Systemic Design for Complex Ecosystems: Advancing Circular Airport Waste Strategies

Airports, as high-density public ecosystems, face significant challenges in adopting circular waste management practices due to complex stakeholder dynamics and logistical constraints. This study employs a local waste hub integrated with a Pay-As-You-Throw approach as a systemic design intervention to enhance waste separation in the residual waste stream at Oslo Airport. By applying systemic design principles, the intervention addressed interconnected behavioural, organisational, and infrastructural factors to advance circularity. A one-month pilot, involving seven commercial units, tested the intervention using mixed-method data collection. Results demonstrated a measurable reduction in incorrect waste disposal within residual waste streams, alongside heightened employee awareness toward waste separation. The study underscores the potential of context-based interventions to advance circular practices in complex environments, and delivers an empirical study that offers actionable, real-world insights for advancing sustainable waste management in similar high-density ecosystems, such as shopping malls and train stations.