CARE Launches Co-Creation Workshops with European Households

What if everyday household habits could help reverse the environmental crisis?

What if everyday household habits could help reverse the environmental crisis? Picture this: Europe produces around 58.4 million tonnes of food waste every year – enough to fill more than 46,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools (Source: European Commission). In 2022 alone, discarded clothes and shoes amounted over 5.2 million tonnes – enough to cover the entire city of Paris (Source: European Commission). But what if we could turn these numbers around by adopting simple, circular practices in our daily lives?  

In the summer of 2024, CARE’s co-creation workshops brought together citizens from across Europe to explore practical ways to reduce food waste and rethink clothing consumption. Held in Tampere, Oslo, Gothenburg, Lääne-Harju and Berlin, these workshops engaged households in creating solutions that fit into their everyday lives and contribute to a more sustainable future.  

Households as Drivers of Circular Change 

Households are no longer passive consumers – they are becoming changemakers. The EU-funded CARE project aims to inspire and empower households across Europe to embrace circular consumption over the next four years. The vision is simple but powerful: to make circular practices such as repairing, reusing, recycling and reducing waste not just an option, but a celebrated norm.  

CARE’s pilots, which will start in 2025 in Finland, Norway, Estonia, Sweden and Germany involve direct collaboration with households to develop tools and advisory services that will help citizens reduce food waste and rethink their clothing consumption. These white-label solutions will later be offered to NGOs, CSOs, and other stakeholders, enabling them to promote circular consumption in their own communities. The insights gathered from the pilots will also help shape future policy and municipal strategies, ensuring that governments are equipped to support these efforts, build long-term, sustainable economies and meet their environmental goals. 

Creating Solutions Through Collaboration 

First CARE household centred design workshop in Asker kommune, Norway, on the topic of clothing. | © Christina Ek Reindal

But what does effective support look like? What really helps people make the transition to a circular lifestyle? To find out, CARE hosted workshops in five cities – Tampere, Oslo, Gothenburg, Lääne-Harju and Berlin – led by five of the eleven CARE project partners. These co-creation workshops are a cornerstone of CARE’s mission to inspire change and encouraged participants to share their insights to ensure that CARE ‘s solutions are practical, accessible and useful. By involving households from the very start, the project co-creates tools that are tailored to people’s everyday needs, increasing the chances of widespread adoption. 

“Create, prototype, exhibit, celebrate, grow”. These words shaped the atmosphere of the workshops and guided participants throughout the process. Fifty-five household members aged 17 to 75 from across Europe brought their enthusiasm, creativity and unique experiences to the table, exploring how circular consumption can fit seamlessly into their daily lives. 

The workshops encouraged creative collaboration through interviews, visual brainstorming, and hands-on prototyping sessions. Participants from diverse backgrounds shared their personal insights into how they interact with food and clothing—two key focus areas for the project. As they explored the challenges of sustainable living, they also identified simple, effective solutions to make a difference. 

One standout idea was an app to help users optimise food storage, with tips on how to avoid spoilage, recipes for leftovers and even instructions on how to turn banana peels into fertiliser. Another group proposed an educational campaign for schools to raise awareness of the resources needed to make clothes. Their initiative also encouraged students to see swapping, sharing and mindful buying as fun, sustainable alternatives to traditional shopping. 

First CARE household centred design workshop in Asker kommune, Norway. | © Christina Ek Reindal

The Joy of Prototyping and Shared Creativity 

The highlight of the workshops were the prototyping sessions. Participants used paper, pens, and scissors to bring their ideas to life – turning abstract concepts into tangible solutions. As one participant remarked, “I could have prototyped for at least another hour!”. This sentiment was echoed by many in the room, as the sessions sparked lively discussion and collaboration.

These creative sessions were not only about developing solutions but also about fostering connections between households. By visualising their ideas, participants were able to refine their solutions and imagine how they could take shape in real life, demonstrating the value of human-centred design in addressing the challenges of circular consumption. 

Looking ahead: Next steps for CARE 

As we reflect on the lessons from Finland, Norway, Germany, Estonia and Sweden, several questions arise. Which ideas will be developed further? What will help households adopt circular behaviour? And how can we continue to engage participants in CARE’s upcoming food and clothing pilots?  

The journey is just beginning and the ideas generated in these workshops will form the foundation for the next phase of CARE.  

Join CARE today to create a sustainable tomorrow! 

While individual actions drive circular living, real change happens when we come together. Whether you’re a household, a scientist, a policymaker or part of a CSO or NGO, there’s a role for everyone in this exciting journey towards circular living.  

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Together with CARE, we transform our world for the better.