices in their personal lives as well as at the community or city level. So, I hope the end of the conference will be the start of new action from those who will attend. Join Rosa Strube at the Online Conference of the Circular Week 2026. Register here to secure your spot! To explore the full Circular Week 2026 programme, please visit the dedicated page. For all other questions, please contact Nils Kreft.