A provocative political panel exploring the rise of circular economy businesses and secondhand retail across Berlin and beyond. The title poses a striking contrast: what if there were more thrift stores, vintage shops, and circular fashion retailers than McDonald's outlets? This isn't mere hyperbole—it's a conversation about values, consumption patterns, and economic systems.

This panel gathers activists, designers, entrepreneurs, and policy makers to discuss how the circular economy is reshaping urban retail landscapes. Topics include the environmental impact of fast fashion versus secondhand culture, the economics of repair and reuse, and how communities are building alternatives to throwaway consumption.

Berlin's design community has long been at the forefront of sustainability and conscious consumption. This event brings together the politics behind the aesthetics—examining how individual choices aggregate into systemic change, how design can enable circular systems, and what policy frameworks might accelerate the transition away from linear extraction-to-waste models.

Whether you're a designer thinking about material lifecycles, an activist working on economic alternatives, a shop owner navigating the secondhand market, or simply curious about Berlin's cultural shift toward sustainability, this panel offers grounded perspectives on where the movement stands and where it's heading.

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