On 4 March 2026, CircleUp was presented at the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) Conference 2026, hosted by Oulu University, Finland. Kaushiki Das (Earthwatch) presented a poster and delivered a presentation in the panel session "Circular economy and citizen science – keeping citizens 'in the loop'", highlighting how citizen science can help drive the transition towards more circular and sustainable lifestyles. 

The presentation, Exploring the role of citizens in data-driven circular economy transitions: Insights from CircleUp and CARE, explored how citizen science can help people become active participants in the transition to a circular economy. Rather than viewing citizens simply as consumers, both projects demonstrate how households can contribute valuable evidence about their everyday behaviours while testing practical ways to reduce waste and adopt more circular lifestyles. We were also pleased to share insights from our sister project, CARE, on behalf of the consortium, as they were unfortunately unable to attend the session. 

A central theme of the presentation was how citizen science can bridge the gap between awareness and action. By combining behavioural research with practical interventions, CircleUp is exploring what motivates households to adopt more sustainable habits and what barriers prevent people from making more circular choices in their everyday lives. The project uses this evidence to better understand how communities can be supported to reduce waste and make lasting behavioural changes. 

Kaushiki also shared early insights from the UK pilot in Wantage, where CircleUp works closely with local sustainability organisation Sustainable Wantage. Initial community engagement involved knocking on approximately 4,000 doors, resulting in around 300 completed surveys and approximately 200 expressions of interest in participating in CircleUp. These early findings demonstrate both strong community interest and the importance of local engagement in recruiting participants for citizen science initiatives. 

One of the most interesting findings presented was the gap between awareness and use of existing circular economy services. Although around 70% of survey respondents were aware of The Mix - Sustainable Wantage's community hub offering services such as a repair café, refill station, community fridge and Library of Things, regular participation remained relatively low. Survey responses suggested that improved publicity, better information and greater convenience could significantly increase engagement with these services. 

The presentation also highlighted an encouraging trend: environmental concern emerged as the strongest motivation for using circular economy services, consistently outweighing financial incentives across multiple activities. This finding reinforces the importance of designing interventions that build on citizens' environmental values while making sustainable choices easier and more accessible in everyday life. 

As CircleUp progresses through its household intervention and evaluation phases, the project will continue to build evidence on how citizen science can support long-term behaviour change. By working closely with households across Europe, the project aims to identify practical, scalable approaches that make circular living easier and more accessible for communities. 

We would like to thank the organisers of ECSA 2026 for providing an excellent platform to share CircleUp's work alongside other innovative citizen science initiatives. It was a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas with researchers, practitioners and policymakers, and to showcase how citizen science can help communities play an active role in Europe's transition towards a circular economy.