Traditionally hosted the week after Black Friday, the annual MAKE SMTHNG Week events are kicking off all over the world starting as early as Nov. 18 this year. Instead of focusing events during just one week, this year organizers have expanded the event to span the holiday season.

Continuing with the mission to focus on reducing consumerism, MAKE SMTHNG Week offers an alternative to shopping around the holiday season: a celebration of creativity, reuse, and waste reduction.

Local organizers have already started to post events around the world. On Nov. 23 and 24, Greenpeace is organizing a series of workshops on reuse, DIY, and upcycling in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. On Nov. 23, in Vancouver, Canada, Greenpeace volunteers are teaching participants how to make unique holiday presents to keep the season as waste free as possible. In Düsseldorf, Germany, event organizers are creating an upcycling workshop just for kids that will be hosted on Nov. 29 at the municipal library. And in Madrid, Spain, organizers are setting up a “repair cafe” on Nov. 30, where participants can learn how to fix household items instead of replacing them. 

These are only a few of the various events this year. Check the calendar of MAKE SMTHNG events for the full list of events and keep checking as new events are constantly being added.

While we encourage you to attend an event, we also urge you to host your own event in your community. Whether it’s a clothing swap, a DIY workshop, a repair class, or any other gathering focused on creativity and waste reduction, anyone can design a MAKE SMTHNG event and register it on the calendar. If you design an event or just do some DIY of your own at home, use hashtags #MakeChangeNow, #MakeSMTHNG, #BuyNothing, and #MakersforClimate when you participate. 

Bring a new kind of holiday spirit to your community and MAKE SMTHNG together! 

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This post is part of our Winter 2019 editorial series on waste reduction. Get our free ebook on this series: “Beyond Waste: Community Solutions to Managing Our Resources.” Shareable is a partner of this project with Greenpeace. 

Take a look at the other articles in the series:

• • Celebrate the radical power of DIY during MAKE SMTHNG Week
  • Fashion Detox Challenge invites people to pause, reflect and change
  • How the MyMizu app is creating community and fostering sustainability in Japan
  • Bring sustainability to the party with reusable party packs
  • Right to Repair movement invites us to review the way we produce and consume electronics
  • From Oakland to Utrecht, sustainability-focused maker villages unite artisans for creative exchange
  • Using ancient values to solve modern problems at the Eunpyeong Sharing Center
  • Community cupboards feed neighborhoods despite legal hurdles