Circular Berlin
Circles is a community currency which aims at creating an unconditional basic income from the bottom-up, allowing people, cooperatives, businesses and communities to exchange with each other the things that they need for the resources available in the region.
The Circles Coop Team facilitates Assemblies for people and groups to come together and democratically organize the economy in Berlin. Circles is only one side of the coin, the aim is to create a social organization which supports the local economy with the principles of decentralization, localism and sustainability, in order to bring about real-viable economic and political alternatives to our current problems.
In order to encourage the development of a local regional economy with the Circles basic income system, Circles Coop created incentives for businesses that accept CRC for goods and services in Berlin. The main strategy in the Berlin Pilot project is to create B2B economic loops based on local supply chains running on CRC. Based on our strategy of connecting value chains, we map our partner’s suppliers and prioritize onboarding these businesses. It’s important to share the values and perspectives with our partner businesses to provide a powerful reach for our target group.
We have been working on creating a strong cooperative business network. So far, we officially onboarded 20 businesses to accept CRC with products and services of foods/drinks, care, health, co-working spaces, arts, bikes, services, logistics, and clothing. We are very happy to introduce some of our onboarded business partners in our Berlin Flagship Pilot and how we are building towards making UBI a reality.
What does Circles mean to you?
We asked this question to our network. Here are some of the statements from our business partners:
“Having the euro as the only way to trade services is far too limiting. Circles opens a portal to the trade economy and makes our offers more available to everyone.” -Edible Alchemy
“Many individuals would like to purchase our products, but they cannot afford it. Circles enabled them to get their TOCA bag.” -TOCA
“We sold vegetables on the Circles market and let the customers choose the price themselves. This made the customers’ engagement with the production more intense and the way we want it to be.” -Tiny Farms
“Circles offers an alternative way to trade and value services and objects. I hope that Circles becomes more widely accepted and will be a way to reach more amazing communities. The more Circles is accepted, the more services can be offered.” — Edible Alchemy
“Personal development and skill building are important for all I think and I am very happy for the opportunity that now, thanks to Circles, these life-saving and life-enriching services are accessible to all and are no longer the luxury of the wealthy.” — Anikó Pogány, Nonviolent Communication Counselor
Circles Berlin Pilot Business Network
We are happy to announce our business partners in Berlin Pilot project:
Edible Alchemy: They offer fermentation workshops (in person and online), foraging walks, DIY fermentation kits, fermented drinks and foods. They enjoy the continual exploration of culture through food for health, taste and ecology.
Roots Radicals: Based in Berlin, Germany, Roots Radicals is an authentic, handcrafted, and zero-waste food company that aims to reconnect people with food. Roots Radicals is taking part in the fight against food waste! We believe in the Circular Economy, and we cook focusing highly on efficiency, zero-waste, and upcycling.
Anikó Pogány: Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Interfaith and Social Dialogue, Personal Development through Training Coaching Psychodrama. NVC offers a strikingly simple yet powerful and holistic method to increase awareness, take self-responsibility, practice empathy with self and others, and be much more effective in communication, cooperation, and conflict resolution.
Herbie Unverpackt: We sell high-quality groceries as well as sustainable care products and accessories without any packaging. We want to give something back to our beautiful world, which is always there for us, by adopting the principles of zero waste culture and forming a strong community together with you. Our motto is “With love unpackaged”.
CoopSpace: The CoopSpace is a self-organized co-working
and co-creative space for organizations and projects focused on new ways
of collaboration, participation, relating, and being.
Zero Waste Berlin Festival: It is the first international event for zero waste, circularity and sustainability. We provide a space and platform to bring together leaders, companies and citizens, to share their respective visions for the future. Our dream is to connect people, enable positive change, and help bring about a zero waste future together.
Era Zero Waste: They deliver zero waste grocery boxes to your door.
Colorin Colorado: Colorín Colorado is for us a gratifying way to dedicate ourselves to our love of sustainable design. We love authentic people who make the world a more beautiful and harmonious place.
Tiny Farms: We produce organic regional vegetables. We want more people to find economically and socially sustainable jobs in agriculture. We believe that this is the only way we can achieve a real agricultural and food revolution. For us, working towards a better world is satisfying.
Ubuntu Ecocenter: We have anchored the production of food from bio-intensive vegetable cultivation according to the principles of ecologically oriented agriculture, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture as well as permaculture. We offer fresh vegetables — directly from the farm — from mid-April to mid-December.
Madame Zorro: I sell pieces created exclusively by Anna in her atelier. These are Soft Jewellery, Dolls, Art and Ourselves (clothing).
Microgreen Garden Coop: A sustainable grassroots super food CSA in Berlin.
Lukas Brose: I have been learning techniques of the Art of Touch in Bodywork and Massage through a diverse variety of trainings and courses. Such as: Thai Yoga Massage, Dynamic Massage, CranioSacral Listening and Integrational Elements, Reiki Lvl 1–3, Therapeutic Flying and Visceral Techniques.
FemAle: FemAle is a feminist, queer beer project based in Berlin. A space for learning, experimentation, solidarity and rediscovery of feminist beer history.
