On 16 September 2026, COST Action CA22124 – ECO4ALL successfully organised its 10th ECO4ALL Webinar, within Working Group 3 (WG3), entitled “Enabling Circular Economy and Consumer Protection through Technologies, Businesses and Communities.”
The webinar brought together 126 participants, including ECO4ALL members and external participants, demonstrating continued interest in interdisciplinary research, knowledge exchange and international cooperation in the fields of circular economy and consumer protection.
The event was opened by Prof. Olesea Plotnic, Chair of COST Action CA22124 – ECO4ALL, together with Dr. Maria Menshikova, WG3 Leader. The opening remarks highlighted the importance of connecting research, businesses, technologies, consumers and communities in advancing the circular transition. The interdisciplinary approach of the webinar reflected one of the central strengths of the ECO4ALL network: bringing together different fields of expertise and national perspectives to identify practical and sustainable pathways towards a more circular and consumer-oriented economy.
The scientific programme addressed four complementary dimensions of the circular transition. Cecilia Isola, from Nova School of Law, Lisbon, Portugal, presented “Consumer Understanding of Circular Economy Commercial Claims & Labels,” focusing on the consumer dimension of circular economy communication and the importance of clear and understandable information.
Tarlan Ahmadov, representing the Research Center for Business Sciences in Portugal and the Society for Inclusive and Collaborative Entrepreneurship (S4ICE) in Germany, presented “Support Mechanism for SME Circular Economy Transition,” addressing the role of support mechanisms in facilitating the transition of small and medium-sized enterprises towards circular business practices.
Jelena Titko, from EKA University of Applied Sciences, Latvia, explored “Urban Gardening within the Context of Circular Economy,” bringing a community-oriented perspective to the discussion and highlighting the relationship between local initiatives, sustainable practices and circularity.
João Gabriel Bessa, from Universidad de Jaén, Spain, presented “Rethinking Photovoltaic End-of-Life Pathways Through Reuse-Centred Circular Strategies,” examining technological and reuse-oriented approaches to photovoltaic end-of-life management.
The presentations were followed by an interactive discussion, allowing participants to exchange perspectives, research findings and practical experiences across countries and disciplines. The diversity of the topics demonstrated that the transition towards a circular economy requires not only technological solutions, but also informed consumers, innovative businesses, supportive frameworks and actively engaged communities.
ECO4ALL sincerely thanks Dr. Maria Menshikova for coordinating the WG3 webinar, all speakers for sharing their research and expertise, and the 126 participants whose engagement contributed to the success of the event.
The webinar also contributes to ECO4ALL’s broader objective of making scientific knowledge and expertise accessible beyond individual events. The full recording of the 10th ECO4ALL Webinar is available through the ECO4ALL YouTube Channel. The channel also provides access to recordings of previous ECO4ALL webinars addressing different dimensions of circular economy, consumer protection, sustainability, policy, business and research. Participants, researchers and stakeholders are invited to explore these resources according to their research and professional interests.
ECO4ALL webinars continue to serve as an open platform for sharing research results, exchanging knowledge, developing new ideas and fostering international research collaboration.
The dialogue will continue on 2 October 2026 with the 11th ECO4ALL Webinar, “Bridging Research Generations: Senior Expertise and Young Innovation for a Circular Future,” which will bring together experienced researchers and Young Researchers and Innovators to encourage intergenerational knowledge exchange, dialogue and new perspectives for circular economy research.
The programme and registration details for the next webinar will be announced shortly.
The full webinar recording and other ECO4ALL recorded webinars are available on the ECO4ALL YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Eco4allCostAction
