Circular stories from the EcoConcern community

Circular economy work becomes real when we hear how it shows up in people’s lives. Circular stories capture what happens when someone thrifts a dorm, repairs a bike, launches a reuse project, or partners on a campus pilot.

They also surface the challenges, experiments, and lessons learned along the way.

This page explains what counts as a circular story, offers a simple four-step framework for writing one, and links you to the spaces and forms where you can share your experience with the EcoConcern community.

What counts as a circular story?

A circular story is any moment where someone chose repair over replacement, reuse over waste, sharing over buying new, or creative upcycling over throwing something away. It doesn’t need to be big. Small actions — fixing a zipper, reusing packing materials, helping a friend thrift — reveal how circular living takes root.

• A student thrifts most of their dorm instead of buying new.
• A club organizes a swap, repair night, or reuse drive.
• A community partner collaborates on a circular pilot or internship.
• An instructor or staff member tests a new circular practice in their class or office.

Stories like these help illustrate how EcoConcern supports
SDG 8,
SDG 12, and
SDG 17 in real life.

The four-step story process

Every story follows a simple sequence:
Moment → Action → Impact → Learning.
This keeps your story clear, honest, and useful for others trying to take similar steps.

• Moment: What was happening before you made a circular choice? Set the scene in a sentence or two.
• Action: What did you do? Thrift, repair, swap, redesign, or launch something new?
• Impact: What changed? Think about money saved, waste avoided, people helped, or skills gained.
• Learning: What did you learn, and what advice would you give someone who wants to try this too?

You don’t need perfect writing. Clear, specific details are more important than fancy language. Imagine you’re talking to a friend who wants to try their first circular project.

Where stories happen

Repair cafés, thrift events, reuse drives, makerspaces, design studios, and sustainability classes — these are
the places where circular thinking becomes circular practice.

If your story is connected to a specific thrift shop, repair space, or partner, you can help others find it by making sure it appears in our Thrift & Repair Directory.

Share your story

When we share our stories, we help others take their first step into the circular economy. Whether you thrifted something meaningful, repaired something important, or created something new from what you already had — your experience can spark someone else’s change.

Use the form below to submit your story. The EcoConcern team reviews entries before publishing them as part of the
SDG Campus
circular living network.

• Keep your story around 300–800 words.
• Use the four-step framework: Moment, Action, Impact, Learning.
• Include any partners, locations, or SDGs (8, 12, 17) that feel most connected to your story.