The 2018 edition of the Zero Waste Christmas Festival took place on Sunday, December 2nd, at the Green Door Market in Bluebell Business Park, Dublin 12. With this year’s Christmas-themed festival in December, we brought you a one-day festival with market, swap-shops, info stands, talks, and workshops all dedicated to helping you reduce your waste this Christmas and meet like-minded people.
For some impressions check out our video recap and image gallery below:
A great day for the Zero Waste Christmas Festival
Bare Necessities loose goods
Bare Necessities
Coffee from Meastelo
Crocheting workshop
Dublin CSA Info stall
Dublin CSA produce
Filter and Brew
Fresh produce from Christy
Loose Goods from The Good Crop Co.
Noms selling loose goods
Olivieri's
Personal care products from AB
Pierogi from Twisted Dough on edible plates
Swap Shop and Info Stalls
Swap Shop for Books
The Food Corner
Three Hill Soap
Zero Waste Market
Festival Summary
Christmas can be a difficult time to keep your bins empty and your recycling pile small, but during this day-long event you will get tips on cutting down on waste from food and packaging, gifts and wrapping, decorations and festive dressing and even pre-Christmas cleaning! From making better choices of materials to reusing and upcycling what is already created, there will be something to be learned for everyone, no matter where you are on your journey. For your first foray into Zero Waste, stop by our info-stand for a quick primer or sign up for a Talk/Workshop Pass for more insight.
Tickets
Admission to the main festival with info stands, swap shops, drop-in workshops, meet-ups and market stalls is free. If you would like to attend our workshops and talks on the mezzanine level, you can sign up and buy your passes. A separate ticket will be required for each child for the Tree-planting With Santa.
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Main Festival and Market | FREE |
| Standard Talk/Workshop Pass | 10 EUR |
| Concession Talk/Workshop Pass | 8 EUR |
| Tree-planting with Santa for Kids | 3 EUR |
Events
Click on the image to download a high-resolution version.
The entrance to the main Festival with Zero Waste Market, Info Stands, Make Space and Swap Shops is free, but you will need to get a Talk/Workshop Pass from for attending the talks and workshops.
Talks and Workshops
We will host a variety of workshops and talks as part of the Festival. Getting your Talk/Workshop Pass early entitles you to advanced sign-up for your preferred event. Limited places may be left on the day itself and are given away on first-come first-serve basis.
| Time | Room 1 | Room 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 11 – 12 | Impress Your Mother-In-Law | Zero Waste with Kids |
| 12 – 1 | Bites, Dips & Nibbles | Alternative Gift Wrapping |
| 1 – 2 | Learn to Crochet Toys | Decluttering Before Christmas |
| 2 – 3 | Yummy Gifts | Ideas for Experience Gifts |
| 3 – 4 | Bath and Beyond: Stocking Fillers | Buy to Last |
Room 1
11:00 – 12:00
Impress Your Mother-In-Law
Cleaning your house for the festive season the eco way. At 11am in Room 1 Titta from Lilly’s Eco Clean will be talking about how to impress your mother-in-law (and other guests) with a spotless home during the Christmas holidays at the Zero Waste Christmas Festival. Titta is the co founder, main owner and MD of Lilly’s Eco Clean, manufacturer of natural cleaning products made here in Ireland. Both in her business and her own life she aims to live towards zero waste and likes the concept of minimalism.
12:00 – 1:00
Bites, Dips & Nibbles
Treat your guests without filling the bin. Christmas is a party season - but you don’t have to be a chef to put together a nice spread for your friends and family. Get some inspiration for simple bites, crowd-pleasing dips and delicious nibbles… all with sustainability in mind. Your host for this workshop is Zdenka. She is a food lover and amateur aerial acrobat who likes to keep things simple. She shares her tips and tricks for living a more sustainable life on her blog Coming to Zero and you can also find her on Instagram.
1:00 – 2:00
Learn to Crochet Toys
The art of making amigurumi toys. This workshop with Elaine will teach the skills required to start creating handmade toys. All the necessary equipment and materials will be provided on the day to allow participants to make their own baby owl toy from scratch. Elaine Butler is a designer with a passion for sustainable living. Her blog Living Lightly in Ireland is a well of information on how to create a beautiful compassionate life in a sustainable and ethical manner. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.
2:00 – 3:00
Yummy Gifts
Delicious treats for under the tree. Gifts that are made with love and care, rather than just hastily bought in the nearest shop are always more appreciated. If you want to give your friends and family some delicious homemade edible treats, sweet or savoury, or even some drinks with a little kick (and learn to cut food waste while you’re at it) come along and get some recipes that won’t cost the Earth. Oh and don’t fear - you won’t need to slave over the kitchen counter for hours! Your host for this workshop is Zdenka. She is a food lover and amateur aerial acrobat who likes to keep things simple. She shares her tips and tricks for living a more sustainable life on her blog Coming to Zero and you can also find her on Instagram.
3:00 – 4:00
Bath and Beyond: Stocking Fillers
Homemade products that show you care. Christmas is almost upon us and that means presents! While people say the gift is in the giving, keeping to zero waste principles can be hard! There is a simple solution at hand though. Making your own is easy! Even the generic fall back of bath sets looks thoughtful when you make it yourself! Join this workshop to learn how to make beauty treats and sample before you gift! For the ladies in your life there are vegan lotion bars, body scrubs and other delicious potions and lotions! If the men in your life have gotten shaving sets for all their Christmases no need to change! For the smooth-cheeked there will be shaving cream and the bearded gentlemen can have beard balm and oil! Not an upset rang-tan in sight either! Have a hippy Christmas! The workshop will be led by Molly Aylesbury. She has spent her life making-her-own, growing-her-own and doing-it-herself. Molly makes most of her own food, beauty and cleaning products with friends as usually willing guinea pigs. All of this naturally led her to the Zero Waste lifestyle, beginning her journey 3 years ago. Since then she has fully embraced it, opening a Zero Waste stall Bare Necessities Ireland with her best friend and accomplice Mies Stam. She also holds workshops and talks about living greener as well as being one half of Wildflower Walks Ireland teaching people the value of our native flora. You can follow her on her blog: confessionsofaparttimehippy.wordpress.com
Room 2
11:00 – 12:00
Zero Waste with Kids
Cutting down even when you have little ones about. Have you noticed how much waste is generated since the arrival of your baby? Want the best for your little one but still want to care for the environment and your pocket! Adapting elements of the Zero Waste lifestyle can have benefits for all the family. This talk is brought to you by Timi Nicholson of Simple No Waste Life. Get practical tips that you can start using straight away.
12:00 – 1:00
Alternative Gift Wrapping
Less glitter, less waste and a lot more taste! This workshop will be looking at how to gift wrap responsibly using upcycled materials, fabrics and craft supplies. Your host will be Belle from Other Mother Creations. She is an upcycling enthusiast who loves to use old fabrics and materials to create new and wonderful items in the most zero waste way possible.
1:00 – 2:00
Decluttering Before Christmas
Clear out for the season the conscious way. Laura will give you practical ideas how you can take control of your life and clear out the clutter for good. She will tell you how to listen to your own heart, do more of what you love, and learn to let go of everything else. Laura is a relationship counsellor. She has been giving talks since 2014 on conscious living, decluttering and how they effect mental health and relationships. She lives a simple (slow, minimalist, zero waste) life with her husband and two sons in Dublin.
2:00 – 3:00
Ideas for Experience Gifts
Give memories, not clutter! Ideas and inspiration for gifting your loved ones with experiences to remember, rather than “stuff” ultimately destined for landfill…! Lots of gift suggestions for various ages, interests and budgets, while positively impacting the planet along the way! So many people these days seem to have everything they need already. Why not help them live in the moment by giving them the gift of a wonderful experience, instead? This talk ist hosted by Sinéad. She is a musician and composer with a strong interest in the environment and climate action in particular. She finds an outlet for her environmental concerns with her facebook page, Clarion Call for Climate Action, which will be running an experience-focused, eco gift guide throughout the month of December.
3:00 – 4:00
Buy to Last
A light bulb that lasts a hundred years? Electronics you probably lose before they break? A decade’s supply of shaving soap? There are many (durable and long-lasting) alternatives to the quick and cheap buys we encounter most of the time. In this talk, Jan will discuss some strategies to spot planned obsolescence, assess repairability, and fight fast fashion by looking at examples from everyday household items, to home electronics, white goods, and clothes. In the long run, buying to last will save money, time, stress, and the planet. This talk is hosted by Jan, an environmental researcher here in Dublin.
Market
As always, we will bring a selection of Zero Waste lifestyle market stalls to our festival where you can source everything loose, refillable, or package free. Our confirmed partners for this festival include:
Bare Necessities sells loose, organic food staples and hygiene products to help you live a zero waste life. They are Leinster based, with a weekly Friday Market in the Bullring, Wexford town, a weekly Saturday market in Skerries Mills and once a month in Maynooth. Find them at the Zero Waste Festival or check out their facebook page.
Minimal Waste Grocery is a Zero Waste grocery selling bulk organic dry goods, oils, vinegars, household cleaning items, bath and body refills and much more. Find them at St Anne’s Park every Saturday or online at minimalwastegrocery.com They also deliver nationwide!
Your old favourite market stall Bring Your Own has now teamed up with Phibsborough’s brand new health food store Noms offering a wide range of products, including household and body care items, loose grains, fruits, spices, and snacks. Find them at the Zero Waste Festival or check out Noms’ website and Instagram to check out their range of products.
Earth Angel’s Wellness offers herbal medicines, self-care supports, and alternative therapies foraged and inspired in local, organic community garden plots in inner-city Dublin. Find out more on Instagram.
Filter and Brew is dedicated to creating unique and exciting speciality teas. They operate in a way that is eco friendly, fair and ethical and use only the finest ingredients to create blends to savour. Make sure to check their website for what they have to offer, or check out their Instagram.
Jennifer handmakes re-usable alternatives to single-use make-up removal pads and carrier bags. Made from unbleached cotton, these products can be composted when they eventually wear out. She also turns old t-shirts into coasters, place-mats and tote bags, and makes scarves and gloves from project remnants, so that nothing goes to waste.
Jiminy: Crafts with a Conscience offers gorgeous, packaging-free, made-in-Europe, eco-friendly art and craft supplies and cardboard design toys, including: 3D colour-in Christmas trees, fingerpaint, bioglitter, plastic-free felt, wooden beads, kiddie crafting kits, press-build-play farm and astronaut sets. Make sure to check their website or Instagram.
Lilly’s Eco Clean manufactures a range of natural cleaning products right here in Dublin. Since the beginning, the company has been doing their best to reduce waste. Bottles are made out of post consumer recycled plastics and refills were made available from day one. For more info, check out their website, Instagram, or Facebook.
Meastelo brings the best Brazilian coffee to the Zero Waste Christmas Festival - drink it, feel it, share it! You can also find them on Facebook, Twiter, Instagram, or check their website.
Mandastic.com offers high quality artistic gifts, stylishly designed and uniquely handcrafted in Dublin while making a positive impact on both the people and the planet. You can also find them on their website or Facebook.
Get your refill of Italian extra virgin olive oil from Olivieri’s Fine Italian Foods and stock up on of some quality Italian products at their stall. You can also find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in the mean time.
Other Mother makes upcycled alternatives to everyday and parenting disposable products. Using waste material, such as old t-shirts, Belle hand-crafts beautiful products. For more info, check out her facebook page.
Prisca Bags brings you unique, handmade travel bags sewn from remnant materials. No two bags are the same as each has its own exclusive Prisca feel. Check our their Instagram for some of their latest creations.
Sonett Ireland will bring organic soaps and detergents - protecting natural water resources, the essence of life. Make sure to check their website for what they have to offer.
Three Hills Soap offer natural-only soaps and shampoos for sensitive, oily, combination, normal, dry, acne-prone, itchy, and irritated skin. They use only natural ingredients in all products. They only colour all products with natural plant colourants, cosmetic-grade clays and spices. Only pure essential oils are used to scent their products. Three Hills Soap is also committed to Eco-Friendly Green Packaging as they minimise packaging materials and their products packaging is 100% recycled, recyclable and compostable. Check out their website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Twisted Dough will also join us at the Zero Waste Christmas Festival with their local Irish food truck with a Polish twist. They have the first pierogi food truck on Irish Market. The pierogies are handmade from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. Loads of vegan and vegetarian options for pierogi lovers. Bring your own plate!
Info Stands
Want to find out more about leading a more sustainable life with less disposables and more fulfilment? Visit our info stands to get inspired and discuss your Zero Waste journey with organisations and practitioners dedicated to help you along the way.
With the Dublin CSA (community-supported agriculture) you can establishing a relationship with a farmer for a growing season. It benefits both parties; buyers get good quality food straight from the source (no middlemen) and the farmer gets a fair price for their produce. The system differs from a box scheme in that the partnership is with one or a small number of producers, and all the food is sourced there –– there’s no use of imported foods, and the emphasis is very much on local food systems. Members will take an active role in meeting the grower, discussing options, and possibly visiting the farm to help out as the scheme develops. Find out more about the Dublin CSA on their website or directly at the Festival.
EcoEat will join us with an info stand to promote edible plates from oats. So, eat your plate or let it biodegrade withing 30 days! Their disposable wheat bran tableware is suitable for serving hot and cold meals and can be safely used in classic ovens or microwave ovens. Find out more at the Festival.
Revived Yarn is a community of knitters and crocheters who help to warm the homeless of Dublin. They upcycle leftovers of yarn into handmade garments donated directly to the homeless on the streets. Find out more about Revived Yarn on their Facebook page.
Seal Rescue Ireland is going to join us as with an info stand at this Festival. Seal Rescue Ireland is the country’s only seal rescue and rehabilitation charity covering the entire coastline. They work towards protecting seals, other marine wildlife and the environment, as well as trying to educate people about nature and their interactions within it. Learn more about their work at the info stand.
WeShare is a Gift Economy Community, gifting or sharing anything from a bike to a table, a wok to a hydraulic floor jack, also skills, knowledge, practical support, ideas, stuff and time, and all for free. There is no difference between giving and receiving; they are seen as the two sides of the same non-monetary coin. There is no expectation of reciprocity – it is based on the pay-it-forward principle. Members can ask for anything or offer anything. Their aims are to help in the transition from consumption to contribution; transaction to trust; from isolation to community. WeShare is about promoting positive change in our community, our country and in the world.
Swap Shops
There will be three swap shops at this Christmas Edition of the Zero Waste Festival, back by popular demand. So, please bring your pre-loved items along, drop them off with our volunteers, and pick up what you need from the Swap Shop.
Pre-loved Clothes Swap Shop
Bring your washed, and wearable clothes, shoes, and accessories to the festival. The Swap Shop will work on an item-by-item basis, i.e., for every item you bring, you will get one token that you can exchange for any other item in the Swap Shop. Since we will re-stock the Swap Shop continuously as people drop off new items, it’s worth checking it out from time to time in between the talks and workshops. All unclaimed items will be donated to a local charity shop at the end of the day.
Book Swap Shop
There will be a dedicated Book Swap table at the Festival. Bring your old favourites and the books you bought but never read and exchange them for some exciting new books you will never read (well, we hope you will read them – otherwise, check out these 7 Other Uses For Books Besides Reading Them). As with the Clothes Swap Shop above, we will operate on “item-per-item” basis. Unclaimed books will be donated to the annual TCD Secondhand Booksale.
Christmas Decoration Swap Shop
Get your home ready for the holidays, and maybe pick up a few bits for creative gift wrapping. Bring any Christmas decorations that don’t fit in your life. Exchange for tokens. Browse the selection and take home decorations that you love! All leftovers will be donated to charity.
Make Space
We will host a selected range of hands-on workshops and events in our Make Space this time. Please note, that some events need prior registration (as we have to organise material and wouldn’t want anything to waste, after all).
11:00 – 12:00
Tree-planting With Santa
A refreshingly different Santa experience for you and your child. Come along to our children’s workshop at the Make Space where you will work with Santa and his helpers to make a biodegradable pot and, then, plant your very own tree to take home with you.
Please note, that a separate ticket will be required for each child for the Tree Planting with Santa workshop to help us cover Santa’s milk and cookies. You can sign up and get your ticket in our Tickets section.
12:30 – 2:00
Learn to Knit with Revived Yarn
Revived Yarn will host a beginner’s knitting workshop at the upcoming Zero Waste Christmas Festival. If you would like to give back and help them to warm the homeless but you don’t know how to knit or you are a beginner, this workshop is for you! In this class you will receive a kit containing the yarn to be upcycled and a pattern. You will learn the basic stitches of knitting and all the steps to make a simple and fashionable item for the homeless. Sign up for free here if you would like to learn how to make simple and fashionable items for the homeless.
2:30 – 4:00
Jar Upcycling
Give a second life to all your glass jars. Big or small, skinny or wide, they can be all saved, reused and customized for perfect Christmas decoration or Christmas gifts. Just drop in anytime and Laetitia will show you how.
Art
We are pround to host an art installation by Artinwoods at the festival. The guy behind Artinwoods, Trevor, is an artist currently studying in NCAD for a Diploma in Art and Design. Apart from standard painting techniques he is interested in using found/recycled objects and upscaling them to art. His Sculpture ‘What’s your Plastic Footprint’ will be on display and aims to make people think about their plastic use and what we really leave behind every day.
Venue
The festival will be hosted at the Green Door Market at Unit A1, Bluebell Business Centre, Old Naas Road, Dublin 12 from 10 AM to 5 PM on December 2nd, 2018.
The Green Door Market is located indoors at Unit A1, Bluebell Business Centre, Old Naas Road, Dublin 12. And guess what? The door is green so keep your eyes open for it.
There are bike racks in the courtyard and the parking is free. There is parking in front of the offices and all around the rear. However, the Market is very easily reached by public transport and we encourage our visitors strongly to use a sustainable mode of transportation, e.g. bike, by foot, LUAS or Dublin Bus.
Luas
The Green Door Market is 5 minutes walk from both the Bluebell and the Kylemore stops on the red line. If you use the Kylemore stop cut through The Royal Liver retail park to the car entrance and the Market is opposite.
Buses
Take Dublin Bus 13, 18, 51x, 68, 69, or 69x to Bluebell.
Take a stroll or your bike
If the weather is nice, why not take a walk or your bike. You can plan the best route with the Transport for Ireland Cycle Planner.
What to bring
No need to print your tickets, we will have your name at the door for all ticketed events.
For notes
There’ll be no leaflets or business cards, so bring your phone, a camera or a pen and paper.
For workshops
You’ll need a fork or spoon for samples of food.
For shopping
You’ll need your own containers for loose goods and refills and bring some bags to carry your purchases home.
For food and drinks
Bring your own mug, water bottle and lunch box and utensils. You’re also welcome to bring a picnic to share with your new Zero Waste friends.
Stuff to swap/share/donate
- Clean and wearable men’s, women’s and kid’s clothes for the swap shop
- Some books for the swap shop
- Preloved Christmas Decorations
- OtherMother would love to upcycle your old t-shirts and sheets (100% cotton please)
- Spare jars can be useful for other people who didn’t bring enough
- Bring any take-away containers you have built up to share in case people are short
Photo and video recording
We are very happy if you take photos at the festival and share them on our or your social media with the hashtags #ZeroWasteFestival
If you would like to record videos (private and to share), please talk to us in advance or ask any of the organizers during the day. We also have press passes (with free entry) available – just drop us an email at info@zerowastefestival.ie.
Under any circumstances, please be considerate of your peers and be aware that not everyone (especially visitors and their children) is comfortable with having their picture taken during the event.
We will be taking photos and recording short videos during the event itself to share on our website and social media. Feel free to talk to our volunteers during the day if you do not want to appear in any photos or recordings.