Shareable is thrilled and proud to partner with Greenpeace and Fashion Revolution for the inaugural MAKE SMTHNG Week, a worldwide event focused on the maker movement, which will take place Dec. 2-10, 2017. During the week, people are encouraged to forgo shopping for new things and instead create, upcycle, repair, and share.
"We really want people to get in touch with alternatives of buying new stuff and know that they can have fun in the process," says Lu Yen Roloff, communications lead of the MAKE SMTHNG campaign at Greenpeace Germany.
The event is set to coincide with the upcoming holiday season, with the goal of encouraging people to make and upcycle gifts. Major sponsored events will be held in Beijing, Rome, Madrid, Athens, London, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and other cities. Greenpeace volunteers and partners have committed to hosting more than 75 events around the world.
Each event is co-created with local allies — artists, designers, creatives, activists, chefs, bloggers, and community organizers. Together, these makers will host workshops on a number of topics, including using old clothes to make fashion-forward new looks and accessories. Other events will explore how to build toys, ornaments, and tech gadgets like a homemade solar-powered phone charger. There will also be collaborative events with makers and makerspaces worldwide.
You can view all the events and share your own on the MAKE SMTHNG Week's website. Everyone is invited to host their own event and can download the guidelines and branding toolkit. The event is an invitation to showcase how to creatively reuse things in order to build a more sustainable world.
Historically, Greenpeace campaigns have focused on putting pressure on companies and suppliers but the problem of overproduction is one everyday people need to help solve. Waste has long been a problem in the world and big businesses are constantly creating throwaway and one-time use products. One of the key goals of this event is to help curb the rampant overconsumption. "We need a cultural change," says Roloff. "Every person needs to be part of this change. We are looking to engage people, inspire them, and help them learn something new."
Another goal for the event is to "get people in touch with each other in a real-life space where they can create connections, have deeper experiences and learn from each other," says Roloff. "We want people to have fun while creating."
Join the movement by showing off your projects on social media using the campaign hashtag: #makesmthng, with additional hashtags #makersgonnamake and #buynothing. Send your ideas and stories to makesomething@greenpeace.org. Follow the event on Instagram and Facebook to see what others are creating worldwide.
