by As consumers, we all understand that individual changes in our behavior can have a collective impact on efforts to protect the planet and reduce environmental damage.
The Westfield Good Festival, which will take place at Westfield shopping centers across Europe this month, aims to help consumers make these kinds of changes in their behaviour. The event, in collaboration with brands and organizations working in the community, will showcase activities and initiatives to encourage people to embrace the circular economy and be creative with repair and restoration. “Brands and consumers can share insights, best practice and encourage each other to adopt eco-friendly shopping habits,” says Katie Wyle, UK head of shopping center management for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield ( URW).
“Our consumers expect us to enable their sustainable practices,” says Anne-Sophie Sancerre, URW’s chief customer and retail officer. “This second edition will again give brands the opportunity, through our Westfield platform, to share their sustainability journey with our visitors.”
Now in its second year in the UK, the Good Festival is being held at London’s Westfield from Thursday to Sunday, 16-19 May, following an already successful run at Westfield Stratford earlier in May. Here are five good reasons to join:
1. Hunt for your favorite fashion
Consumers are more inclined than ever to buy second-hand, especially when it comes to clothes. Last year, the sale of second-hand clothes in the UK increased by 49% (pdf), according to a report by the Association for Ethical Consumer Research. The global pre-owned clothing market is on track to reach $350bn by 2028, according to US resale site ThredUp. The market is being driven by a number of factors, including shifts towards more sustainable living, concerns about the cost of living, and a growing desire for and desire for vintage fashion.
By choosing the fashion you love, you can reduce waste, cut your carbon footprint and change your wardrobe. At Féile an Céasta you can enter your favorite fashion store, from vintage and timeless denim to sportswear and well-known brands.
2. Repair, don’t replace
Throwaway culture, especially when it comes to clothes, has been the norm for many years. Today, around 30% of unwanted clothing ends up in UK landfills, according to research cited by Business Waste. Hopefully the tide will turn as people become less inclined to make unnecessary purchases and adopt a repair and reuse mindset.
According to Wrap, a non-governmental organization for climate action if the average length of clothing was extended by just nine months. The reality is that clothes are often sent to the bin because of small defects, such as broken zips and straps, or drooping hemlines. Repairing and reworking garments as part of the circular economy helps keep them in the loop for longer.
At Good Fest, you can take advantage of free alterations, from hemming and tapering to simple clothing repairs, as well as revamping old items with embroidery, courtesy of the experts at The Seam, who combine skilled joiners, cleaners and restorers with the. public. He was recently a competitor in the Westfield Grand Prix, for entrepreneurs who put sustainability at the heart of their output. Over the past 15 years, Grand Prix Westfield has provided physical space to more than 50 businesses in shopping centres.
3. Get hands on with sustainability
When it comes to dealing with past culture, nothing likes dealing with it. If you’ve never tried upcycling household goods, cutting up a favorite piece of knitwear, or giving new life to broken crockery, the festival gives you the chance to learn at a series of craft workshops designed to encourage upcycling, repair and expansion. the life of the products rather than throwing them away.
Learn to upcycle lampshades using decoupling, paint and trimmings, create your own shampoo bar using natural ingredients, or breathe new life into your old jeans or denim jacket at the patchwork denim workshop.
Young people can also get involved. At the children’s tie T-shirt upcycling workshop they can bring their favorite cotton T-shirt or hoodie back to life, while the monster sock workshop lets them transform ordinary socks into monster puppets using sustainable craft materials.
Even broken pottery can be salvaged and transformed into beautiful pieces of art, through the Japanese technique kintsugi (relative = gold + tsugi = engaging). If a bowl is broken, instead of throwing the pieces away, the fragments are put back together and the cracks decorated with gold. Learn about the history and philosophy of this art form at the kintsugi workshop, where you can create your own piece.
4. Barter is shopping
Swapping clothes is one of the smartest tricks for maintaining a minimal yet constantly updated wardrobe, buying something only when you give up another one. Extending the life of clothes and exchanging them reduces purchases and waste, refreshes your wardrobe and saves money. The trend is growing, particularly among young people, with 75% of 16- to 24-year-olds saying they have swapped fashion items with others or would be interested in doing so do, according to market research agency Mintel.
Thrift shops offer a quick and sustainable alternative, especially for children’s clothes, which are quickly outgrown and almost new. Young people are getting better with their favorite books too, so the festive children’s clothing shop and book swap, for children up to 12 years old, is a great place to support a trend that extends the life of clothes and book.
5. Green retreat
One of the highlights of the festival is the tranquil greenhouse oasis, the perfect retreat to relax and reconnect with nature. In this immersive feature, you can learn about the role that living walls play, not only by improving air quality and increasing the biodiversity of urban spaces with plants, but also by offering vital nesting space, shelter and food to birds and of insects. Find out how houseplants thrive in different conditions and how to choose plants that will enhance your living space.
Find out more about Westfield Good Festival and see the full schedule of events
