17 Plastic futures: mobilising circular economy contexts to address the plastic crisis

Abstract

The plastic crisis has demonstrated how single-use plastic waste is growing significantly and has a negative impact on natural ecosystems and human activities (UNEP 2018). Drawing upon Douglas’ (1966, pp. 34-35) idea of pollution, singleuse plastic waste is seen as a “matter out of place.” In an attempt to put these materials back “in place,” organisations invoke circular economy ideas. We use the International Alliance for Sustainable Business (IASB) case study to show how a businessdriven global alliance attempts to organise circular solutions to help members face the plastic crisis. By paying attention to the process of ‘contexting’ (Asdal & Moser 2012), we argue that considering the interrelations between organisations’ agendas (social values) and plastics material composition (material values) helps to understand how circular solutions get organised and what notions of responsibility these solutions enact - considering how and who invokes various contexts illuminates the processes that make certain solutions to the plastic crisis prevalent. Thus, the contexting becomes a political activity because the actors’ interests and agenda inform its enactment.