From participation to practice: Ecofellows supports circular change in Tampere

Through local pilots, practical guidance and hands-on learning, Ecofellows helps households test more circular food and clothing practices.

Within the CARE project, Ecofellows supports households in adopting more circular everyday practices through the local pilots in the Tampere region (Finland). Led by Project Manager Sanna Teinilä together with Project Specialist Jenni Nummila the Ecofellows team addresses the challenge of reaching busy households in an increasingly information-rich world, keeping them engaged throughout the project and supporting lasting changes in everyday routines. Communications Coordinator Emmi Poutanen is currently supporting the team while Marketing Manager Sanni Kouhi is on parental leave.

The work is carried out in a practical and participatory way. Through an active and creative recruitment campaign, Ecofellows brought together a diverse group of households from the Tampere region to participate in the pilots. Throughout the project, the team motivates and supports participants with guidance, practical tools and regular exchange, helping them test more sustainable choices both in face-to-face meetings and through remote activities.

Strong expertise in sustainable living

Ecofellows is a non-profit specialist organisation in sustainable development. It develops services and projects related to the circular economy, sustainable lifestyles, mobility, biodiversity and energy efficiency.

In the CARE project, coordinated by Tampere University, Ecofellows is responsible for the local implementation of the circular food and clothing pilots in the Tampere region. The organisation provides advisory services to participating households and contributes to the co-development and testing of circular food and clothing practices.

A key strength of Ecofellows is its experience in designing and implementing projects that bring sustainable solutions into people’s everyday lives.

Creating value for households through interaction and practical learning

The Ecofellows team places strong emphasis on personal interaction and hands-on activities to maintain participants’ engagement and ensure that households gain as much benefit and value from taking part in the pilots.

We met the participants in person right at the beginning and clearly explained what they were getting involved in. We feel that meeting people face to face and offering hands-on activities have been important. Participants have also been able to exchange their thoughts and experiences with one another, says Project Manager Sanna Teinilä.

In the clothing pilot, participants developed their repair skills in workshops where they practised mending garments by hand and with a sewing machine. They were also introduced to the local organisation Nextiili, where they can find second-hand clothing as well as reused materials and tools for repairing garments.

In the clothing pilot, participants tested practical repair techniques to extend the life of everyday garments. Here, worn sweatpants are being repaired with iron-on patches. | © Ecofellows.

In the food pilot, Ecofellows addressed a specific everyday challenge: how households can maintain an emergency food supply in line with Finland’s 72-hour preparedness recommendation without creating food waste. The recommendation encourages households to keep enough essential supplies at home to manage temporary disruptions. As part of food planning and grocery shopping, the team introduced participants to a rotating home storage system in which products are regularly used and replenished instead of being left to expire.

The idea is to stock products that are also used in everyday life. This way, they do not expire. In addition, it is good to have ready-to-eat food in the cupboard or freezer that does not require separate cooking, explains Project Specialist Jenni Nummila.

Next steps: testing mindful consumption and better food storage

Ecofellows has already received initial feedback suggesting that some participants have changed their habits and saved money as a result of taking part in the pilots.

The next interventions will focus on mindful clothing purchases as well as food storage and preservation. In the clothing pilot, participants will be encouraged to reflect on their purchasing habits and take part in a four-month no-buy period for new clothing and explore a local SWAP clothing exchange event. In the food pilot, activities will focus on improving kitchen storage, supporting better rotation of food items and helping households use what they already have before products expire.

The experiences gathered during these interventions will help Ecofellows and the wider CARE consortium better understand which forms of practical support can help households integrate circular practices into everyday life and which approaches may be transferable to other communities.

Discover all CARE partners

Our project partners work hand in hand to explore what circular living means in practice – and how it can be scaled through collaboration, knowledge and action. Discover how each organisation contributes to a more circular future here.

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