Earth’s resources are being depleted which creates a need for a transition towards a circular economy. This transition brings multiple challenges and requires new behaviours. However, in current design practice, the focus lies on products and materials, not on the required circular behaviours.

The goal of this research is to describe the relation between design and circular behaviour. To do so, a flexible analytical framework is created based on a literature study, which can be used to perform an empirical study in any context for any behaviour. The applicability of the framework is tested in this initial exploratory research of which the scope is focused on the circular behaviours of Reuse and Recycle Materials of students living in student housing complexes. The framework is filled in with document analysis on the context and semi-structured interviews with the inhabitants of the cases.

The results show that a design has influence on behaviour. A design can make behaviour impossible by having a negative influence on one or more of the three categories of the COM-B theory. A design can also make a behaviour possible, by changing the categories that are negative into positive. In between the two extremes of possible and impossible there is also the degree of the categories that influence behaviours. Someone could be able to show behaviour, but if it takes too much effort the person can refrain from showing the behaviour. If there is a high degree of capability and opportunity, it can motivate a person to show the behaviour, and likewise a low degree can demotivate. Therefore a design should strive to have a high degree of capability and opportunity for a behaviour that is desired.

However, it must be noted that behaviour is a complex phenomenon with a multitude of factors that influence it, both conscious and unconscious. It is difficult to map all the different factors for every person. Not all factors are related to a design, there are also beliefs and values which have a major influence in behaviour.