Organising the Ring: The Circus as Institutional Form in Socially Inclusive Circular Economy Initiatives

How can circular economy (CE) initiatives simultaneously deliver material recirculation and social inclusion when the value systems governing each domain diverge? We address this question through a qualitative case study of Møbelcirklen, a Danish municipal initiative integrating furniture remanufacturing with structured work integration for marginalised youth. Drawing on hybrid organisation theory, institutional logics research, and circus studies, we develop the circus as an organisational form that enables inclusive circular organising. The analysis identifies three interconnected mechanisms: the ring as a protected institutional space that suspends conventional valuation criteria; the ringmaster as legitimacy work translating accomplishments across welfare, market, and environmental logics; and multiplicity as an active organising condition sustaining heterogeneous actors, materials, and value forms without premature standardisation. We contribute to CE research and practice by revealing that inclusive circularity is enacted through performative, institutionally embedded organising rather than technical resource management alone, and by specifying transferable organisational arrangements for municipal circular initiatives.