Advancing a slum–circular economy model for sustainability transition in cities of the Global South

Abstract

The circular economy (CE) is touted to have the potential to support the much-needed shift away from the current linear production and consumption economic model. However, many of the discussions on the CE have overlooked cities in the Global South, casting their pervasive slums as enclaves of socio-environmental problems and a barrier to sustainable development. In this Perspective, we highlight subaltern circularity in the Global South, developing a slum–CE theoretical model that illuminates how the practices underlying slum life intersect with the key principles of the CE. The findings of this Perspective offer directions for future slum–CE research and policy in cities in the Global South.