Abstract
This study investigates how adaptive reuse servicescapes may contribute to sustainable transformation through learning, by leveraging circular practices as experiential learning tools. Research on circular economy rarely adopts a human-centred lens or explores its links to learning, especially in the Global South, where the value of alternative epistemologies and informal economies often remains unrecognised. To address this gap, a qualitative case study approach was employed, combining participant observation and semi-structured interviews at educational initiatives in an adaptive reuse precinct in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa. The findings reveal a reciprocal relationship between education and circular practices in generating value for sustainable human development. The study positions adaptive reuse environments as facilitators of experiential learning, with the potential to foster inclusive, community-driven transformation and support sustainable livelihoods. Finally, the paper proposes an inclusive experiential learning model that integrates circular practices as both learning content and method.
Keywords
epistemic justice, experiential learning, circular economy, sustainable transformation
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.654
Citation
de Moura, F.M., Grootboom, N., and Breed, C. (2026) Reciprocal value between learning and circular practices, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.654
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Reciprocal value between learning and circular practices
This study investigates how adaptive reuse servicescapes may contribute to sustainable transformation through learning, by leveraging circular practices as experiential learning tools. Research on circular economy rarely adopts a human-centred lens or explores its links to learning, especially in the Global South, where the value of alternative epistemologies and informal economies often remains unrecognised. To address this gap, a qualitative case study approach was employed, combining participant observation and semi-structured interviews at educational initiatives in an adaptive reuse precinct in inner-city Johannesburg, South Africa. The findings reveal a reciprocal relationship between education and circular practices in generating value for sustainable human development. The study positions adaptive reuse environments as facilitators of experiential learning, with the potential to foster inclusive, community-driven transformation and support sustainable livelihoods. Finally, the paper proposes an inclusive experiential learning model that integrates circular practices as both learning content and method.