Complex language around the circular economy is alienating consumers, a new report from SUEZ has found.
The report, commissioned by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK (SUEZ), found that use of the term circular economy was the ‘single biggest inhibitor to progress’ and was causing people to actively switch off.
Created by WPI Economics ‘Bringing the Consumer into the Picture: Normalising the Circular Economy’ the report also found that terms like waste prevention and sustainability were widely misunderstood as being the same as recycling.
The consumer research was carried out with two groups of eight participants who had different levels of self-assessed knowledge and engagement with circular economy practices.
The series of focus groups found that the people who were playing an active part in the circular economy, such as by fixing phones, donating clothes, and buying second-hand, didn’t associate that behaviour with specific environmental or economic outcomes.
This lack of a clear connection, the report says, prevents wider engagement and the scaling up of individual action.
The research found there were two groups with different motivations. The first engages proactively and considers ethical factors as well as broader social and environmental consequences.
The second group prioritises convenience and cost. The research also found this group expresses scepticism over the impact of their actions and their capacity to influence systemic change.
Commenting on the report, Dr Adam Read , Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer at SUEZ, said: “We have the policy, the industry innovation, and the desire for change. But we are speaking a language that only insiders understand.”
“To realise the £25 billion economic boost and 470,000 new jobs the Circular Economy could create by 2035, we must articulate better how we can encourage consumers to become conservers and that starts with talking about repair, re-use, and affordability, not abstract economic models.”
As a result of the findings, SUEZ is calling for messaging to be simplified and tailored to resonate with differently motivated groups.
Laura Osborne , Managing Director of WPI Economics, said: “We saw our focus groups fall cleanly into two distinct types of consumers – the ‘Proactives’ who already want to lessen their impact on the environment by repairing and reusing but need a bit more facilitation – and the ‘Pragmatics’ who will change behaviour only if it proves more convenient or cost-effective.”
“Communicating meaningfully with both groups means simplifying the terms across the board, understanding their distinct motivations and then designing messages that resonate accordingly.”