CARE publishes first scientific article on circular consumption interventions

What helps households shift from linear to circular consumption? CARE’s first peer-reviewed article explores this question by reviewing intervention studies on food waste and clothing consumption through the lens of social practice theory.

Looking at circular consumption in everyday life

How can consumption patterns shift from the linear ‘buy, use, discard’ model towards more circular practices? This question lies at the heart of CARE and the project’s inaugural scientific publication.

Published open access in Circular Economy and Sustainability, the article “Interventions for Circular Consumption: A Review of Food Waste and Clothing Consumption Studies with Insights From Social Practice Theory” reviews existing research on interventions that aim to change everyday consumption in two high-impact areas: food waste and clothing consumption.

For CARE, this publication marks an important milestone. It strengthens the scientific foundation of the project and offers valuable insights for researchers, policy makers, NGOs, civil society organisations, municipalities and other actors working to support circular practices at household level.

What the review examined

The article, authored by Nina Mesiranta, Elina Närvänen, Martta Vänskä, Mari Ainasoja, Malla Mattila, Kirsi Laitala, Emma Samsioe, Ingrid Haugsrud, Christian Fuentes, Harald Throne-Holst and Réka Tölg, analyses 84 peer-reviewed intervention studies.

Its focus lies on two everyday consumption domains that are also central to CARE’s work: reducing food waste and extending the lifetime of clothing. Both areas offer major potential for circularity, but both are also deeply embedded in routines, social contexts, infrastructures and material conditions.

Rather than simply asking whether interventions are effective, the article examines the underlying assumptions: How do they understand change? Which theories shape their design? And what impact does this have on the practical support for circular consumption?

Beyond awareness-raising

A key finding is that most existing interventions are based on behaviourist approaches. These often focus on individual choices, attitudes, or behaviours. In contrast, social practice theory is rarely used in intervention studies on circular consumption.

This distinction matters. A practice-theoretical perspective considers more than just what individuals know, want or decide. It also considers the routines, materials, meanings, competencies and social contexts that influence people’s actions in everyday life.

Understanding circular consumption as part of everyday practices helps us ask better questions. It allows us to look beyond individual attitudes and explore how routines, materials, skills and social contexts shape the possibilities for change, says Elina Närvänen, Project Coordinator and Professor at the Faculty of Management and Business at Tampere University.

Why this matters for CARE

CARE works with more than 100 households in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany and Estonia to explore how circular food and clothing practices can become part of daily life. Its pilots focus on what people actually do: how they plan meals, shop for food, store ingredients, cook, deal with leftovers, wash clothes, repair garments, care for textiles, and decide what to keep, buy or pass on.

The review therefore provides valuable insights that speak directly to CARE’s approach. Encouraging circular consumption requires more than just providing information. It means understanding everyday practices and designing realistic, inclusive interventions that can be adapted to different local contexts.

This is also relevant beyond the participating households. By connecting research, co-creation and pilot activities, CARE aims to generate tools, methods and resources that can support cities, regions, NGOs, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in adapting circular approaches to their own contexts.

Building knowledge for future interventions

By synthesising intervention research on food waste and clothing consumption, the article improves our understanding of how to support circular consumption. It also advances conceptual tools for analysing and designing practical interventions.

For researchers, the review identifies gaps and opportunities for future studies. For policy makers and practitioners, it highlights why interventions need to consider the wider conditions that shape everyday life. For CARE, it provides a strong scientific reference point for developing, testing and communicating interventions that target households and local communities.

The article is available open access via Springer.

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