Developing a model of circular economy engagement for public sector organizations

Humans face an existential crisis if we fail to transition to a circular economy (CE) and reduce fossil fuel consumption. Public service organizations (PSOs) are major employers and owners of significant physical estates and procure hundreds of billions in products and services annually. The UK government aims to achieve 'net zero' environmental targets by 2030 but has left PSOs to operationalize strategy without clear methodologies and with ambiguous terms. This article explores and articulates public service practitioners' understanding of CE principles and their approaches to implementation, to develop a model that enhances practitioners' understanding of CE and enables practitioners to more fully understand how to approach implementation of circle economy principles. This article presents evidence from practitioners from multiple PSOs, located in Wales, who are engaged with contextualizing CE and implementing CE principles at an organizational level. Public service organizations (PSOs) are well placed to leverage the opportunities a circular economy (CE) transition presents and are obliged to deliver social value. Recent academic literature suggests that the term 'circular economy' is a contested concept, suggesting that context (among other variables) is important. This article draws on a contemporary definition, developed from an analysis of 221 definitions, to frame understanding for public service practitioners and comment on their contextualization of the term. Contemporary research suggests that adoption of CE principles within UK PSOs is minimal, due to limited understanding of CE, together with PSOs' underdeveloped innovation capabilities. This article draws on nascent research that has explored PSOs' perspectives on CE and published frameworks for the implementation of CE principles. The objectives of the article are to identify, discuss and develop the understanding of CE and its implementation within PSOs and to present a framework that builds on existing research and provides practitioners with a model that better develops their understanding of how to approach CE innovation.