Circular Monday as a New Tradition: Can We Reverse the Culture of Overconsumption?

Photo © Rupert Pessl / Circular Monday.

As global consumption continues to rise, a growing number of consumers and businesses are beginning to question whether endless buying still brings happiness - or merely exhaustion. The data is clear: we are purchasing more than ever before, but feeling less satisfied, more indebted, and increasingly disconnected from what truly matters. Circular Monday, the international movement born in Sweden as a positive alternative to Black Friday, believes the time has come to rethink what “more” really means. Can we build a new tradition that celebrates repair, reuse, and responsibility rather than discounts and excess?

A Shift in Mindset: From Buying to Belonging

For decades, the culture of overconsumption has been fueled by speed, novelty, and the illusion of abundance. Each year, global Black Friday spending breaks new records — but so does the amount of waste generated in its wake. At the same time, cracks in the consumer model are becoming impossible to ignore. Research shows that more than 60% of consumers now prefer to buy fewer but higher-quality products, and nearly half believe that their individual choices directly impact the planet. What was once a niche concern is rapidly becoming a mainstream value shift.

Circular Monday embodies this transformation. It represents a movement of people who want to belong, not just buy; to find meaning in ownership that lasts, rather than consumption that fades. The initiative invites us to rebuild our relationship with the things we already own, restoring appreciation, creativity, and care to the center of modern life.

"We don’t need more things; we need a new relationship with the things we already have" - says Lotta Lilja, founder of Circutus - "Every object we buy has already cost resources, energy, and time - so using what we have for longer is one of the simplest yet most powerful forms of climate action. It’s not about rejecting modern life, but about making it meaningful again."

Traditions Can Change - and So Can Shopping Habits

Black Friday didn’t start as a global ritual; it became one through repetition and mass participation. Circular Monday is using the same mechanism to build its counter-tradition - one rooted in consciousness instead of consumption. What began as a small Swedish initiative has grown into an international movement spanning dozens of countries and thousands of organizations and businesses.

Each year, on the Monday before Black Friday, businesses, NGOs, and citizens come together to showcase what mindful consumption looks like in practice. Repair cafés open their doors, second-hand shops share special offers, and local communities organize swap events and workshops. The goal is not to shame consumption, but to give people better choices that are tangible, joyful, and community-driven alternatives to overbuying.

The Power of Positive Alternatives

What sets Circular Monday apart is its tone. Instead of framing sustainability through guilt, it focuses on creativity, connection, and empowerment. Every action, no matter how small, contributes to a collective story of change: repairing a phone instead of replacing it, borrowing instead of buying, choosing vintage instead of new. These decisions ripple outward, shifting demand, inspiring innovation, and proving that sustainable living can be both accessible and aspirational.

"I believe creativity is a stronger driver of change than guilt,” says Johanna Heurlin, Co-founder of ClimateHero. “What if we designed businesses for durability instead of disposability? Circular Monday invites us to do exactly that, highlighting companies that turn circular thinking into smart, courageous, and commercially viable action.”

The circular mindset is also gaining traction among forward-thinking businesses. From resale programs and repair services to take-back schemes and product rental models, companies are learning that circularity is not a threat to growth but a pathway to relevance. In a world where consumers increasingly seek purpose and transparency, sustainability is no longer a side project - it’s a core value proposition.

From Trend to Tradition

Traditions shape culture because they repeat, unite, and remind us of what we care about. Circular Monday’s ambition is to transform the circular economy from an environmental initiative into a shared cultural rhythm, something people look forward to each year, not as an obligation, but as an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect.

By celebrating one day of mindful consumption, the movement hopes to inspire awareness and change throughout the year. When thousands of people around the world choose to repair, reuse, or rethink their purchases on the same day, it sends a powerful signal: the future of consumption does not have to mean more, it can mean better. 

A New Kind of Celebration

In the same way that Earth Day transformed environmental awareness into a global tradition, Circular Monday aims to turn circular living into a collective celebration of progress. It’s not about deprivation, but rediscovery of value, meaning, and connection. From fashion to tech, food to furniture, the message remains the same: when we consume consciously, we don’t lose comfort or joy - we gain perspective and purpose.

Circular Monday believes this is how real cultural change begins: not with one massive leap, but with many small, shared steps repeated year after year. The movement reminds us that our choices are powerful enough to reshape markets and traditions alike.

About Circular Monday

Circular Monday is a global movement promoting circular consumption, founded in Sweden as a positive alternative to Black Friday in 2017. In 2025, the initiative expands into Circular Week, beginning with a global broadcast on November 17 about circularity during the UN COP30 meeting.

The movement connects thousands of companies, organizations, and communities worldwide that champion repair, reuse, and mindful consumption. Taking place on November 24, Circular Monday inspires people everywhere to join the circular movement and celebrate the beauty of pre-loved.

Serving both as a global database of circular businesses, organizations, and influencers, and as a social media campaign raising awareness about circular consumption, Circular Monday continues to turn conscious choices into collective impact.