Too much at home, too little in circulation: Exploring the disconnect between households and Reuse Enablers

Journal article, 2026

Ensuring that products move from one household to the next once they are no longer needed is a key circular economy strategy for extending product lifetimes. Reuse Enablers, such as second-hand stores or reuse centres, facilitate this transfer and depend on a steady inflow of products from households. However, research on household product retention and Reuse Enablers has developed separately, leaving the interface between actors insufficiently understood. This paper explores how households and Reuse Enablers experience the transfer of dormant products and what disconnects emerge between them that hinder recirculation. Based on two interview studies with households (n=20) and Reuse Enablers (n=11), we identify disconnects relating to reuse potential, timing, condition and care, work, and price and value. These findings reveal broader structural misalignment between actors that explain why dormant products fail to enter circular systems. Based on the findings, we propose bridging lessons to reduce disconnects and increase recirculation.