[Image credit: Alison Stowell, Sculpture made from waste electronics in Belfast Botanic Gardens]

The Waste and Circular Economy Knowledge and Action Hub focus considers social and business perspectives of waste and sustainability.

Members of the Hub have examined the role the circular economy can play in transforming societies and industrial operations by keeping products and materials in circulation for as long as possible, eliminating waste, using greener energy for production, as well as the symbolic role waste plays and leading on the Plastic Packaging in People’s Lives project.

Hub lead, Dr Alison Stowell, is a co-organiser of the international and interdisciplinary Opening The Bin project, which organises a biennial conference bringing together scholars to discuss waste, culture and society. The next conference will be held at Le Mans University, France, 10-13 December 2025, and there is currently a call for papers. See the link below for more details.