Appropriation and routinisation of circular consumer practices: A review of current knowledge in the circular economy literature

There is an increasing desire for regenerative consumption and production systems that—through the concept of the circular economy—enable longer and better use of resources and products. Circular products and services designed for repair, reuse and recycling require alternative consumption patterns, consumer roles and daily routines—a topic that is still under-researched in the current circular economy literature. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on circular practices with the following objectives: (1) to identify the circular consumer practices studied, (2) to determine the necessary conditions for their appropriation and routinisation, and (3) to suggest how their appropriation and routinisation can be better studied. The analysis of 44 articles revealed 15 circular consumer practices. Meanwhile, Circular consumer practices relating to sufficiency, such as refuse and reduce, have received less attention. We find that elements of practice such as consumer competence, meaning and material play an important role in the appropriation and routinisation of circular consumer practices. However, components such as socio-structural contexts, trade-offs and rebound effects, all of which influence the likelihood of appropriation and routinisation of circular products and services, have not been sufficiently explored. We also find that circular consumer practices are often described as momentary doings rather than ones that are continuously integrated into existing everyday consumption routines. Our findings suggest that circular consumer practices, although interconnected and likely to compete or reinforce each other, are currently conceptualised as isolated practices. Future research should explore how circular consumer practices interlock with and reconfigure other practices and contribute to the improvement of the framework proposed in this review.