One question kept coming up throughout the recent CCRI Knowledge Hub webinar, "Public Engagement for Circular Behavioural Change: From Awareness to Adoption":

If most people already know they should live more sustainably, why is it still so difficult to make circular behaviours part of everyday life?

It is a question that sits at the heart of the CircleUp project, so joining the webinar, hosted by the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) was an excellent opportunity to hear how researchers, municipalities and fellow Horizon Europe projects are approaching the same challenge from different perspectives. Rather than presenting behaviour change as a matter of simply providing more information, every speaker highlighted something that many of us working in sustainability have experienced first-hand: knowledge alone rarely changes behaviour.

The opening presentation by Nina Mesiranta from Tampere University introduced the CARE | Circular Households Framework, drawing on Social Practice Theory to explain why sustainable habits don't depend solely on personal motivation. Instead, they emerge when three things come together: people need the right infrastructure, the right skills, and the right social environment. It sounds obvious when you hear it, but it changes how we think about interventions. For example, encouraging people to repair clothing is unlikely to succeed if repair services are difficult to access, people lack the skills, or repaired clothing is still seen as something undesirable. Lasting behaviour change isn't just about convincing individuals, it's about creating the conditions that make circular choices feel normal.

That idea continued through Kirsi Verkka presentation from the Helsingin kaupunki – Helsingfors stad – City of Helsinki, which focused on participation. Rather than treating citizens as people to consult after decisions have already been made, Helsinki has been exploring ways to involve communities throughout the process, from co-design workshops to participatory budgeting and citizen assemblies. The message was clear: people are far more likely to support circular initiatives when they have helped shape them.

One of the most practical sessions came from Michele Giavini(ARS ambiente Srl - Analysis Research and Services for the environment), who introduced the Know As You Throw (KAYT) approach. Instead of relying purely on financial incentives, KAYT uses timely feedback and behavioural nudges to improve waste sorting. Real examples from municipalities in Italy and Spain showed how something as simple as personalised WhatsApp messages, transparent waste bags or positive visual feedback can significantly improve recycling behaviour. It was a powerful reminder that small changes in how information is communicated can have a measurable impact.

Digital engagement was another recurring theme. Menevis Uzbay Pirili shared the experience of the PSLifestyle Project project, where personalised climate footprint tools helped thousands of people identify practical actions that suited their own lifestyles. What stood out wasn't just the technology itself, but the emphasis on embedding these tools within schools, festivals and local organisations. Technology worked best when it supported existing communities rather than replacing them.

The final presentation, from Maria Illetterati ( alda* - European Association for Local Democracy) on the FIC-Fighters project, offered a different perspective. Instead of focusing on household behaviours, the project explores how citizens can help shape solutions to complex industrial waste challenges. Through creative workshops and future-scenario exercises, communities became active contributors rather than passive recipients of information. It was an inspiring example of how engagement can extend well beyond awareness campaigns.

Although each project focused on a different challenge, a common thread emerged throughout the webinar. Behaviour change is rarely the result of a single campaign, app or awareness event. It happens when people have the opportunity, confidence and support to make different choices and when those choices become part of everyday life. This resonates strongly with CircleUp. Across our pilot communities in Norway, Germany, Latvia and the UK, we are exploring how behavioural science, household interventions, digital tools and local community engagement can work together to make circular living more accessible. Whether it is reducing food waste, repairing textiles or rethinking consumption, the goal is not simply to inform people, but to help circular behaviours become habits that last.

A sincere thank you to the Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) for organising such a thought-provoking webinar, and to the Nina Mesiranta, Kirsi Verkka, Michele Giavini, Menevis Uzbay Pirili, and Maria Illetterati for sharing their expertise and experiences.

These conversations remind us that no single project has all the answers. By learning from one another, we can build stronger approaches to behaviour change and take another step towards making circular living the norm across Europe.