Circular Cities and the Framing of Responsibility: A Critical Analysis of Berlin’s Zero Waste Strategy

The last decades have seen a rise in global resource use and waste production. In response, Circular Economy and Zero Waste Strategies have become prominent solutions for reducing waste and encouraging sustainable resource use. Yet, in practice these approaches are sometimes criticised for an overemphasis on individual behaviour change while overlooking systemic and structural dimensions. This thesis examines whether Berlin’s Zero-Waste-Strategy 2020–2030 follows such a trajectory. Through a review and textual analysis with the IRaMuTeQ software of Berlin's 72 municipal ZW measures and related public communication, the study investigates how responsibility for waste reduction is framed, distributed, and facilitated, aiming to provide insights into Berlin’s approach to a circular transition. The findings indicate that the strategy includes measures such as infrastructure investments, awareness campaigns, and expanded collection systems. However, it also seems to place large parts of responsibility on citizens. Residents are repeatedly depicted as moral actors and consumers expected to change daily habits, while producer responsibilities, structural reforms, and regulatory actions receive less focus. This suggests a tendency towards individualisation of responsibility in public communication. With that, Berlin’s strategy might inadvertently reinforce socio-environmental inequalities and therefore limit opportunities for systemic change. These results, therefore, indicate the need for adjustment in order not to replicate these broader critiques of Zero Waste and Circularity. Recommendations for future research include the evaluation of Berlin’s progress after 2030, the incorporation of citizen perspectives, and a comparison with similar initiatives in other cities to identify best practices.