Abstract The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the policy background of circular lifestyles in selected Central European countries, Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Discussing related concepts and environmental policy integration in the selected region is followed by the presentation of our mixed research methodology, relying on macroindicators and content analysis. The outcomes of collecting strategic policy papers confirm that the policy landscape is fragmented, multiple documents have potential influence on circular economy and lifestyle. For documents tackling circular economy explicitly, the frequency of mentioning various types of opportunities, political and regulatory incentives; economic incentives; education and awareness raising; attitude and behaviour; existing sustainable and circular solutions; cooperation and innovation are overviewed, concluding that all of them are mentioned in every country, suggesting that they all follow a complex approach. It is revealed that top-down, direct incentives are more typical than innovation or cooperation. Further policy papers with circularity relevance are assessed in terms of their connections with CE concepts, revealing complex connections. It is concluded that cooperation among countries promise mutual benefits. Circular economy strategies can be integrated into sustainable development strategies, based on the extensive preparation and complex nature of the latter. The framework of opportunities can be applied during the implementation and evaluation of the policies as well. Graphical Abstract
Nagypál et al. (Wed,) studied this question.