Department of Management Seminar with Heather Cameron, University of St Andrews PhD Student How do reuse and repair organisations in Scotland practice place-based circularity?

‘Scale' is a subject of concern in circular economy research, policy, and practice. In circular economy research, ‘scale' is often presented as a three-tiered hierarchy of macro, meso, and micro levels. This hierarchical framework is used both to describe the ‘scale' of circular economy interventions or programmes, and to describe the ‘scale' of the research methodology itself. In circular economy policy and practice, ‘scale' is often presented as an ambition for circularity: ‘scaling up' a circular economy entails expansion of circularity and systemic rather than only local effects.

Yet despite ‘scale' being a prominent concern across circular economy research, policy, and practice, the world is becoming less, not more, circular: this is known as the ‘circular economy paradox' of increasing attempts to circularise and decreasing circularity. Discard Studies suggests an alternative approach to ‘scale', whereby scale is understood as the ‘relationships which matter' to a problem. In this seminar, I will suggest why this approach may provide some utility in solving the ‘circular economy paradox', and hope to learn from your perspectives on how you understand ‘scale' in your research, what ‘scale' does in your research, and if it matters.