Grassroots non-profit · Reykjavík, Iceland

Sustainability, woven into everyday life.

Circa is a community organisation bringing environmental and social sustainability into daily life in Iceland — through youth work, international exchange and hands-on local action.

Explore our projects Who we are
2023Founded in Reykjavík
6Projects & initiatives
ESSEnvironmental & social sustainability
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About Circa

A circle that gives back more than it takes.

Circa is a non-profit association, founded in Reykjavík in 2023, working to integrate environmental and social sustainability (ESS) into every part of human activity. Our aim is simple: to bring the best practices of sustainable development into everyday life in Iceland.

We believe change grows from the ground up. So we support local, diverse communities and grassroots movements, and we use international cooperation as a tool to raise environmental awareness and deepen participation in community life.

Why “Circa”? The name points to the circular economy — using, repairing and reusing rather than discarding. The Icelandic word for sustainability, sjálfbærni, mirrors sjálfstæði — independence: self-sufficiency and resilience, together.
Turf-roofed eco homes, a greenhouse and solar panels in an Icelandic valley at sunset
Circa tree emblem
Rooted & growing Open to everyone living in Iceland

Sustainable living

Promoting everyday choices — from repair to reuse — that lighten our footprint on the planet.

Grassroots communities

Standing behind local, diverse communities and the grassroots movements that power them.

International cooperation

Working with organisations abroad that share our values, and learning across borders.

Makerspaces & repair

Organising repair cafés, swap meets and makerspaces that keep useful things in use.

What we do

Projects & initiatives

From climate education for youth workers to cross-border exchanges — here is where our mission meets the ground.

Erasmus+ · Flagship Aerial view of Sólheimar Eco Village in Iceland, with turf-roofed buildings among trees Sólheimar · Steinninn / CC BY 4.0
Ongoing · Iceland & Slovakia

Eco Rangers — Journeys of Impact

A 19-month project led by Circa with Slovak Eco Quality, connecting sustainable travel, mental well-being and community engagement. Adult educators co-create practical tools — a Sustainable Travel Guide, training methods and comic posters — alongside training at Sólheimar Eco Village, twenty local workshops, and Circa’s Reykjavík clothes swap & repair café.

Sustainable travel Well-being EU-funded
Explore project
Erasmus+ Flateyri village beneath a green mountain in Iceland's Westfjords Flateyri · Christian Bickel / CC BY-SA 2.0 DE
2026 · Flateyri, Westfjords

Healing People — Healing the Planet

A youth-worker training course hosted by Circa in Flateyri. Seventeen participants from five organisations explored how caring for personal well-being and caring for the planet strengthen one another — combining reflection with a sustainable farm visit, nature-based activities and a hike near Ísafjörður.

Training Well-being Nature
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Partnership A clothing repair workshop — mending a garment on a sewing machine From Circa’s YouTube channel
2025–26 · Reykjavík & Westfjords

Growing Green Together

An educational collaboration bringing sustainability learning into everyday community life — from clothing repair and upcycling to planting, mindfulness and participatory learning games — turning hands-on experiences into tools for future adult-education activities.

Repair & reuse Community Adult education
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Climate education Participants playing the Carbon Footprint eco board game
2023 · Ekorezort Vendelín, Slovakia

Reduce Your CO₂ — Help Planet!

A four-day training that equipped 15 youth workers and youth leaders to run the “CO₂ footprint game” in their green education programmes. Delivered with partner Slovak Eco Quality, it turned climate literacy into something young people can play, feel and act on.

Training Carbon literacy Youth workers
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Public research A concept image of a green, plant-covered bank building with solar panels beside an Icelandic stream From Circa’s Facebook channel
Research · Iceland

How Green Are Iceland’s Banks?

Before choosing where to bank, Circa examined the environmental credentials of Arion Bank, Landsbankinn and Íslandsbanki — turning an everyday financial decision into a public conversation about transparency and climate responsibility. Sustainability claims, we believe, should be questioned, compared and made useful to ordinary people.

Green finance Transparency
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Knowledge & talks Circa logo mark
Ongoing · Iceland

Leader of Sustainable Development — an Icelandic Perspective

An educational resource exploring how a nation of 390,000 became a sustainability pioneer: 100% renewable electricity, a carbon-neutral-by-2040 goal, and a circular economy driven by both local government and small enterprise. Lessons other small communities can borrow.

Education Circular economy Renewables
Explore project
🇪🇺 Several of our activities are co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ programme. Views and opinions expressed are those of Circa alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the funding agencies.
YouTube

Clothes swap & repair workshop

A hands-on repair café in Reykjavík — mending and swapping clothes instead of throwing them away.

More on YouTube
Instagram Young people at a Circa workshop

Workshops & community

Behind-the-scenes from our trainings, repair cafés and community gatherings around Iceland.

@circa.iceland
Instagram The Carbon Footprint eco board game cards

Learning, made playful

From the CO₂ footprint game to upcycling — sustainability you can see, touch and try.

@circa.iceland
Instagram Icelandic landscape

Out in Iceland

Nature-based activities, farm visits and hikes that connect people with the places we protect.

@circa.iceland
Get in touch

Let’s build something sustainable together.

Whether you want to volunteer, partner on a project or just say hello — we’d love to hear from you. Circa is run by people who care, and there’s always room for more.

  • Find usHlíðar, 105 Reykjavík, Iceland
  • MembershipEveryone living in Iceland is welcome to join

Join the circle

Follow along, lend a hand, or bring an idea to life. Message us to become a member or volunteer — no experience needed, just curiosity and care for the planet.

Message us
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