Circular communities in the fashion industry: a participatory action research study of community-based clothing swaps

Purpose This paper aims to explore what motivates participation in community-based clothing swap initiatives and how participants interpret the relationship between grassroots circular practices and corporate circular strategies. Drawing on social practice theory and circular economy visions, it examines motivations, social meanings and boundaries of collaborative consumption practices. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a participatory action research (PAR) approach structured around iterative cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection, drawing on 27 semi-structured interviews with participants and organisers of a clothing swap initiative in Balatonakarattya, Hungary. Interviews were analysed through qualitative thematic analysis using NVivo 13. Findings Participation is sustained by a locally embedded, non-monetised, trust-based social infrastructure, combining practical entry motives with retention drivers of sociability and moral satisfaction, rather than environmental motivations. Corporate take-back schemes are viewed sceptically, with connections to grassroots initiatives feasible only through civil society or municipal mediation. Research limitations/implications The focus on a single local initiative limits generalisability. Further PAR cycles will extend the research to civil organisations and SMEs and comparative research could examine community-corporate interactions across different contexts. Originality/value The paper demonstrates how circularity is enacted through everyday social practices. It applies social practice theory to grassroots circular fashion, revealing two contributions: community-based clothing swaps function as trust-based social infrastructures rather than exchange mechanisms and a governance mismatch exists between grassroots and firm-led circularity, requiring civil society or municipal mediation rather than direct corporate absorption.