Leveraging circular initiatives for systemic change in Argentina

Abstract

In the context of the ongoing transition towards a more sustainable system, grassroots innovations, particularly Circular Initiatives (CIs), are emerging as crucial players, understanding Circular Economy as a promising pathway forward in this sustainability shift. Within this context, the Circular Value Flower (CVF) method was developed by Els Leclercq and Mo Smit during their experiences working with CIs in the Netherlands.

The purpose of this project is to contribute to the development of the CVF by exploring its potential as a design method to support circular initiatives in Argentina while creating positive social impact. Argentina’s relevance in this project is twofold. Firstly, its rich landscape of initiatives and social movements is highly influential, shaping not only the prevailing system within the country but also across the entire Latin America. Secondly, this project seeks to amplify the voices of the Global South within the design discipline and the academic sphere of CE, areas predominantly influenced by voices from the Western Global North.

As the CVF is designed for community engagement, this project centers on working closely with two Argentinean CIs (ReUSAR and Siempre Monte) with a decolonial and participatory approach. Given the complexity of this endeavor and the need to challenge traditional knowledge hierarchies, the overarching mode of thinking leading this project is Sentipensar (feel-think).

In order to cast light, with a sentipensante mindset, on the potential of the CVF to leverage the participating CIs, four phases constitute this project: Reserch for Design, Redesigning the CVF, Action Research and Guideline Design. The first phase aims to define and situate key theoretical concepts, gain a deep understanding of the local context, analyze the current state of the art, and initiate my self-deconstruction as a researcher. The second phase, Redesigning the CVF, focuses on adapting the method and its tools to align with the project’s mindset and the Argentinean context. The design outcomes of this phase are named the Circular Reflection toolkit and Circular Value Map. These tools are designed to facilitate the participatory application of the CVF method during the third phase, which is the Action Research phase involving ReUSAR and Siempre Monte.

After several weeks of active engagement with the CIs and numerous group and individual reflections, the primary insight discussed is the CVF’s potential to support Argentinean CIs by creating a space for pausing, reflecting, and engaging in meaningful conversations. These conversations center on addressing member alignment and both internal and external communication, which are among the primary uncovered issues faced by Argentinean CIs today. Moreover, tackling these challenges aligns with two of the three essential conditions for their success, as identified in the existing literature: shared expectations and networking.

To enhance the accessibility of this research to other practitioners, the primary insights have been translated into a practical guideline referred to as the Tomate Un Mate guideline. This constitutes the fourth and final phase of this graduation project, the Guideline Design phase, with the hope that it will also serve as a starting point for further developments.