Circular Online speaks to Islington Council about its strategy for supporting the local community through targeted investment in the circular economy.
Islington Council are investing in a variety of grassroots circular initiatives to provide better services to its residents while reducing their impact on the environment.
One of the key initiatives has been running workshops that offer free upcycling and repair support and tuition.
Councillor Santiago Bell-Bradford, Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Culture and Jobs, told Circular Online that there has been strong community engagement and interest in the repair workshops and swap events. This was their goal: to break down barriers to access and involve as many local partners as possible.
“Where no existing groups could deliver activities, we helped establish them by offering space, seed funding, and connecting people,” Bell-Bradford explained.
Community organisations, including community centres and places of worship, recognise the value of these events and are often keen to host them.
“Activities requiring bookings, such as textile and electrical repair workshops, are consistently fully booked.”
“Clothes swaps are especially popular, drawing large crowds. We’ve been approached by institutions like the Barbican Centre and local universities, who are interested in replicating these initiatives.”
Some of the circular initiatives have been driven by residents and grown organically. One example is Archway Upcycle (AU), which was founded in 2023 by local people and has now grown to over 120 active members.
The council now supports AU and is working to help them find a new space to operate out of, which can be a challenge in inner London, after outgrowing their previous home in Islington community centre.
“AU provides free access to tools, workspace, and peer support for DIY, repair, and upcycling,” Bell-Bradford told us. “It’s especially valuable for residents lacking space, confidence, or funds.”
“In the past year, AU has welcomed nearly 1,000 residents and diverted 7,000kg of furniture waste (saving 11,341 kg carbon dioxide), reusing/upcycling not only furniture but materials like paint and varnish.”
“The group also collects illegally dumped furniture, sharing on internal chats ‘good finds’ that help to reduce fly-tipping and disposal costs while fostering community spirit.”
Islington Council has also co-designed the ‘Cally Circular Food Programme’ climate food projects, alongside the community, to cut food waste and tackle local inequalities.
The programme consisted of more than ten initiatives; however, the centrepiece was Jean’s Café: a community-run, pay-as-you-can café serving three-course plant-based meals made from surplus food donated by local businesses and market traders, as well as Felix Project donations.
“Over its first six months, over 2,910kg of surplus food was rescued and 900 plant-based meals were served to local people,” Bell-Bradford explained. “In addition to meeting goals of reducing food waste, the café became a lifeline for socially isolated residents and those in food poverty.”
“In half a year, we also delivered £162,000 in social value (Social Value Portal accredited) through elements such as community socialisation and volunteering.”
Bell-Bradford said this demonstrated the power and potential for circular economy projects to reduce inequalities and build community resilience, while tackling the climate emergency and reducing food waste at a community level.
How does the council support grassroots initiatives?
The council identifies grassroots organisations aligned with its circular economy goals through engagement activities, such as stalls at local events, workshops, and consultations.
Its circular economy grant scheme has helped the council support local businesses, driving innovation through circularity.
“Our grant schemes help identify promising ideas and initiatives,” Bell-Bradford said. “Support is tailored to each group’s needs and may include access to space, funding, mentoring, toolkits, equipment, venue sourcing, and promotional support.”
“We also help organisations formalise their structure to access further funding and grow sustainably.”
Islington Council have run two Circular Economy Grant Schemes, which have provided 35 local micro-small businesses with grants of £5,000-£10,000 to help them adopt or expand circular practices within their operations.
Businesses that received grants include a local IT charity that used the funding to expand its device-repair training programme and service, helping reduce e-waste while upskilling residents.
A jewellery business at the Goldsmiths Centre invested in equipment to capture and reuse precious metal particles released during production, which enabled them to transform waste into new jewellery products.
While one start-up used the grant to develop an app to guide users through recycling and reuse routes for responsible waste disposal.
We asked Bell-Bradford about some of the key lessons they learned by working with local businesses through the scheme.
“There is a clear appetite for continued support, training, and peer learning to help embed circular practices more deeply across sectors,” Bell-Bradford explained.
“The business engagement process revealed a high level of interest and enthusiasm for sustainability, with businesses keen to learn about, firstly, the circular economy as a concept, and secondly, how adopting such practices and reducing waste can benefit their business.”
Making planning decisions based on circular design and construction
In 2023, Islington adopted its Local Plan, which laid the foundation for the borough’s planning decisions and future developments.
The plan requires developers to adopt a circular economy approach to design and construction. Islington Council says this ensures that all major planning applications, and specified minor planning applications, are required to submit an Adaptive Design Strategy as part of a Sustainable Design and Construction Statement.
“Since the adoption of this policy, all relevant development proposals have been required to meet the policy requirements and relevant conditions have been imposed to ensure measures are delivered,” Bell-Bradford said.
“This has ensured that development is being delivered in the borough that contributes to circular economy targets and delivers adaptive design.”