Grassroots circular economy groups are participatory action initiatives at the community level. These groups emphasize learning, skills-sharing, and developing grassroots solutions to sustainability challenges using circular economy principles and eco-design as key tools.
Palosaari’s group focuses on learning, skill-sharing, and developing grassroots solutions to sustainability challenges in fashion and textiles.
During the Spring 2025 we are focusing on solving the challenge: “How to avoid the trap of fast fashion?” While learning more about the topic, we are focusing on everyday choises that are in our control by finding answers to the following questions:
How to buy less, well-fitting, more durable, and better quality, and to look after our existing clothes better?
How to keep the fast fashion items in use by repairing, or if not as clothes, to use them for something else?
All interested, especially those living in Palosaari or close by areas, are welcomed to join the group! The group is bilingual using English and Finnish as the primary languages.
Programme:
14.1.2025 Meeting: Planning group’s visit to Seinäjoki
28.1.2025 Meeting: Clothes with a story, group members’ presenting meaningful clothes they have been using for a long time.
11.2.2025 Visit to Minimossen: Everyone interested in grassroots circular economy activities can join the visit and coffee after (prior registration necessary via email)
22.2.2025 Trip to Seinäjoki: How to identify good quality second hand? (prior registration necessary)
18.3.2025 Open meeting: Presenting and discussing the book Planetaarinen vaatekaappi
29.4.2025 Meeting: Clothes with a story combined with tips on how to use traditional tricks for maintaining modern clothing so that they last longer in use
20.5.2025 Open meeting: Presenting the results of the “responsibility of the supermarket brands” project and planning the upcoming programme for autumn 2025
In June trip to Lapua: Visiting the factory of Lapuan Kankurit (TBC)
***You may find the more detailed programme here, with meeting places and times.***
How to join?
If you are interested in volunteering, sharing and learning more, you are more than welcome to join the group!
You are always welcome to join any of the meetings, in other words just showing up to the spot! Kindly note that some of them, like the trips, require a prior registration, as the seats may be limited due budgetary or other reasons.
If you are tentatively interested, a good first step is to join the WhatsApp group.
Feel also free to also contact Kirsi for further information.
In principle the group is responsible of planning and co-organising its own activities, despite having a coordinator/facilitator who is involved in organising the meetings and trips.
However, we would like to stress that you can join when ever you have time and there’s no set obligations or criteria for how much one should contribute or to be present in the meetings.