What is it about?
Moving toward a circular economy means more than developing new solutions: it requires changing how we think and act. For this shift to succeed, consumers need to trust and sincerely embrace circular products and practices. This paper presents a possible solution in that direction, showing how mathematics can help support behavioral change and promote more sustainable choices.
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Why is it important?
Technology alone will not deliver a circular future since people and trust are the real drivers of change. Referral marketing can amplify both. Our research examines how referral marketing campaigns can help build this trust. By combining mathematical models with marketing know-how, we analyze how the timing and intensity of communication can be used to shape both the success and the long-term persistence of campaigns. Bringing together ideas from math, marketing, behavioral science and sustainability, we aim to support businesses and policymakers in creating smarter strategies for a greener, more circular future. And maybe inspire others to explore this fascinating mix of ideas, helping to build a more sustainable world…one trusted referral at a time.
Perspectives
Working on this paper gave me the chance to more deeply realize how sustainability transitions - like moving toward a circular economy - are not only technical challenges, but also behavioral and cultural ones. This is where I believe applied mathematics truly has a lot to offer. This story reminds me a lot of what happened with mathematical biology which, years ago, was seen as a kind of niche field. But over time - as mathematicians began to truly appreciate how rich and important biological problems are - mathematical biology evolved into a full-fledged, respected discipline that opened up amazing new ways to advance both mathematics and biology. I see the same kind of chance now with the circular economy. It is not just about tracking materials or energy, but about people’s behavior, trust and cultural shifts. And mathematics may be extremely useful in exploring and deciphering these kinds of complex systems. However, for this opportunity to be truly taken, mathematicians, economists and everyone working toward a more sustainable future must recognize the circular economy as a transformative challenge that deserves to be addressed with the full force of interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. Even if this work is only a small step, I hope it can help show how mathematics can be used to design more human-centered solutions, for opening up new frontiers and supporting the shift toward a more sustainable world.
Deborah Lacitignola
Universita degli Studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Can we enhance trust in the circular economy through referral marketing control?, PLOS One, September 2025, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0332348.
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