Intergenerational Circularity: Connecting Generations through Circular Skills and Shared Lived Experience

This article presents the main findings of the Intergenerational Circularity project, a citizen science initiative conducted in Nice, France, as part of the IMPETUS programme. The project explored how circular skills—such as repair, maintenance, reuse, and upcycling—are acquired, practiced, and transmitted across generations, with a particular focus on older adults (65+) and younger adults (18–35). Based on mixed quantitative and qualitative data collected by trained citizen scientists within their own social networks, the article highlights a strong alignment between the circular skills held by older adults and the learning interests of younger generations. It shows that while motivation to share and learn skills is high on both sides, intergenerational transmission remains limited due to contextual, social, and relational barriers, including coordination constraints, mobility issues, and uncertainty regarding the value of one’s own skills. Beyond skill transmission, the article emphasises the social and relational dimensions of intergenerational exchange. It documents how circular practices often served as an entry point to deeper conversations, mutual recognition, and social connection. Through participant quotes and field observations, the article illustrates how the project created spaces where older participants felt heard and valued, and where younger participants challenged common stereotypes about disengagement from sustainability issues. The article also presents a set of co-created recommendations, developed during collective analysis and workshops, aimed at supporting future intergenerational and circular initiatives. These include ideas for local skill-sharing sessions, community-based workshops, and formats that facilitate informal and accessible encounters across generations. This publication is intended for researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and organisations interested in the social and behavioural dimensions of the circular economy, citizen science methodologies, and intergenerational learning. It complements the anonymised datasets and methodological resources released alongside the project and is shared as an open-access output to support transparency, reuse, and dissemination.