‘Ubi societas ibi ius’: centering a Sustainable Circular Economy from a sociological perspective

The transition to a Sustainable Circular Economy (‘SCE’) represents a fundamental shift from the linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model to a regenerative system focused on reuse, recycling and resource recovery. The SCE is an economic model that aims to eliminate waste while increasing resource efficiency and promoting social equity. It is not just one technological improvement among others, but a paradigm that moves away from conventional production-consumption systems to a circular model that prioritizes sustainability at all levels. This chapter aims to present the framework and to analyse its key concepts, issues and actors, as well as the challenges for regulating this transformation process. Regulating SCE is complex because of the multifaceted nature of circular practices. The law and policymaking process must balance the interests of different stakeholders while ensuring global cooperation, particularly through international supply chains. In particular, any policy initiative that places people at the centre (‘human-centred’ model) must confront a sort of duplicity, i.e. the dialectic between the macro dimension (the global scenario) and the micro dimension (social action understood as individual action). These difficulties can explain why recently the green policies seem to be in crisis. Solutions must aim to promote equitable access, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their background, can benefit from the SCE. The chapter try to reshape the fundamental issues in the SCE and aims to be a call for responsibility of all social actors.