Can Do South Yorkshire is holding an alternative sustainable Christmas market in Shirecliffe this weekend.
The event will be the first of two markets which hope to engage and unite people in climate action over the festive season.
Emily Lewis of the South Yorkshire Climate Alliance which runs the Can Do project said: “We wanted to show that Christmas doesn’t have to cost the earth – it can be a very wasteful time of year but there are plenty of things we can do to move away from consumerism and have a positive climate impact.”
The event will feature campaign stalls from organisations such as Greenpeace and Sheffield for Democracy, as well as craft activities from Craftivists of South Yorkshire.
The organisers of the market want to focus on reducing spending this Christmas and buying recycled or upcycled gifts.
Miss Lewis said: “People often get caught up in the excitement of Christmas and end up being wasteful with their money and our resources. We want to show people it is possible to have a conscious and thoughtful Christmas.”
Dinah Ward, organiser of the campaign Future Friendly Christmas, will be hosting a stall at the market that will ask people to make a Christmas promise to do something different this year.
She said: “It’s not trying to make people feel bad, it is trying to appreciate the fact that people have an emotional attachment to Christmas, to things that are good and positive.”
The campaigner hoped the market and her campaign would encourage people to think about the ways in which their shopping habits impact the environment this Christmas.
Ms Ward said: “It is best to buy less. The number one thing you can do is reduce. You can have a great Christmas without actually buying stuff.”
The market will run from 11am to 4pm this Sunday at Shirecliffe Community Centre.
A second market is planned at the Common Ground Community Centre on Sunday 5 December.
