Our research advances SDG 12 by exploring how economies, businesses and communities can use resources more sustainably and move away from linear models of production and consumption.
Across ARU, researchers investigate resource efficiency, sustainable consumption, circular economy transitions, waste reduction and the social dimensions of sustainability, combining environmental research with insights into consumer behaviour, business models and policy. Our Circular Economics research cluster examines how production, distribution and consumption can be reorganised to reduce waste, extend resource lifecycles and support regenerative economic systems, while our wider Sustainable Futures research and innovation theme works with regional, national and international partners to translate knowledge into practical change. This includes research on plastic and microplastic pollution that has informed national and international policy, including work connected to the development of the UN Global Plastics Treaty.
Embedding circular economy principles through social innovation
We lead the €5 million SHARED GREEN DEAL project, which brings together 22 organisations and delivers 24 social experiments across Europe to understand how communities can adopt more sustainable ways of living and consuming. The project is unique in its use of a social sciences and humanities lens to address sustainability challenges, exploring how people's values, behaviours, relationships and everyday practices influence the transition to a circular economy.
Within the circular economy strand of the project local communities tested practical approaches to reducing waste, increasing repair and reuse, sharing resources and encouraging more responsible consumption. By working directly with citizens, businesses and policymakers, the project generated evidence on the social conditions needed for circular economy initiatives to succeed, highlighting the importance of participation, trust and community ownership. The findings are helping inform local and regional policies while demonstrating that successful sustainability transitions require behavioural and cultural change alongside technological innovation.
Building a circular economy through partnership working
We're a key partner in the €5.6 million BLUEPRINT initiative, led by Essex County Council, which aims to support the transition to a circular economy while creating social and economic benefits for local communities. The project will support 2,000 people from disadvantaged backgrounds to develop new skills linked to circular economy activities and help establish a network of up to 100 social enterprises. The initiative also seeks to encourage more sustainable behaviours among an estimated 78,000 people through local authority action and community engagement. By combining skills development, social innovation and resource efficiency, the project demonstrates how circular economy principles can contribute to both environmental sustainability and social inclusion.
Understanding and reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastics
ARU researchers Professor Dannielle Green and Dr Bas Boots are conducting pioneering research on the impacts of plastic pollution on entire communities of organisms and ecosystem functioning, rather than individual species in isolation. The research covers the environmental impacts of biodegradable plastics, microplastics and cigarette butts, challenging assumptions that alternatives to conventional plastics are always environmentally benign. Through laboratory and field-based studies, the team have investigated how these materials break down in real-world conditions and the consequences for soils, freshwater systems and wider ecosystems. Results show that some biodegradable plastics do not necessarily disappear harmlessly in natural environments and can still contribute to pollution.
Air quality based green routing to instil citizen behaviour changes
Through the Air Quality Based Green Routing to Instil Citizen Behaviour Changes project, our researchers worked with Colchester Borough Council to compare air pollution levels along parallel cycling and driving routes in Cambridge and Colchester. Using measurements of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), the team created interactive pollution maps showing that routes passing through parks and green spaces consistently had lower pollution levels than roads dominated by traffic.
Rather than simply studying air quality, the project tested how environmental information can be used to influence behaviour. By making pollution data publicly accessible through interactive heatmaps, the research encouraged residents to choose cleaner and more sustainable travel routes, supporting both public health and climate action. The findings demonstrate how evidence-based interventions can help citizens make more sustainable choices, contributing to reduced transport emissions and more responsible patterns of consumption.
Last updated: October 2026
To request additions, corrections or changes to the information in these pages, please contact: Dr Zareen Bharucha: [email protected]. Please use the subject line ‘ARU SDG’.