BELOOP: From Awareness to Action
Evidence-based Pathways to Accelerate Europe's Transition to a Circular Consumption

BELOOP is an EU-funded research and innovation project that aims to close the gap between consumer awareness of sustainability and actual circular behaviour. It combines behavioural science, AI-driven forecasting, and real-world piloting to accelerate the transition to a circular economy across Europe.

Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Objective

Demonstrate how behavioural change, circular business models, and digital enablers can accelerate the shift to sustainable consumption and production across key value chains. The project seeks to empower consumers, economic actors, and public authorities by enriching consumer knowledge, democratising intervention implementation, providing evidence-based guidance, and creating lasting engagement structures.

Key Activities

The project follows a phased methodology:

Examine & Diagnose: Establish a baseline of consumer behaviour, motivations, barriers, and territorial differences through mixed-methods research.
Design & Pre-Test: Co-design behavioural, informational, and educational interventions through participatory workshops.
Demonstrate & Assess: Deploy interventions in four real-world pilot domains: electronics repair (Germany), bio-based packaging (Spain), car-sharing (Greece), and textile reuse/repair (Ireland). Assessed using Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) covering environmental, economic, and social dimensions.
Diffuse & Scale: Translate pilot evidence into tools, training, and policy pathways via Circular Transition Hubs (CTHs) that function as knowledge diffusion points for municipalities, SMEs, and practitioners.

Status

The project's dissemination and communication unfolds in three phases:

M1–M8: focusing on establishing presence and visibility
M9–M24: shifting to stakeholder engagement and co-creation through CTHs
M25–M36: prioritising broad dissemination of results.

Focus Points

Consumer behaviour diagnostics (misconceptions, trust gaps, readiness to change)
AI-powered behavioural forecasting
Greenwashing detection and consumer education on circularity labels, aligned with the Green Claims Directive
Digital Product Passports (DPPs) and labelling schemes
Circular Transition Hubs as lasting engagement platforms embedded in municipal structures
Alignment with the EU Green Deal, Circular Economy Action Plan, Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and Right to Repair Act

Results

By 2030, the project aims to influence over 80,000 consumers, engage 900+ citizens through CTHs, establish 4 CTHs, advise 60+ companies and 7+ municipalities, and consult 30 national/EU policymakers.

By 2035–40, the goal is to reach over 1.5M consumers and 2.9K practitioners.