Consumer as a Driver of the Circular Economy

ABSTRACT The article investigates how closely consumers' intuitive priorities for the circular economy ( CE ) actions correspond to the scientifically accepted 10R hierarchy and what this implies for policy and education. Building on a literature review that identifies the consumer as the pivotal, but still under‐researched, agent in the circular economy. Hence, a survey of Polish consumers has been conducted. The study, conducted in January 2025, surveyed 500 Polish adults using online (CAWI) and telephone (CATI) interviews. The sample was representative in terms of gender, age, and place of residence. Respondents ordered the 10 CE strategies and assessed their own CE awareness. The aggregate ranking diverged markedly from the expert hierarchy: Preventive options such as Refuse, Rethink, and Reduce were placed too low, while end‐of‐pipe options such as Recycle and Recover were overrated. Alignment improved with higher education, younger age, and urban residence, suggesting that knowledge and social context strongly mediate pro‐circular choices. The analysis shows that correcting misconceptions about the top three strategies would almost eliminate the ranking gap, offering a cost‐effective lever to accelerate consumer‐driven circularity. It has been concluded that outreach programs should foreground high‐impact preventive actions and tailor messages to the demographic segments with the most significant misalignment. The methodological framework presented here can be replicated to track consumer engagement with the full 10R spectrum across countries and over time.