Energizing a transformation to a circular bio-economy: mechanisms to spread, deepen, and broaden initiatives

Resúmen

Transformative change is necessary for reaching a circular biobased economy. A variety of circular initiatives have emerged, which in their everyday practices aim to increase their circular impact. We approach transformative change as a continuous process through which emerging circular initiatives, so-called small wins, accelerate. This paper explores what mechanisms drive these processes and, more in particular, how circular initiatives stay or become more transformative while accelerating? Building on existing literature about mechanisms that contribute to the spreading, deepening, and broadening of small wins – we further develop a framework that focuses on the interplay between mechanisms. We conceptually argue and empirically illustrate how deepening the circularity of small wins takes place through learning by doing; how the spreading of small wins takes place through professionalization and how broadening the scope of small wins to other domains takes place through partnering. We applied this framework to two illustrative cases in the Netherlands: circular laying-hen farm, Kipster, and the community farming initiative, Herenboeren. Both case studies indicate that the energizing and logic of attraction mechanisms seem to play a key role in transformative change.