Acfas 2026 – Symposium 620 RRECQ TPS C1 : When the Souths inspires the North: circular innovations and lessons to share

Waste management is a major challenge in many countries in the Global South. Faced with rapid urbanization and limited resources, often invisible actors—scavengers, micro-entrepreneurs, community cooperatives—have long developed sorting, recycling, and reuse practices rooted in local frugality and ingenuity. These largely informal forms of circularity are nevertheless a valuable source of social and frugal innovation.

But these practices are undermined by institutionalization policies and standardized technological solutions, which can exclude local actors and erase existing know-how. Conversely, recognizing this “spontaneous circularity” invites us to rethink the hierarchy of knowledge and to consider transferring experiences from the South to the North.

This symposium aims to explore these dynamics through exchanges between researchers and practitioners. It seeks to highlight circular innovations emerging from the Global South, discuss their social, environmental, and territorial impacts, and reflect on the conditions for more inclusive governance. Scenario planning will be used as a tool to compare possible trajectories, highlight concrete alternatives, and foster dialogue between Northern and Southern contexts.

By combining case studies, feedback, and interdisciplinary perspectives, the conference will open up new avenues for thinking about a fairer circular economy, rooted in local realities and open to reverse innovation.

This symposium will take place on May 13, 2026, at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and online, as part of the Acfas Congress.