This paper addresses a key gap in the circular economy (CE) literature, which has largely focused on technical and economic aspects, often neglecting the social relations of production. While existing research emphasizes material efficiency and waste reduction, it tends to overlook how issues of control, ownership, and equity shape circularity. We introduce commoning as a theoretical framework to explore how collective management and shared use of resources can foster a more socially inclusive and equitable CE. Through an ethnography of the ex-ZAD of Notre-Dame-des-Landes, we examine how reuse, repair, and recycling practices are embedded within collective social arrangements. We find that commoning practices enable sustainable circularity by integrating production and consumption, emphasizing reciprocity, and decommodifying resource use. We contribute to the literature on the social dimensions of the CE by providing an alternative lens that challenges the consumer-producer dichotomy, emphasizing the need to take seriously the social relations of production and consumption.
