Community-based Circular Economy in the Barcelona Tourism Sector: A Case Study

Thesis Abstract

The rapid growth of tourism in Barcelona has intensified pressures on resource use, waste generation, and environmental carrying capacity, highlighting a need to explore community-led pathways toward a circular economy within the sector. This study addresses how local communities, small- and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMEs), and resident associations collaborate to implement circular practices, and how such practices influence sustainability outcomes, economic resilience, and social legitimacy of tourism in Barcelona. The aim is to investigate the design, implementation, and impact of community-based circular economy (CBCE) initiatives in the Barcelona tourism sector, with specific objectives to (1) map existing CBCE interventions across accommodations, food and beverage outlets, and tour operators; (2) examine governance mechanisms, stakeholder participation, and resource flows; (3) assess environmental performance through material circularity indicators and waste minimization metrics; (4) analyze socio-economic impacts on local communities, including job quality, livelihood diversification, and social capital; and (5) theorize how CBCE operates within the broader theoretical frameworks of the Circular Economy and Social Practice Theory to generate scalable policy and organizational recommendations. The study adopts a multi-method research design combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. The population comprises tourism-related actors in Barcelona, including 150 SME operators, 30 community associations, and 50 municipal stakeholders. A purposive stratified sample of 60–80 actors will be selected, ensuring representation from accommodation providers (hotels and guesthouses), foodservice entities, and experiential tour operators, supplemented by 15–20 community leaders. Data collection employs semi-structured interviews (n=70), focus groups with residents (six groups, 6–10 participants each), participant observations of CBCE activities, and documentary analysis of policy reports, circularity metrics, and waste management records. A survey instrument (validated scale) will collect quantitative indicators on circular practices, perceived benefits, and barriers from 200 tourism businesses. Instrument validity and reliability will be established via pilot testing (Cronbach’s alpha >0.70) and expert review. Data will be complemented by environmental assessments using material flow analysis (MFA) to quantify resource inputs, outputs, and recycling rates, and life cycle thinking to evaluate environmental impacts. Quantitative data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test hypothesized relationships between CBCE practices and sustainability outcomes. Qualitative data will be analyzed through thematic analysis, supported by NVivo coding, to identify governance patterns, social acceptance, and contextual factors facilitating or hindering CBCE implementation. A conceptual model integrating Circular Economy theory with Social Practice Theory will guide interpretation of how everyday routines, community norms, and organizational arrangements interact to produce circular outcomes, while a regression-based mediation analysis will examine the role of social capital as a mediator between CBCE activities and community resilience. The study will also perform a comparative case analysis of three CBCE pilot initiatives—one concentrated in the Eixample district, one in the Barceloneta waterfront area, and one in the Gràcia neighborhood—to triangulate findings and enhance transferability. Expected findings indicate that robust CBCE initiatives correlate with higher resource recovery rates, reduced single-use materials, and improved waste separation within partner enterprises, accompanied by measurable enhancements in local employment opportunities and social cohesion. The analysis is anticipated to reveal critical governance conditions—transparent decision-making, equitable benefit-sharing, and participatory planning—as determinants of successful scale-up. The research contributes to knowledge by clarifying how CBCE mechanisms operate in a dense urban tourism context, integrating Circular Economy and Social Practice Theory to explain micro-to-macro linkages, and providing a transferable framework for other coastal cities seeking to leverage community capital for circular transitions. Policy and managerial implications include recommendations for formalizing community-led procurement schemes, incentivizing circular procurement for SMEs, establishing shared resource hubs, and embedding CBCE metrics into urban tourism planning. The study concludes that Barcelona’s CBCE approach holds promise for sustainable tourism if underpinned by inclusive governance, continuous capacity building, and robust data-driven monitoring, with explicit strategies for scaling pilot initiatives into city-wide circular tourism networks.