As consumers, we have all come to realize that individual changes in our behavior can have a collective impact on efforts to protect the planet and reduce damage to the environment.
The Westfield Good Festival, taking place this month in Westfield shopping centers across Europe, aims to help consumers make these types of changes in their behaviour. The event, in collaboration with brands and organizations working in the community, will showcase activities and initiatives to inspire people to embrace the circular economy and get creative with repairing and reusing. “Brands and consumers can share insights and best practices and motivate each other to adopt more environmentally friendly shopping habits,” said Katie Wyle, head of shopping center management in the UK for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW).
“Our consumers expect us to enable their sustainable practices,” added Anne-Sophie Sancerre, Chief Customer and Retail Officer of URW. “This second edition will once again give brands, through our Westfield platform, the opportunity to share their sustainability journey with our visitors.”
Now in its second year in the UK, the Good Festival will be held at Westfield London from Thursday to Sunday, May 16 to 19, following a successful broadcast at Westfield Stratford City earlier in May. Here are five good reasons to participate:
1. A wealth of pre-loved fashion
Buying secondhand is more trendy than ever for consumers, especially when it comes to clothing. Last year, sales of second-hand clothing in Britain rose by 49% (pdf), according to a report by the Ethical Consumer Research Association. According to US resale site ThredUp, the global used clothing market is on track to reach $350 billion by 2028. The market is driven by several factors, including shifts towards more sustainable living, concerns about the cost of living and an increasing demand for vintage and second-hand fashion.
By choosing second-hand fashion you can reduce waste, reduce your carbon footprint and transform your wardrobe. At the Good Festival you can dive into a wealth of second-hand fashion, from vintage and timeless denim to sportswear and well-known brands.
2. Repair, don’t replace
The throwaway culture, especially when it comes to clothing, has been the norm for decades. Today, around 30% of unwanted clothing ends up in landfills in Britain, according to research cited by Business Waste. Hopefully that tide will turn as people become less likely to make unnecessary purchases and adopt a repair and reuse mentality.
According to Wrap, a climate action NGO, extending the average lifespan of clothing by just nine months would save £5 billion in resources used to transport and transport clothing. The fact is that clothes often end up in the trash because of minor flaws, such as broken zippers and straps, or drooping hemlines. Repairing and reworking garments as part of the circular economy ensures that they last longer.
At Good Fest you can benefit from free basic alterations, from hems and tapered edges to simple clothing repairs, as well as rejuvenating old items with embroidery, all courtesy of the experts at The Seam, which connects skilled repairers, cleaners and restorers with the public. It was recently a finalist in the Westfield Grand Prix, for entrepreneurs who put sustainability at the heart of their production. Over the past fifteen years, the Westfield Grand Prix has given more than fifty companies physical space in shopping centers.
3. Get started with sustainability
When it comes to tackling throwaway culture, there’s nothing like getting started. If you’ve never tried upcycling household items, darning a favorite knit or breathing new life into broken crockery, the festival offers the opportunity to learn during a series of craft workshops designed to encourage upcycling, repairing and expanding the lifespan of products instead of throwing them away.
Learn to upcycle lampshades with decoupage, paint and trimmings, make your own shampoo bar with natural ingredients or breathe new life into your old jeans or denim jacket in the patchwork denim workshop.
Young people can also participate. At the children’s workshop upcycling tie-dye T-shirts they can bring their favorite cotton T-shirt or hoodie back to life, while at the sock monster workshop they can transform strange socks into monster dolls with sustainable craft materials.
Even broken pottery can be salvaged and turned into beautiful works of art, through Japanese technique kintsugi (family = gold + tsugi = participate). When a bowl is broken, the fragments are put back together and the cracks are decorated with gold, rather than throwing the pieces away. Learn about the history and philosophy of this art form at the kintsugi workshop, where you can create your own piece.
4. Exchange, don’t shop
Swapping clothes is one of the smartest tricks for maintaining a minimal but constantly updated wardrobe, only purchasing a new item when you give up another. Extending the life of clothes by exchanging them reduces purchases and waste, freshens your wardrobe and saves money. The trend is accelerating, especially among young people: 75% of 16 to 24-year-olds say they have traded fashion items with others or are interested in doing so, according to market research firm Mintel.
Swap stores offer a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, especially for children’s clothing that is quickly outgrown, but still almost new. Young people also outgrow their favorite books, so the festival’s children’s clothing and book exchange shop, for children up to 12 years old, is the perfect place to support a trend that extends the life of clothes and books.
5. A green refuge
One of the highlights of the festival is the tranquil greenhouse oasis, the perfect retreat to relax and reconnect with nature. In this compelling feature film, you can learn about the role living walls play, not only by improving air quality and increasing the biodiversity of an urban space with plants, but also by providing vital nesting space, shelter and food for birds and insects . Discover how houseplants thrive in different conditions and how to choose plants that enhance your living space.
Find out more about the Westfield Good Festival and view the full schedule of events