What is ciruclar economy? - The discourse of circular economy in the Swedish public sector

The aim of this study is to analyze how the concept of circular economy is viewed and defined within the Swedish public sector. Discourse analysis was applied to the semi-structured interviews conducted with employees who work with circular economy projects at local, regional and national institutions. The research found that circular economy was perceived as a way to face resource limitations through continuous circulation of materials, which could also foster economic growth decoupled from extraction of finite resource. Actors perceived as important for the transition to a circular economy are: public sector, business, researchers and civil society, who are believed to be motivated by the notion that a circular economy will lead to a more sustainable society. Furthermore, it is assumed that different partners will work together towards the common goal of circular economy. In addition, the circular economy concept seems to offer a different rhetorical way of approaching environmental problems. The implications of this study could be used to deepen understandings of how circular economy could be implemented.