What Eco Communities does

Eco Communities is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company founded in 2019 by Helen Tandy and Dr Christian Dunn, operating primarily in Cheshire and the North West of England. The organization delivers community-led sustainability programming spanning plastic reduction, carbon literacy, refill and reuse infrastructure, litter picking, and event sustainability. Its core operational assets include the Full Circle Refill Shop (household detergents and personal care in returnable glass bottles, distributed through a Shopify storefront and three community pickup hubs), a network of over 17 litter pick hubs across Cheshire, the Cheshire Cup Club returnable event-cup scheme, and a specialist blister pack recycling program in partnership with MY Group. It also runs Chester Green Festival annually as part of the UK-wide Great Big Green Week.

The business model is hybrid and dependent on a small volunteer leadership team. Revenue is generated from donations, sale of refill and reuse products, business consultancy (Plastic Free Champion, Carbon Reduction Action, Food for the Planet accreditations), CPD-accredited carbon literacy training delivered through Small99, cup hire and party kit rental for events, and blister pack recycling boxes. Distribution is community-anchored through physical hubs, an online shop, direct field sales to event organizers, and grassroots events. The organization's go-to-market relies on volunteer mobilization, partnership co-marketing with entities such as Chester Zoo, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Surfers Against Sewage, and Friends of the Earth, and content marketing via an active blog of 134 entries.

Eco Communities serves three primary segments - individuals, businesses, and community groups - with secondary segments in schools and local authorities. There is no software product, no app, no proprietary AI/ML capability, and no external institutional funding. The organization's competitive position rests on its dense partnership ecosystem, regional brand recognition built around the 2018 Plastic Free Chester milestone, and physical community infrastructure that is difficult to replicate at the local level.

Name

Eco Communities

Legal name

Eco Communities

Website

https://ecocommunitiesuk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Eco Communities is a volunteer-led not-for-profit Community Interest Company in Cheshire, UK, delivering sustainability programming including plastic reduction, carbon literacy training, community refill hubs, litter pick infrastructure, and event reusables to individuals, businesses, schools, community groups, and local authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sustainability Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Environmental & Sustainability Events (Earth Day, Clean-Up Festivals) (MPAGAEAO), Eco-Friendly Household & Zero-Waste Refill Stores (CRAHAEAG)

Keywords

• Community sustainability
• Plastic reduction campaign
• Zero waste refill
• Carbon reduction consultancy
• Community clean-up events

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Relies on generous donations from individuals and companies in the community to fund operations and projects.
2. Consultancy Services: Eco business consulting services providing sustainability accreditations and carbon reduction support to businesses.
3. Refill Product Sales: Sells Full Circle Refill products including reusable bottles, laundry detergent, household cleaning products, and hair/body care products through online shop and community hubs.
4. Event Services: Provides cup hire services for events and party kit rentals to reduce single-use plastic at events.
5. Training and Workshops: Offers carbon literacy training, business carbon reduction workshops, and Plastic Free Champion support with CPD accreditation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Eco Communities is a not-for-profit community interest company that runs local sustainability initiatives in Cheshire, UK. Its core offerings include the Plastic Free Cheshire campaign, Full Circle Refill zero-waste product refills, Carbon Reduction and Plastic Free Champion business consultancy, community litter-pick hubs and clean-ups, event cup/party-kit hire, blister-pack recycling, and educational workshops and training for schools and community groups.

Product overview

Eco Communities is a community interest company (CIC) offering a portfolio of sustainability-focused services, programs, and community initiatives rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include: (1) Plastic Free Cheshire campaign providing community engagement and plastic reduction initiatives including litter pick hubs, party kit hire, and blister pack recycling; (2) Eco Consultancy Services with sustainability accreditations including Carbon Reduction Action Certification, Plastic Free Champion status, and Food for the Planet accreditation; (3) Event Sustainability Support offering cup hire and event planning guidance; (4) Full Circle Refill Shop providing community refill stations for household products; and (5) Community events including the annual Chester Green Festival. These services work together to serve individuals, businesses, schools, and community groups in Cheshire seeking to reduce environmental impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Full Circle Refill Shop: A community-led, not-for-profit refill and reuse project helping households across Cheshire reduce single-use plastics. Products include laundry detergent, household cleaning products, and hair/body care in reusable 500ml glass bottles.
• Chester Green Festival
• Cheshire's Returnable Cup Club
• Blister Pack Recycling in Cheshire

Products and services

• Plastic Free Cheshire Campaign
• Full Circle Refill
• Carbon Reduction Consultancy
• Plastic Free Champion Accreditation
• Event Reuse Hire (Cups and Party Kits)
• Blister Pack Recycling
• Litter-Pick Hubs and Community Clean-Ups
• Educational Workshops and Training Workshops and training sessions delivered to schools and community groups covering plastic reduction, refill behaviour, carbon literacy, and environmental action.

Quantifiable outcome

• Plastic free status achieved in Chester through Surfers Against Sewage campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Surfers Against SewagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Key partner for Plastic Free Cheshire campaign. Provides Plastic Free Communities accreditation framework and campaign support. Works with Eco Communities to reduce plastic pollution in oceans through community action.
• Friends of the EarthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco Communities was born out of a local Chester Friends of the Earth group. FoE is a worldwide organization protecting the planet from climate change.
• Cheshire West and Chester CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal council supporting organization of events and ensuring they are fun, environmentally friendly, and safe. Partner for Food for the Planet project.
• Chester ZoomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor conservation organization demonstrating commitment to the planet. Often runs stalls and talks at Eco Communities events. Partner for Chester Wetlands project and Networks for Nature initiative with £250,000 funding.
• The Mersey ForestmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative focused on making Merseyside and North Cheshire greener by creating woodlands. Works with Chester Zoo and Environment Agency on tree planting projects aligned with Cheshire LNRS.
• Keep Britain TidycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization responsible for cutting litter from environments. Community clean-ups have contributed to over 1 million bags of waste collected.
• The Climate CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK's largest collective of people committed to taking action against climate change. Eco Communities participates in Great Big Green Week coordinated by The Climate Coalition.
• RefillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization making access to refillable water as easy as possible to reduce unnecessary plastic waste. Eco Communities has own Refill Chester project.
• National Park City FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation with vision to make cities greener, healthier, and wilder for people and ecosystems.
• The Land TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased in Cheshire, owns and manages parks, nature reserves, and woodlands for benefit of communities and wildlife.
• ōH Design FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise committed to supporting growth and development of city's creative industries with sustainable focus.
• Incredible Edible NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPassionate about building connected communities through home-grown food and galvanizing communities via local food.
• Chester Great and SmallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission to make Chester the most livable city in Europe and vibrant hub of a dynamic sub-region.
• MY GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for specialist blister pack recycling scheme. Separates plastic and aluminium from blister packs and recycles into new materials.
• Soil AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three organizations running the Food for the Planet campaign (alongside Food Matters and Sustain). Supports sustainable food systems transformation.
• Food MattersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization running Food for the Planet campaign alongside Soil Association and Sustain.
• SustainmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization running Food for the Planet campaign alongside Soil Association and Food Matters.
• Small99coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides CPD accreditation for Eco Communities' carbon reduction consultancy workshops.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Keep Britain Tidy: National environmental charity focused on litter, waste, and community clean-ups. Eco Communities' Litter Pick Hub network and Community Clean Ups operate as a local extension of Keep Britain Tidy's national clean-up mission.
• The Carbon Trust: Large sustainability consultancy offering carbon reduction services and accreditations to businesses. Comparable to Eco Communities' Carbon Reduction Action Certification and Carbon Literacy Training offerings, though at much greater scale.
• WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme): UK charity working on waste reduction, recycling, and circular economy. Comparable in mission around plastic waste reduction and refill/reuse systems, with much broader national scope.
• Friends of the Earth: National environmental advocacy organization. Eco Communities originated from a local Chester Friends of the Earth group and continues to partner with FoE, sharing overlapping sustainability, climate, and community-action missions.

Others

• Soil Association: Charity focused on organic food and sustainable agriculture. Eco Communities participates in the Food for the Planet campaign that the Soil Association co-runs, sharing goals around sustainable food systems.

Direct peers

• City to Sea: Charity behind the Refill app and campaign to reduce plastic waste through refill infrastructure. Directly comparable to Eco Communities' Full Circle Refill programme and Refill Chester project.
• Surfers Against Sewage: National charity running the Plastic Free Communities campaign that Eco Communities delivers locally. Both are focused on community-led plastic reduction and marine/environmental protection, with overlapping program frameworks and partnership structures.
• Hubbub Foundation: Environmental behavior-change charity running community campaigns on topics like disposable cups and reuse. It is closely comparable to Eco Communities' combination of community campaigns, refill/reuse pilots, and behavior-change content.
• Refill (City to Sea programme): Refill/reuse network and app operated by City to Sea. Eco Communities' Refill Chester and Full Circle Refill sit within this national Refill ecosystem, making it a directly comparable community-led refill initiative.

Emerging players

• Acorn Zero Waste Shop: Independent zero-waste/eco refill shop offering unpackaged household products. Comparable to Eco Communities' Full Circle Refill offering as a community-based refill retailer, though operating as a for-profit retail model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecocommunities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eco Communities