Shifting the Societal Narrative on Reusing & Repairing Items in Poland

The Social Innovation

Magnitude of the Problem, and its Root Causes

Each year, approximately 415,000 tons of reusable objects are destroyed and discarded in Poland, despite their potential for reuse. This contributes to waste, pollution, resource depletion, and climate change, while also imposing high costs on waste management systems.

During their participation in the Dela Program co-created by Ashoka and IKEA Social Entrepreneurship in 2021, they highlighted the following key factors contributing to the magnitude of the problem:  

• A consumer mindset that equates buying with happiness, and a stigma around using second-hand goods
• The perception that being eco-friendly is difficult, ineffective, or shameful
• Business models that discourage repair and reuse
• Legal structures not aligned with EU circular economy goals
• Lack of accessible, enjoyable tools and spaces for giving away or repairing items

Based on their systems change analysis, they made it their mission to make people aware, responsible and empowered to reuse and repair things to prevent more waste that goes to landfills. 

Strategy to Catalyze a Network of Changemakers towards the Targeted Mission

The strategy to shift the mental models and behaviour of the Polish society towards waste includes spreading awareness and strengthening infrastructure to make repair and reuse easier.

Some of the tactics they deployed towards the mission as a part of the strategy include:

1) Consulting with Volunteers and Leaders across Sectors to Create an Umbrella Structure to Involve more People in the Movement 

Recognizing the need for sustainability and scale, Dominika transitioned the initiative from an informal network to a formal foundation. She built a board, professionalized volunteer management, and secured grants for organizational development from the Polish Government’s National Freedom Institute.  

The foundation also invested in impact measurement, fundraising strategy, and communications, ensuring long-term viability and the ability to attract further support. This structure provided legitimacy, access to funding, and a platform for scaling.

Over 13 years, it has grown into a nationwide movement with 328 Facebook groups, a community of 1,190,000 users, and 201 volunteers.

2) Collaborating with Tech for Rescue & Pro Bono Experts to Involve People more easily to Exchange Items

Given the recent shifts in Facebook algorithms, an idea was to move beyond Facebook groups and create a dedicated, user-friendly online platform to make giving away, repairing, and reusing items easy, fun, and measurable.  

The idea was to build an automated tool that would allow people across Poland to list unwanted items, find things they needed, connect with others, and track the collective environmental impact of their actions. This tool was also envisioned as a way to build community, facilitate education, and provide data for advocacy and fundraising.

With support from Tech To The Rescue—a nonprofit that connects tech companies with social initiatives—Dominika’s team was able to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) for the platform. The MVP demonstrated the basic functionality: users could post items and see some impact metrics.

While building the tool itself was achievable (with pro bono tech support), the real challenge emerged in sustaining and scaling it. They found that there was no clear business model for such a platform. Grants for charity projects often require a path to sustainability, but the tool did not fit neatly into either a traditional charity or a for-profit impact business model. There was uncertainty about whether users would pay for access, and no established market for monetizing the platform through ads or data.

The team has paused further development until a viable business model or sustainable funding source could be identified.

3) Creating Awareness by Informing and Inviting People to join the movement by Collaborating with Schools, Artists and National Heritage Museum

Dominika understands that infrastructure alone does not change behavior; people need to feel proud, not ashamed, of reusing and repairing. To shift mindsets, they are planning to launch something on the lines of the “Waste Prevention Fiesta” in schools—a festive, hands-on event where students, teachers, and parents can experience the joy of waste prevention. The program will includes toolkits for organizing events, educational workshops, flea markets, repair demonstrations, and upcycling art shows.

Beyond schools, the foundation runs webinars, social media campaigns, and collaborations with artists and influencers to make sustainability visible, fun, and aspirational. The aim is to normalize circular behaviors and create a sense of community pride.

Another approach they have deployed is to identify that valuable national heritage items are being lost to landfill. To address this, the foundation runs educational webinars about what constitutes heritage, how to preserve it, and where to donate items. They collaborate with museums and archives to rescue and restore objects found through the groups, and document success stories to inspire others.