Network Update November 2025
- Party Kit Network
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
As the year draws to a close, it’s amazing to look back at everything our community has achieved together. From new members joining across the UK (and beyond!) to inspiring collaborations, podcasts and awards - it’s been a busy few months for reuse.
Growing the Network
A big welcome to all the new members who’ve joined us recently - it’s brilliant to see more people setting up local party kits and helping communities move away from single-use.
Stonnington Toy Library (VIC, Australia)
Ecocentric Us (Surrey, England)
Byron Shire Council (NSW, Australia)
REthink & REuse Party Kits LLC (OR, USA)
Sistainable Mercantile & Refillery (CO, USA)
Kilfenora Tidy Towns (Co. Clare, Ireland)
Howick and Pakuranga Toy Library (Auckland, New Zealand)
Annual Audit & Awards
This year’s Party Kit Network audit showed just how powerful this collective action can be. Together, our members logged an incredible 315,959 reusable items in use!
That’s around 1.84 tonnes of waste avoided - around the same weight as a female hippo!
You can explore all the details, including our financial summary and future plans, in the 2025 Impact Report.
We also celebrated the achievements of members through our second annual Party Kit Network Awards. See the full list of winners and find out what made them shine:
Stories from Our Members
Our members continue to inspire with the creative ways they’re championing low-waste celebrations.
One of our first US members, Dayna has been showing how community-led reuse can thrive overseas.
In the UK, Joely worked with her local climate action group to write about low-waste parties and promote the Kids Party Pact.
Every story adds another ripple to the growing movement for waste-free celebrations.
New Resource: Getting Party Kits Used
Many members told us in the audit this year that their biggest challenge is getting their kit out of storage and off to parties. Social media is helpful, but real growth often comes from connecting face-to-face - building partnerships with schools, venues and community groups.
To help, our Board member Natalia has written a new guide with practical ideas for increasing bookings and awareness.
👉 Link coming soon
Reuse, Repair and Policy Change
The Party Kit Network has signed the UK Reuse and Repair Declaration, calling for stronger support for community-led repair and reuse initiatives. Individuals can also ask their MPs to sign:
We would also love to see a government-funded repair and share network for England, inspired by the successful model already running in Scotland. If you think your MP might be interested in supporting this, please get in touch.
Events and Collaboration
In September, Isabel had the privilege of presenting at the first Plastic Free Gathering UK, a brilliant event uniting community projects focused on reducing waste including Kids Against Plastic, Surfers Against Sewage and Everyday Plastic. The next one will take place in Bristol and online on Saturday 6th June 2026. Early bird tickets are now available:
Another inspiring initiative to follow is Project Salt Run, created by Hannah Cox, founder of the Better Business Network. Hannah’s embarking on an extraordinary journey to highlight the importance of climate action and community collaboration. It’s well worth following her progress.
And if you missed it, Isabel recently guest-hosted an episode of the Carbon Copy podcast, chatting about the power of borrowing instead of buying.
When Isabel met Jen
A highlight for Isabel recently was finally meeting Jen Gale in person. Six years ago, it was Jen’s Sustainable(ish) podcast that sparked the idea that grew into the Party Kit Network.
It’s a lovely full-circle moment and a reminder that small actions and conversations can lead to big change.
Thank you to everyone who’s been part of our community this year - whether you run a party kit, share ideas, or simply keep the reuse conversation going.
Here’s to more collaboration, creativity and celebration in 2026!
