Black Friday, Cyber Monday, the Christmas sales: we’re pushed to go hard on consumerism over the festive period.
Which is why environmental campaign group Greenpeace have teamed up with Fashion Revolution – a movement devoted to making the industry ethical and environmentally sound – for MAKE SMTHNG Week.
Taking place from the 2nd-10th December 2017, it’s all about helping you to make more and buy less.
The idea is to get the public excited about repairing, reviving and mending what we’ve already got; trying new skills like making our own cleaning products or vegan baking and sharing what we know how to do with one another – whether that’s how to keep a basil plant alive or the trick to fixing a zip.
When you consider that over 100 billion garments are produced each year, with up to 40% of these going unworn or discarded, it’s clear that this is the sort of mindset shift we need.
Altogether, 200 events are taking place in 28 countries on six continents. Tuesday 5th December saw our capital step up, with DiscoMAKE at Mercato Metropolitano in south London. Here, designers and crafters helped members of the public to stitch and customise their clothes, as well as how to style out second hard stuff.
Orsola De Castro, founder of Fashion Revolution tells HuffPost UK: “[We were] super proud to be asked to be an official partner for Greenpeace’s Make Something Week (#makesmthng).”
“The initiative comes just after three crazy days: Singles Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, where we see the madness of hyper-consumption at its worst. This accelerated cycle of production and consumption has a negative effect on our environment, but also on our culture, encouraging us to keep buying more and more, and discard almost as quickly as we acquire.”
As to what she hopes the week will achieve, she says: “We hope to encourage citizens to fall in love with the stuff they already own, take better care of their clothes and demand quality in the products they buy and in the lives of the people who make them.”
Chiara Campione, of Greenpeace Italy, says: “Black Friday, Cyber Monday and other shopping days have become major peaks of consumerism. This shopping binge also generates greater volumes of waste than ever. This dangerous trend is harming our planet.”
Get more tricks and tips on new ways to make more of what you’ve got at makesmthng.org.