A Critical Exploration of Social Justice and the Notions of ‘The Good’ in Circular Economy Discourses: The Need for a Capabilities Approach

Circular economy discourses promise win-win economic and environmental gains, yet social justice remains sidelined in policy, often reduced to capitalist notions of social good tied to economic growth. This paper argues that a capabilities approach offers a useful complementary lens to circular economy discourses’ capitalist framings because it asks what real freedoms people have to achieve what they value – whether or not these align with capitalist endeavors. We show the value of this argument by exploring e-waste formalization in Bangalore, India, where ‘moral capitalism’ promises social justice through worker formalization and entrepreneurship.