Exploring Regional Pathways for Circular Economy in the Nordics

CALL FOR PAPERS

Journal: Resources, Conservation and Recycling

Publisher: Elsevier

Full Paper Submission Opens: 1 October 2026

Full Paper Submission Deadline: 31 March 2027

Introduction

The persistent dominance of linear economic models continues to intensify pressure on planetary boundaries — despite the growing prominence of the circular economy (CE) as a framework for decoupling economic growth from resource consumption. While CE strategies have proliferated across policy and practice, their implementation remains fragmented and uneven — partly due to conceptual ambiguity and limited systemic integration.

Recent scholarship emphasizes the need to approach CE as a multilevel and interconnected transition — spanning macro-level policies, meso-level industrial systems, and micro-level organizational and consumer practices. In this context, regional approaches — situated between national and global scales — offer underexplored potential for coordinated action, policy alignment, and cross-border learning.

Scope & Significance

This Special Issue addresses this gap by focusing on the Nordic region — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden — as a compelling case for advancing regional perspectives on circular economy transitions.

The Nordic countries combine:

Strong sustainability-oriented innovation systems
High institutional capacity and public acceptance of regulation
Persistently high material footprints per capita — among the highest in Europe

These tensions make the region a compelling laboratory for examining both the opportunities and limitations of CE in advanced economies. By documenting, comparing, and critically assessing CE initiatives, policies, and sectoral practices across the region, this Special Issue seeks to generate policy-relevant and empirically grounded insights — with lessons transferable to other regions worldwide.

Objectives & Themes

This Special Issue invites interdisciplinary, empirically grounded, and policy-relevant research on Nordic CE developments — including:

CE policies and institutions
Business enablers and barriers to circular transition
Social and cultural dimensions of circular economy
Sectoral practices across industries
Comparative analyses within and beyond the Nordics

List of Topic Areas

Manuscripts are invited on themes including, but not limited to:

Regional circular economy governance and policy frameworks in the Nordics
CE transitions at macro, meso, and micro levels — interactions and systemic integration
Business models and organizational enablers and barriers to CE adoption
Social and cultural dimensions of circular economy transitions
Sectoral CE practices — construction, food, textiles, electronics, and beyond
Cross-border learning and policy alignment in regional CE ecosystems
Nordic CE initiatives — documentation, evaluation, and critical assessment
Material footprint reduction strategies in advanced economies
Consumer behavior, social acceptance, and CE adoption
CE experimentation and resilience-building at the regional scale
Comparative analyses of Nordic CE approaches — within and across countries
Lessons from Nordic CE transitions transferable to other regions worldwide
Sustainability transitions — theory, practice, and governance in the Nordic context
Circular economy and planetary boundaries — progress, limits, and contradictions

Guest Editors

Dr. Julian Kirchherr (Executive Guest Editor) Roskilde University, Denmark 📧 juliank@ruc.dk (For inquiries, contact Dr. Kirchherr)

Dr. Thomas Budde Christensen Roskilde University, Denmark 📧 tbc@ruc.dk

Dr. Giovana Monteiro Gomes Technical University of Denmark, Denmark 📧 gimgo@dtu.dk

Dr. Jean-Marie Courrent University of Montpellier, France 📧 jean-marie.courrent@umontpellier.fr

Mr. Martin Ruvini University of Montpellier, France 📧 martin.ruvini@umontpellier.fr (Submit abstracts to Mr. Ruvini for GE evaluation)

Key Timeline

📝 Abstract Submission: Submit to martin.ruvini@umontpellier.fr before preparing full manuscript 📅 Full Paper Submission Opens: 1 October 2026 ⏰ Full Paper Submission Deadline: 31 March 2027

Submission Guidelines

⚠️ Important — Submit an Abstract First: Before preparing a full manuscript, authors are requested to submit an abstract to Guest Editor Martin Ruvini at 📧 martin.ruvini@umontpellier.fr for evaluation.

Full Paper Submission: Submit full manuscripts through Editorial Manager, the official online submission system. When submitting, select Article Type: "VSI: CE in the Nordics" (The submission portal will be open from 1 October 2026.)

All submissions deemed suitable will be reviewed by at least two independent peer reviewers. Once accepted, articles will be published in the current regular issue and simultaneously pulled into the online Special Issue.

⚠️ All submissions must be original and must not be under review elsewhere at the time of submission.

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Exploring Regional Pathways for Circular Economy in the Nordics

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