THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY PUBLIC DISCOURSE THROUGH ONLINE MEDIA ANALYSIS

In January 2019, the Romanian Government released the content of the National Waste Management Plan and started the implementation of the activities included in the plan as a step towards transitioning to the circular economy. The communication of activities related to the transition to the circular economy displayed in the public arena was of interest for the researcher, and the measuring of its dimensions was possible through the analysis of what is being done, by who, where, and how. Using online media content analysis, the researcher analyzed how the transition from the linear to the circular economy in the textile and clothing sector, in particular, is reflected in the online media by highlighting which concepts are frequently communicated and who are the voices doing the communication. Looking at the public discourse over time allows for a systematic yet nuanced understanding of how the transition to a circular economy is being communicated. Data collection was performed using Google Alerts, a content change detection and notification service which sends emails to the user when it finds new results such as web pages, newspaper articles, or scientific research that match the user's search terms. The study analyzed 109 online articles published in the Romanian language between February 12 and March 12, 2019. Seven concepts associated with the circular economy were suggested by prior literature review and consequently, these were analyzed: The National Waste Management Plan, waste prevention, selective waste collection, waste recycling, trends in the textile and clothing sector, the circular economy, entrepreneurs in the textile and clothing sector. The findings revealed that most of the communication was done in the local media, in articles of two paragraphs length, and focused mostly on trends in the textile and clothing sector, followed by waste prevention activities and references about the National Waste Management Plan at large. Most of the communication represents the point of view of the public authorities, followed by private entities represented by companies and non-governmental associations. The results are intended to provide information to national decision-making bodies, and local authorities in creating a functional communication plan for the transition to the circular economy by understanding how this is currently reflected in the online media, which concepts and voices are lacking from the public discourse and consequently where to make amends to ensure messages and channels which can reach all stakeholders connected to the circular economy.