Breaking barriers: behavioural change strategies for circular economy implementation

The transition to a circular economy requires not only technological and policy innovations but also significant behavioural changes from all stakeholders. This interactive webinar will bring together practitioners, experts, and researchers to address one of the most challenging aspects of circularity: human behaviour.

This webinar explored practical behavioural change strategies that successfully promote circular economy adoption among citizens, businesses, and public authorities. Through case studies from repair hubs, programs for textile circularity, and circular procurement programs – featuring case studies from Interreg Euro-MED projects and beyond – participants learned how to identify behavioural barriers and implement effective solutions that can be replicated across the Mediterranean region.

The session featured insights from diverse experts addressing one of circularity's most challenging aspects: human behavior.

Rosa Strube from CSCP emphasized that "information alone doesn't trigger change — emotions do," advocating for storytelling approaches that connect emotionally with communities. Hernan Ruiz from CERC highlighted the importance of local accelerator hubs and design thinking methodologies to support SMEs in developing circular business models. The webinar showcased three compelling case studies from Interreg Euro-MED projects. Giulia Maselli presented REPper's approach to creating repair culture through local hubs that connect citizens with repair services and training. Chrysovalantis Ketikidis demonstrated VERDEinMED's multi-level strategy targeting consumers through storytelling, industry through sustainable practice dialogues, and policymakers via the VERDE Academy. Sofia Martins outlined ProcuraMED's work addressing behavioral barriers in public procurement, noting that while public procurement represents 14% of EU GDP, 55% still prioritizes lowest price over green solutions.

Key insights revealed common behavioral barriers including lack of knowledge and skills, financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure, and resistance to change. However, successful interventions leverage existing networks, growing consumer demand, and supportive policy frameworks while emphasizing local adaptation and cross-sectoral collaboration. he session reinforced that transitioning to a circular economy requires not just technological innovation but fundamental behavioral shifts across all stakeholders — from cost-based to evidence-based decision-making for public authorities, from linear to circular practices for businesses, and from limited awareness to informed sustainable choices for citizens.

• Welcome and Introduction
  • ACR+: Setting the Stage- Webinar Introduction & Innovative Sustainable Economy Community of Practice (CoP) insights
  • UfM: Euro-Mediterranean Context & Regional cooperation framework
  • BETA TC (UVIC-UCC): The ISE Mission project in the context of EU Green Week 2025 ISE Mission's role in enabling stakeholders to capitalize on outputs of Euro-MED projects
• Behavioural challenges and EU policies on the circular economy
  • Speaking of CARE - How storytelling helps shaping circular change | Rosa Strube, Head of the Sustainable Lifestyles Team at CSCP and Coordinator of ECESP Leadership group on Citizens’ engagement and Circular
  • Nudging approaches to drive behavioural change across value chains through awareness-building and knowledge transfer | Hernan Ruiz, CERC - École des Ponts Business School, SHARED Green Deal
• Case Studies: Behavioural challenges for circular economy and intervention pathways in the EuroMED area
  • REPper: Creating a New Repair Culture | Giulia Maselli, Metropolitan city of Bologna
  • VERDEinMED: Transforming Textile Consumption Behaviours | Chrysovalantis Ketikidis, CERTH
  • ProcuraMED: Behavioural Change in Public Procurement

This webinar is at the crossroad of the Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission of the Interreg Euro-MED and ACR+'s Circular Lifestyles thematic area.

It is the third episode of the Circular Lifestyle's webinar series "From insight to action: behavioural shifts for circular change" which dives in four episodes into the world of behaviour, from the perspective of applied solutions, practices, processes and operations, to understand how production and consumption practices can be reshaped to reinforce circular economy principles. Find out more about the webinar series and watch again the previous episodes here.

This webinar was also part of the EU Green Week 2025 focusing on 'Circular economy: reuse, repair, recycle for a better life'.