Grassroots initiatives for a bottom-up transition to a circular economy: exploring community repair

The role of grassroots community initiatives remains an underexplored element in the circular economy (CE) literature. Ignoring social considerations and placing focus on economic and nominally environmental goals detracts from alternative approaches to CE transition. We present an empirical case study of a community repair initiative within a deprived community, as an example of a bottom-up grassroots initiative, and an opportunity to shed light on the complex socioeconomic issues at stake within transitional dynamics. Whilst the contradictions and logics of the broader socioeconomic superstructure shape practices of community repair, we emphasise that the situatedness of such initiatives within the material conditions of the local community should not be overlooked. By focusing on the role of community, CE practices can be repoliticised, fostering collective meaning-making amongst individuals, reshaping their relationship with capitalist modes of production, and facilitating a socially just transition.