Category: Zero Waste

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Not so long ago, the basic skills needed for repairing and refurbishing – such as sewing, knitting, woodworking and metalworking – were taught in schools. But teaching these crafts is out of  fashion. Anyone over the age of 40 today could have used these skills to make, presents for their parents and would have known how to handle small repairs; that fashion is not always readymade by big brands, but that it is possible to create and sew our own clothes, adapt and alter them, repair them, or replace a button.

For the younger generations today, this knowledge is nearly lost. In a UK survey every fourth respondent said they couldn’t sew on a button; every second couldnt repair a hole or fix a seam. Designer and founder of “Fashion Revolution” Orsola Castro knows why: “because of ubiquitous fast fashion a whole generation has lost these abilities”. In the 1980s, followers of the post-punk scene still expressed their individuality by designing and adapting their own clothes. These days, there are prefabricated versions of this streetwise trendy “look” at every fashion discount store.

Photo by Anna Dziubinska on Unsplash

Consumerism – a vicious cycle

It is difficult to escape the vicious cycle that has been set in motion by the modern consumer society. First of all, cheap products made it unnecessary to make do and mend. Next, we lost our respect for things and the necessary knowledge to maintain them. Now we have lost all our inhibitions about buying greater numbers of new products and using them for ever shorter periods of time. This throwaway culture now is evident in the “fast fashion” phenomenon and in many other everyday products such as electronics, interior design, toys and household goods.

Consumerism is killing our planet. It’s heating up the climate, using too much fossil energy, destroying habitats and landscapes and peoples livelihoods. It is not only nature that is paying the price for this, but the millions of people working in often life-threatening and exploitative conditions.

Photo by Dominik Scythe on Unsplash

But we can MAKE CHANGE NOW

People in sewing- and repair cafes, DIY communities, urban gardens, makerspaces and fab-labs from around the world are proving that many people have the desire to create something with their own hands – and that it is easier to do it, if we share the resources, materials and tools for this in communal spaces.

Anyone who once crafted a table or a bed himself will think twice before buying a flimsy flat pack from a Swedish furniture store. Anyone who has knitted a jumper out of real wool will  avoid cheap polyester knitwear. And those who have planted a few lettuce heads in their garden, cherished them and defended them against snails, will be reluctant to throw food away – because they know how hard it can be to grow.

If you have made something, you will buy more consciously the next time, whether it’s food, fashion or mobile phones. Your experience of creating an original, will lead you to reflect on your consumption patterns and you will be more likely to find a way to repair, care for and share your goods before throwing them out. Its essential that we share this culture in our communities and make these spaces where skills, knowledge and experiences are shared an essential part of our urban life.

Making meets tech

We are not advocating a return to a time before modern technology where we would produce everything ourselves. This wouldn’t be feasible – but the maker community that has developed in fab labs and maker spaces around the world proves that DIY, the internet and the latest tech are part of the same movement. Modern technologies can connect us with lots of tutorials, knowledge and experiences that can be shared widely with communities around the globe. There are online communities such as Shareable and Instructables that provide us with easy to follow guidelines on how to make and share things. Follow our Instagram channel @makesmthng for further inspiration and to connect with makers around the globe.

These offline and online communities are invaluable platforms for acquiring and sharing knowledge and skills. Thus, they counteract the loss of craftsmanship – and  throw a spanner in the works of the throwaway society.

 

Lu Yen Roloff is the comms lead for the MAKE SMTHNG campaign at Greenpeace. She firmly believes in the power of connecting makers from around the globe to help fight overconsumption. She is totally in love with all the creative ideas from the movement and pledges to spend quieter times to DIY the hell out of the dark winter days! You can follow Lu Yen on Instagram @i.do.lu, Facebook luyenroloff or Twitter @lyroloff

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Ever since I attended a workshop on plant dyeing in July, I have been fascinated by natural dyeing and actually had a great desire to collect some dyeing plants to experiment with in winter. Unfortunately, the summer went by too fast and I missed collecting the plants. Hopefully, in spring I will remember to seed one or two suitable plants in the garden.

This fact made me even happier, when I discovered that Elke Fiebig from still garments offered a workshop on dyeing with avocado pits as part of the MAKE SMTHNG week. You were supposed to bring a light-coloured pre-washed garment with you, preferably made of cotton or an other natural material. Of course you should bring along an avocado pit as well.

I decided to dye a cheesecloth and make a scarf out of it. For me, as I mainly wear black, a daring idea…

Elke Fiebig | still garments
Elke Fiebig | still garments

So I started out equipped with fabric and avocado pits. Elke had already prepared the room and equipped it with two large kettles. These were filled with warm water and dye extracted from avocado pits. Apart from me there were about 10 other participants who had brought along different clothes. Elke told us a lot about dyeing, materials and mordanting. Then we got started.

First we moistened our fabric with water and then put it into the dye. Every 10 minutes one of the participants stirred up the bath. In between we had time to talk to each other, to visit the other stations of the event, to buy a cup of coffee or a tasty dish made of rescued food for a small donation.

After an hour we removed our fabrics from the bath, squeezed them and left them to dry later at home. My scarf turned out beautiful. I just have to seam it and then I’ll dress up to show you. The great thing about dyeing with avocado is that you can easily do it at home as well. Because of tannins in the pits this dye doesn’t require a pre-mordant, but note that your colours will be rather light in that case. If you would like to try it for yourself, here are some informations…

Dyeing with avocado pits – this is how it’s done

Ingredients

  • We had about 150 g dried avocado pits for 100 g of fabric, but you can start with fewer.
  • White or unbleached fabric made of natural material such as cotton or linen (silk or wool can also be dyed, but make sure not to boil these!)
  • Large pot with a capacity of 15-20 litres.
  • Rod or spoon for stirrin.

Preparation
For the color:

  1. At the best, crush and dry avocado pits right after using them, or use fresh ones.
  2. Put the chopped avocado pits and about one litre of water into a lidded pot, bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about one hour on low temperature.
  3. Leave the seeds in the water and repeat the boiling process several times during the week, if your time allows. Add water if lots of steam evaporates.
  4. Usually there is quite a lot of dye in avocado pits and repeating the extraction helps for stronger colours.

Preparing the fabric:

  1. Pre-wash new fabric as hot as possible in the machine to remove any coatings or residues.
  2. Moisten the fabric or garment with water before dyeing.

Preparing the dye bath:

  1. Add enough water to your pot to fit your fabric nicely.
  2. Add your dye.

Dyeing the fabric:

  1. Carefully place the damp cloth in the dye vat, gently bring the temperature below boiling (or lower, if you dye silk and wool).
  2. Stir approximately every 10 minutes so that the dye can enter into all folds of the fabric. Watch out for air pockets which will cause uneven dye results.
  3. Elke recommends to dye for at least one hour (and only start your timer once the dye vat is at your desired temperature). After one hour remove the fabric from the bath, allow it to cool a little and wring it out.
  4. If you’re patient, dry fabric before rinsing.

 

Färben mit Avocadokern
All the material you need
Molton Tuch Mulltuch Halstuch
Cheesecloth | soon to be scarf
Farbbad rosa Avocadokerne
Soaking fabric in dye
Avocadokerne zum Färben
Draining and wringing out the fabric

 

Workshops for dyeing with plants

If you live near Berlin or Stuttgart, I can recommend to leave your big pots in the cupboard and register for a workshop at still garments instead. Everything is lovingly prepared, the other participants are really interesting people and your kitchen stays clean.

MAKE SMTHNG – buy nothing
The MAKE SMTHNG week was an international event organised by Greenpeace that focused on sustainability, foodwaste, recycling and upcycling. In Berlin, in the “Ateliers am Flutgraben” in Kreuzberg, there were workshops, lectures and maker-stations with no-waste-smoothies, self-stitched animals out of socks, woven wall decoration from bicycle rims, fermentation of vegetables, a repair-café, and so on, for three days. Most likely this event will be continued in the future and I will be happy to attend it again.

 

Carolin Engwert is the founder of hauptstadtgarten.de  a gardening blog about her allotment „Schrebergarten“ in the former East Berlin. In her articles the readers find advice for sustainable (urban) gardening, upcycling ideas, DIY tutorials, plant based recipes, a calendar with interesting „green“ events in Berlin and stories about all kinds of gardening experiments. Caro wants to encourage people to grow their own food, even if they live in a big city and even if they have only a balcony or a window sill to grow something. She loves to work with her hands and tries to explore different traditional as well as innovative techniques. With her blog, she aims to bring like-minded people together and she hopes to inspire them, to try something new every once in a while.

 

 

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Are you asking yourself how to turn your kitchen zero waste? Look no further.

I am going to show you the easiest zero waste swaps which you can easily integrate into your everyday life as well as DIY recipes for non-toxic homemade products. They are cheaper and healthier for you and your body as well as the environment. So it is a win-win-situation for everyone!

Zero waste for me is a bout becoming more aware of the products that you buy and make mindful and minimalist decisions with every purchase. Ask yourself: “Do I really need this or can I get this second hand?” And when reading my tips please remember you can simply use up the products you already have now until they are done and then buy the zero waste alternative next time you need new items. By any means please do not throw away all non-sustainable plastic products now!

A general tip is to avoid single-use disposables in general as a rule of thumb. Use reusables instead. And it is important to realise that recycling is not the answer to plastic pollution and the rubbish accumulation in general. I see it as the minimum requirement and the actual solution is reshaping our relationship with consumption.

1. Keep mason jars and reuse them

We tend to forget that we not only buy products but also the packaging they come with. It is not the company paying for the packaging – it is YOU. And you then pay the local waste management facility fees to collect that packaging in your rubbish collection. So considering that a proportion of the price I pay is solely for the packaging I might as well make use of that if I can. A good example for this are mason jars. You can obviously go out and buy all the fancy mason jars but to be honest you probably get them with most of your food shopping already – if you like it or not. So make use of them as food containers, for DIY cosmetics, for candles etc. Or collect them and give them away via an online marketplace. Gift them to a kindergarten for arts and crafts, they also appreciate empty toilet paper rolls, tins, and corks. Think outside the box and you will end up with tons of great ideas on how to reuse mason jars.

 

2. Using wooden or metal utensils

Switch to using wooden or metal utensils instead of plastic ones. Firstly, they last a lot longer than plastic ones. Secondly, they do not contain any toxic chemicals. And thirdly, wood and metal can be recycled as materials and therefore live on and be turned into something else afterwards. Check with your local waste management facility how to correctly recycle them in order for them to be reused as this differs greatly from country to country and actually even city to city.

 

 

 

 3. Avoid buying over-packaged products and use produce bags

This does not require you to go to a bulk store – although that would be great if available to you. You can simply become more aware when out shopping. Next time you are in the supermarket go for the unpackaged carrots instead of the packaged ones. Maybe consider bringing your own produce bag which you can simply make from old fabrics or use a cotton bag. Just try and pay attention to what you buy and consider if there is a less packaged alternative. That alone will already make a big difference and have a huge positive impact!

 

 

 

 

4. Use a tea strainer

Reduce your waste by not using single-use tea bags but a tea strainer with lose tea instead. They come in all shapes and sizes as well as materials like fabric or stainless steel.

 

 

5. Using straws made of stainless steel or glass

Plastic straws are one of the main plastic pollutants today and there is no need for single-use items like them. Straws made out of stainless steel or glass are beautiful to look at, last nearly forever and again, do not contain harmful toxins and on top do not produce any waste. Simply clean them with the little brush they come with and reuse them!

 

 

6. Use a fabric cloth instead of paper towels

This is a great upcycling project because you definitely have an old jumper lying around somewhere waiting to be cut into fabric cloths. They can easily replace single-use paper towels and also look prettier.

 7. Use beeswax food wrap

Instead of using foil or cling film use reusable beeswax to wrap your food. This is a great zero waste product which you do not necessarily have to buy but can simply make yourself at home from things you already have lying around. Everything you need is some old fabric, beeswax, jojoba oil (or any other carrier oil), and an oven. They also make for a great personalised present!

 

8. Make your own non-toxic cleaning products

Instead of buying ten different products claiming to be for ten different purposes, just make an all-purpose vinegar cleaner yourself. And I promise you it will not even take a minute to prepare. Two options. Number one is to simply pour white vinegar in a jar and add some essential oils of your liking and use straight away. Alternatively fill a jar with any citrus fruit peel and cover entirely with white vinegar and then let it sit for two weeks before use. For increased cleaning effect use two to three drops of any biodegradable liquid soap. If you are hardcore you can obviously use vinegar on its own but most people dread the smell of it.

 

 

9. Use wooden and metal brushes and sponges

As with the wooden utensils these last longer and can be recycled. Steel wool is great for pots and pans and wooden brushes can be composted. Veggie brushes are great for reducing food scrap waste. Simply use them to brush fruit and veg clean instead of peeling them.

 

 

 

 

10. DIY dishwasher powder recipe

Simply mix the following ingredients together and it is immediately ready to use:

200 gr baking soda
200 gr washing soda
200 gr citric acid
100 gr table salt

Remember to be inspired by all the different zero waste swaps and not be scared of them. Zero waste is a journey and it should not be rushed – otherwise you reach the end way too soon and miss out on all the fun along the way! So pick whatever suits you the most first and then go step by step and add more and more aspects to your daily routine. That way you avoid being overwhelmed and lose your motivation. You can make the world a better place and bring about change – you just have to start with yourself.

 

 

My credo is “Not everyone has to do everything but everyone can to something.” Lead by example and inspire others to become more aware as well!

Ask yourself and others the question: “Where does my rubbish actually go?” Finding the answer to this question will send you on an interesting journey. It has definitely done it for me at least and I hope you will follow me on this so unbelievably rewarding path of creating instead of consuming.

Please do not hesitate to contact me through social media or my website with any questions you might have – I am more than happy to help out where I can.

 

 

 

Marlena Sdrenka is the founder of Zero Waste Plant Power, an organisation that aims to increase awareness for a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle for everyone. She gives advice on her blog and on her Facebook and Instagram on how to incorporate more sustainable routines into your everyday lives by buying products with less packaging for instance. Moreover she gives talks and holds workshops to reach as many people as possible and raise awareness of the consequences of plastic pollution and other ongoing sustainability issues. Her approach is to go back to the old ways a bit, think about what our grandparents used to clean and make food, as we have unfortunately lost our sense for that. Therefore she provides information on how to make your own cleaning products, cosmetics and other handy things in the household. They are therefore non-toxic, mainly plastic-free, fun to make and also cheaper than conventional products.

 

 

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By Anne-Marie Bonneau

Just in time for peak holiday consumption comes MAKE SMTHNG Week , a campaign created by Greenpeace to encourage people to create rather than passively consume.

One of the most important things you can make is your dinner. And you can do it without waste. It requires a bit of planning but not that much. I’ll use a simple recipe like pumpkin dal , which I posted recently on my blog, The Zero-Waste Chef.

For this recipe you will need:

  • Oil
  • Red lentils
  • Various spices
  • Fresh produce: onions, garlic, tomatoes, whole pumpkin, jalapeño, lemon or lime

But how can you bring those ingredients home without producing waste?

 

10 Steps to Plastic-Free and Zero-Waste Shopping

  1. Bring your own cloth shopping bags. Opt for natural fibers when you choose bags. Synthetic materials shed tiny plastic fibers in the washing machine. This plastic ends up in our rivers, lakes and oceans. You can buy cloth shopping bags pretty much everywhere today.
  2. Bring your own cloth produce bags. You won’t want to stuff your reusable shopping bags with plastic produce and bulk bags. I sew very simple bags. They last for years. If you don’t want to make your own bags, you can often find them at health food stores, food co-ops and online. Again, opt for natural fibers.
  3. Bring your own glass jars and metal containers. Get the weight on these before you fill them up at the bulk bins. At some stores, customer service will weigh them for you and mark the tare (i.e., weight) on them. Other stores set out scales and you weigh the jars yourself. The cashier will deduct the weight of the jar from the total weight of your food when checking you out so you pay for the food only. Use these also for the deli, meat, cheese and ready-cooked food at grocery stores. 
  4. Make a shopping list and stick to it. With a shopping list in hand, you will not only avoid all those plastic-wrapped impulse buys at the front of the checkout, you’ll also know just how many bags, jars and containers you’ll need to take with you shopping. A little bit of planning will help you eliminate a great deal of your waste.
  5. Shop more frequently for less food. If you can do this, you’ll waste less food because you’ll have less perishable food on hand to go bad before you can eat it.

Where to Shop

  1. Fill up at the bulk bins. Search for bulk stores worldwide at zerowastehome.com/app. Users can also submit stores not yet listed on this web-based app. Fill your reusable cloth bags, glass jars and other containers with staples like beans, rice, flour, oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and so on. Some bulk stores have an extensive selection that includes cleaning and personal care products and pet food.
  2. Hit the farmers market. When you go plastic-free and zero-waste, you stop eating processed food—it’s almost always packaged in shiny plastic wrapping. At farmers markets however, you’ll find fresh, seasonal, local, organic produce that you can usually buy unpackaged. Find your local farmer’s market in Canada through Farms.com.

What to buy

  1. Choose fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables. The best food for you—seasonal vegetables and fruit—is also best for the environment and economy when you buy it locally. It travels fewer miles. You can find much of it unpackaged. More of your money stays in your local community.
  2. Buy milk in returnable glass bottles. I can buy milk from a few dairies that sell their milk in glass. Depending on where you live, your local dairy may deliver milk in glass bottles that it later picks up—just like the old days.
  3. Opt for foods lower on the food chain. Where I live, cheese almost always comes wrapped in plastic. Meat is often either wrapped in plastic or portioned out on foam trays wrapped in plastic. When you eat lower on the food chain you not only waste fewer packaging materials (beans are often easy to find in bulk) but you reduce the amount of resources that go into producing food higher on the food chain. Meat requires much more water to produce than vegetables, for example.

Bonus step! 11. Don’t go insane. Once you decide to cut the waste, you will see plastic everywhere. That’s because it is everywhere. You may start to feel disheartened and hopeless and wonder what’s the point. Birds eat the stuff and die, turtles get entangled in it and die, seals become trapped in old plastic fishing nets and die, fish (which we eat) are full of it and die (when we eat them). WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!

For me, taking action makes me feel better about this incomprehensibly huge problem. And just imagine if we all worked together on the plastic pollution problem, what a difference that would make. That’s what happens during Make Something Week—we consume less.

And don’t beat yourself up if you fall short and bring home contraband. I see lots of confessions on social media from zero-wasters feeling terribly guilty when they slip up (and have posted them myself). You can only do your best. Just keep trying. Changing your lifestyle is a challenge. However, cutting your waste is easier than most people realize.

Anne-Marie Bonneau is the author of the Blog “The Zero Waste Chef”. Concerned with the planet’s plastic pollution problem, she went plastic-free in 2011. Zero-waste was the next logical step for her. To cut down on plastic waste there, she began shopping more at the farmer’s market, filling up on staples in the bulk sections of grocery stores and making more food from scratch. She cutted out all packaged food, which also meant cutting out all processed food. (Like Michael Pollan says “If it’s a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.”) She feels much healthier for it. You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Canadians make 545,000 tonnes of waste from gift wrapping and shopping bags every year. There will be an additional 300,000 tonnes of garbage created between mid November and New Years Eve and, if every Canadian wrapped 3 gifts in upcycled materials rather than buying wrapping paper new, enough paper would be saved to cover 45,000 Hockey rinks.

These are sobering facts. All these beautiful wrapping papers, ribbons and bows serve only a single use and most just get thrown away. This is an expensive and wasteful practice- both for our wallets and the planet.

This is why we added a Zero Waste Wrapping station to our Holiday Gift Swap last year, a collaboration between the Toronto Tool Library and MAKE SMTHNG week! It was a huge success and extremely popular with our swappers, so we’re running it again at the 6th annual Holiday Gift Swap on Sunday, December 16! Toronto zero waster Your Eco Friend will be running the wrapping station using some of the techniques listed below. Maps, t-shirts, upcycled fabrics and other upcycled materials will be available for you to use, but you are also welcome to bring your own!

Here are 11 zero waste wrapping techniques to help you make the Holidays a little greener:

1) Japanese Furoshiki (Japanese Art of Wrapping)

This might just be my favourite zero waste wrapping strategy. You can use a piece of fabric or material that you already have lying around the house, or check out your local thrift store to pick up some pre-loved fabric.

There are several different methods you can use depending on the size and shape of your gift. Check out this great guide for a variety of options.

2) Skip the Tape

From Trash is For Tossers 

Did you know you can wrap gifts without using tape?! Because let’s be honest – not only is tape wasteful, it’s just one more barrier between you and your present! Check out this handy guide from Trash is For Tossers on how to wrap effectively without using any of it.

If you must use tape, find an alternative to plastic tape – such as Washi, Paper Tape.

3) Use Leaves, Greenery and Other Foraged Sprigs

Skip the bows and ribbons and go foraging for leaves, pine cones, berries, cedar or pine branches, etc. These can be thrown right back outside and returned to the Earth when all the unwrapping is over.

 

Stock photo from Unsplash

 

4) Use Old Maps

Do you have a old maps lying around from a trip you took a few years back? If you don’t have anyone to pass them onto, consider using them to wrap up your Holiday gifts. Not only are you reusing to avoid buying new, it’s the trendy thing to do!

Photo from @itsahashtagelife, MAKE SMTHNG x Toronto Tool Library Holiday Gift Swap, 2017

 

5) Use Old Magazines

Old magazines, with their glossy finish and brightly coloured pictures, make for stylish and chic looking gifts.

Photo: Jane Means Blog 

 

6) Upcycle Old Magazines into Stylish DIY Bows

Not only can you wrap your gifts using old magazines, you can make bows out of them, too! Here’s how.

 

Photo from Wholeliving.com

 

7) Use Newspaper

Have some old newspapers lying around? Don’t recycle them just yet – they make pretty decorative looking gifts! And if you don’t have any yourself, head to caffee shop at the end of the day and they’ll happily pass off their old newspapers onto you. Here’s how to make those beautiful newspaper roses.

Photo from Donask.com

 

8) Use A Shirt

Check out your local thrift store for a cool shirt or use one you’ve already got. There are a few different ways to do this – check out these instructions for a button-up shirt, see Toronto zero waster Your Eco Friend demonstrate the technique here, or watch this online tutorial.

 

Photo from mydomaine.com

 

9) Incorporate Part of the Gift as the Wrapping

Are you giving someone a t-shirt, scarf, tote bag, baby blanket or some other cloth item as one component of their gift? Look no further for gift wrapping and use the above described Furoshiki wrapping method where appropriate.

Photo from Polkadotbride

10) Upcycle Old Cards to Make Your Own Holiday Cards & Gift Tags

I never buy cards new anymore – but I still receive cards from other people. I always hang onto them and pull them out at birthdays and holidays, using them to make my own cards to gift friends and family.

Rather than purchasing new Holiday cards or gift tags, why not make your own from cards you have received previously?

 

Photo from Goodhousekeeping.com

11) Literally Use Whatever You Have Lying Around!

“Consumers must recognize that the most sustainable item is the one that already exists.” – 2018 State of Reuse Report

Get creative, the sky’s the limit! I have a little basket in my home where I throw cards people send me, packaging paper or string on gifts and parcels, etc. I have recently begun adding some of my daughter’s school drawings into this bin as well (as she brings home far too many for me to keep, but I don’t want to throw them out).

I pull this basket of scrap materials out whenever I have to wrap a gift. This means I don’t have to waste money purchasing gift paper and I don’t generate any excess waste. Try it – it’s fun!

Photo from @Itsahashtaglife, a card made using old cards and paper from parcels, from my scrap materials basket

 

 

@itsahashtaglife is a social media manager, storyteller and blogger for non-profits and charities in Toronto. She uses the techniques of digital media marketing and storytelling to inspire an interest in environmental issues, motivating people to take action. She has been aspiring to live a zero waste lifestyle for the last three years, focusing on weaving the zero waste narrative into the broader, systemic issues that are at the heart of our throwaway society.

 

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MAKE SMTHNG Week is about taking action for a better world.

From Black Friday, Nov 23 till December 2nd, at the start of the holiday shopping season, we want to invite you to make something with us. In cities around the world, makers are gathering to demonstrate how we can unite to create unique alternatives to buying something new.

We are calling all DIY mavens, minimalists, vegans and vegetarians, upcyclers, swappers, sewers, crafters and zero wasters – you’re all invited to join Greenpeace in collaboration with #breakfreefromplastic, Fashion Revolution, Shareable, the Fab City Global Initiative and the Fab Lab community, Arts Thread and many others to inspire you to make the most of our resources.

Many of you have already started to rediscover the art, craft and joy of making: cooking, mending clothes, fixing electronics, upcycling used goods, growing your own food. You’re making your own cosmetics; cleaning with vinegar and baking soda, ditching plastic and sharing your clothes, bikes and homes with each other. MAKE SMTHNG Week is your showcase for creative, innovative and unique alternatives to shopping something new.

Why?

Because we are buying too much stuff. There are billions of people on this planet who all shop for food, fashion and technology. To produce many of the goods we use, companies are contributing to climate change, destroying forests and polluting our oceans.

The amount of waste we create is mind-boggling. Every piece of plastic produced in the last 60 years still exists. As things get cheaper with planned obsolescence built in, we throw them away more often. In our consumerist societies, shopping counts for more than preserving things.

 

Plastic waste collected in Germany 

We buy twice as many clothes as we did 20 years ago, and wear them for half as long. It’s now cheaper to buy new things than to repair them. Even though our technology is advanced enough to instantly connect all corners of the world, we still can’t repair our mobile phones.

We need to shift from a throw-away culture to one where we value things again. We envision a world where we make the most of our resources. Each of us can take small actions in our everyday lives that together create a monumental change.

Make it last

Clothes Swapping Party in Germany

Instead of buying fast fashion and throwing it out after wearing it a few times, we can make our clothes last by caring for them and repairing them. To turn away from mindless consumerism, we can stop supporting companies which produce phones that can’t be repaired or have replaceable elements and start fixing things again.

When we replace meat with vegan or vegetarian alternatives, we turn away from the most inefficient way of feeding the world’s population. And whenever we bring a reusable bag and say no to single-use plastic and polyester fashion, we are preventing another piece of plastic from polluting our planet’s oceans and beaches.

Help us change the story of hyperconsumption: MAKE SMTHNG and MAKE CHANGE!

 

 

Lu Yen Roloff is the comms lead for the MAKE SMTHNG campaign at Greenpeace. She firmly believes in the power of connecting makers from around the globe to help fight overconsumption. She is totally in love with all the creative ideas from the movement and pledges to spend quieter times to DIY the hell out of the dark winter days! You can follow Lu Yen on Instagram @i.do.lu, Facebook luyenroloff or Twitter @lyroloff

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When it comes to Easter I love giving homemade gifts, there are so many different things that can be made for this holiday and I find it so much fun trying to come up with something new each year.

If you have a lot of people to buy for,  jars are a brilliant and affordable way to give/contain edible gifts and can be decorated in so many ways giving you loads of creative freedom.

Here is my step by step guide on how to make papier mâché Easter bunny ear jars…

What you will need:

  • Medium sized jam jars with lids
  • Newspaper
  • Toilet paper
  • Plain flour
  • PVA Glue
  • Sandpaper
  • Scissors
  • Paint (Colour of your choice)
  • Sweets/Chocolate for filling the jar

 

Due to the drying time of papier mâché and paint, I would allow at least 4 days prior to giving the gifts.

Steps:

  1. I used preserving jars so the first thing I had to do was super glue the centre of the lid to the frame of the lid to make sure I had a solid base to work on
  2. Tear your newspaper into strips and scraps ready for the papier mâché. Then mix together 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of water until you get a glue like consistency. Try and stir out most of the lumps. If it’s a bit thick, just add a little more water
  3. Dip the newspaper into the glue mixture and begin building the ears onto the jar lids. You want them to end up as smooth as possible so gradually layer the newspaper until you hopefully end up with something that looks similar to this…
  4. Now switch the newspaper for toilet paper as at this stage, you need something that is a little easier to mould and manipulate into a shape. Dip the tissue into the glue mixture and start padding out the back of the ears. You also want to cover the actual lid with either newspaper or toilet paper so that it blends in with the ears making it easier to paint. Once you roughly have the shape you want, pinch the ears together at the base and then leave to dry for at least 24 hours.
  5. Once the papier mâché has thoroughly dried, cut off any rough edges, you can also cut the ears to shape if needed. Then, mix the PVA glue with a drop of water, and using a brush, cover the ears in the glue. Leave to dry overnight.
  6. Once the glue has dried you should have a nice solid sculpture. You can now sand down any lumps and bumps and get the edges nice and smooth ready for painting.
  7. Depending on the type and colour of paint you have chosen you may need to do a couple of coats.
  8. Once the paint has dried thoroughly, apply one more layer of PVA glue to help prevent the paint from cracking.
  9. Now onto the fun part, filling the jars…I went to my local Poundland store to pick up mini eggs, easter marshmallows and Galaxy Golden Eggs, but you can fill yours with anything you like.
  10. Finally, putting the lids back on the jars you can finish them with a nice ribbon, string or a gift tag.

 

 

Lollie Dunbar is a textile designer from Oxfordshire.
Ducks all in a row is her little space for sharing thoughts, ideas and creations which all began because of her love for diy, design and organisation.
She really hopes that by starting a blog it could inspire others to find their own creative lifestyle.

 

 

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