🌀 Economy
How we exchange value and share wealth
The Problem
The current economy concentrates wealth, requires infinite growth on a finite planet, treats unpaid care work as worthless, and pays the most essential workers the least. Money is created as debt by private banks.
The Alternative
Commons-Based Production
Water, energy, knowledge, and basic infrastructure managed as commons. Cooperative ownership. Community wealth building.
Local Currencies & Mutual Credit
Community-created exchange systems that keep wealth circulating locally. Cooperative banks lending for community benefit.
Time Banking
Everyone's hour is worth the same. A lawyer's hour equals a gardener's. This values care work, community work, and skills the market ignores.
Circular Economy
Waste is a design failure. Products designed to be repaired, reused, and recycled. Tool libraries. Local manufacturing. Nutrient cycling.
Start Here
- ✓Support local businesses and cooperatives
- ✓Join or start a time bank
- ✓Invest locally — credit unions, community funds
- ✓Reduce, repair, reuse before buying new
- ✓Map your local economy — where does money flow and leak?
Already Happening
Mondragon Corporation
Basque Country, Spain · Est. 1956
The world's largest federation of worker cooperatives — over 250 companies across finance, industry, retail, and education. Proves democratic worker ownership works at industrial scale.
WIR Bank
Basel, Switzerland · Est. 1934
A cooperative bank operating its own complementary currency (WIR franc) since the Great Depression, enabling tens of thousands of Swiss SMEs to trade using mutual credit alongside the national currency.
Sardex
Sardinia, Italy · Est. 2010
A business-to-business mutual credit network allowing Sardinian SMEs to trade by extending credit to one another rather than relying on bank loans, keeping local economies liquid.
Grassroots Economics (Sarafu Network)
Mombasa, Kenya · Est. 2010
Creates community inclusion currencies enabling trade among low-income communities in Kenyan informal settlements, generating income increases and keeping economic activity flowing.
TimeBanks USA
Washington, D.C., USA · Est. 1995
Supports a network of over 200 time banks where members earn time credits by sharing skills and services. Everyone's hour is equally valuable, strengthening community reciprocity.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Isle of Wight, United Kingdom · Est. 2010
The world's foremost circular economy organization, working with businesses and governments to accelerate the transition from linear take-make-waste to circular design, reuse, and regeneration.
Fab City Global Initiative
Barcelona, Spain (28 cities worldwide) · Est. 2014
A network of cities committed to becoming locally productive and globally connected, shifting toward circular models where materials are produced and recycled locally while knowledge flows globally.
Platform Cooperativism Consortium
New York City, USA · Est. 2016
Supports cooperatively owned digital platforms as alternatives to extractive gig-economy models — from food delivery in Thailand to taxi platforms in San Diego.
BerkShares
Berkshire County, Massachusetts, USA · Est. 2006
A local complementary currency accepted by 400+ businesses. Has channeled over $10 million into the local economy and recently expanded to digital payments.
Banco Palmas
Fortaleza, Brazil · Est. 1998
Brazil's first community development bank, issuing the 'Palmas' social currency alongside microcredit. Has inspired 50+ similar community banks across Brazil.
Fureai Kippu
Japan (nationwide) · Est. 1995
A time-banking system for elderly care where participants earn credits by assisting seniors. Over 370 local schemes across Japan, pioneering mutual aid for an aging society.
CoopCycle
Paris, France (pan-European) · Est. 2017
A federation of worker-owned bicycle delivery cooperatives sharing open-source logistics software. Operating in 6+ EU countries as an alternative to gig-economy platforms.
Open Source Ecology
Maysville, Missouri, USA · Est. 2003
Developing the Global Village Construction Set — open-source blueprints for 50 essential industrial machines. All designs freely published for anyone to fabricate low-cost equipment.
Plastic Bank
Vancouver, Canada (Haiti, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt) · Est. 2013
Turns ocean-bound plastic into currency — collectors exchange gathered plastic for income or goods. Recovered material is reprocessed into Social Plastic for consumer goods.
Fairphone
Amsterdam, Netherlands · Est. 2013
Produces modular, repairable smartphones with fair-trade and recycled materials. Demonstrates circular-economy principles in consumer electronics with user-serviceable components.
Amul (GCMMF)
Anand, Gujarat, India · Est. 1946
India's largest dairy cooperative owned by 3.6 million milk-producer members. Transformed India from milk-deficient to the world's largest milk producer, returning profits to small farmers.