In a bid to combat the excessive waste that often comes as a byproduct of the festive season, a Zero Waste Christmas Market is coming to London for the first time.
In 2017, a study found that Brits throw away the equivalent of 108 million rolls of wrapping paper, 54 million platefuls of food, almost 100 million black bags full of packaging, and use more than 40 million rolls of sticky tape at Christmastime. Given the growing worldwide concern for the amount of waste humans are producing, this urgently needs addressing; and yet, last year, 34 percent of Brits thought excessive waste was just part of the festive period.
But that was last year. This year, the Zero Waste Christmas Market hopes to keep waste away from landfills. Market organiser Melanie Fisher explained the concept to Vegan Food and Living. “I love Christmas – everybody does, but I also care about the planet,” she said. “Christmas is the perfect opportunity to have the conversation about overconsumption and environmental impact, but to do so in a way that is both inclusive and enjoyable. I want to make it fun and easy for people to do the right thing whilst addressing the issue of consumer waste at the same time.”
The festival is completely free from single-use plastic, packaging, and (aside from one vendor selling sustainably sourced wool) animal-derived products. Attendees can visit an array of stalls selling sustainable, ethical, compostable, recyclable, and reusable gifts, from stocking-fillers to luxury items across fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle, travel, and food and drink.
Visitors can also indulge on vegan cakes and mulled coffee whilst meeting sustainable brands, including clothes retailer Gung Ho Design, biodegradable glitter producer Eco Glitter Fun, wonky vegetable company Oddbox, and nature-friendly skin-care brand Optiat.
The event will also feature talks from key figures, festive workshops, and a Christmas hamper competition.
One hundred percent of profits from ticket sales will also be donated to Cool Earth, a nonprofit organisation fighting Amazonian deforestation and climate change.
The zero-waste festival joins a number of other vegan-friendly Christmas festivals sweeping the nation this winter, including in Peterborough, Gloucester, Manchester, and Cardiff.
London’s zero-waste event will take place on Saturday 8th December at the Hoxton Arches.
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