The Circular Economy Discourse among Dutch Policy Actors : Discussing the prospects for the Circular Economy in the Netherlands

Sammanfattning: The Circular Economy (CE) has quickly become a very popular discourse and is considered to be the solution to the manifold socio-economic challenges of the Anthropocene. What this actually means, however, is still unclear and contested, as different actors and sectors pursue a different degree of ecological, economic, political and social transformation. At the same time, many government organisations have embraced the concept and have set ambitious targets for the CE, with the Dutch government setting a goal of becoming fully circular by 2050. In this context, this paper contributes to the scholarship of CE discourse by critically examining what Dutch policy actors understand by the concept of CE and what this implies for the future of the CE in the Netherlands. This research examines the circular discourse in the Netherlands by means of eleven semi-structured interviews with Dutch policy actors in which the following five narratives are identified: (I) the Equal Collaborations; (II) the Circulate Raw Materials; (III) the Addictive Lifestyle; (IV) the Cross-boundary Cooperation; and (V) the Just Transition. The circular discourse typology of Calisto Friant et al. is put central in this study to analyse the five narratives distinguished. By mapping out the five narratives on this typology grid, this research provides insights into which type of circularity discourse is most strongly advocated among Dutch policy actors. The results of this study show that the Reformist Circular Society discourse is most firmly upheld through the identified narratives, which discourse offers very optimistic perspectives for the circular future of the Netherlands by combining economic and environmental objectives. Yet, this particular discourse does not adequately address all the challenges that the CE faces. By examining the CE discourse in the Netherlands, this research aims to contribute to a comprehensive and inclusive discussion on the concept of CE and reveal what circular futures might exist.