With the growth of consumerism, the amount of waste that is most often associated with packaging and large amounts of plastic decorations, increases every year during the holiday season. By using used items, we not only reduce the number of natural resources that are used, but also reduce energy consumption, pollution and gas emissions.
Bearing in mind the mentioned benefits of second-hand use of items, Sunce organized a used item swap fair in Lazareti on December 2 as part of the Plastic Smart City Dubrovnik project, which was approved and co-financed within the framework of the Public Call for co-financing of projects of associations in the field of environmental protection and of nature of interest to the City of Dubrovnik in 2022.
Dubrovnik citizens brought up to 3 items that they no longer needed and in exchange found gifts for the upcoming holidays, completely free of charge. Some of the items that citizens brought to the Fair are clothes (especially womens), shoes, toys, bags, kitchen utensils, books and jewelry.
– The goal of organizing events like this is to raise awareness among citizens about the importance of circulating items, not their unnecessary accumulation and creation of waste. In Split, we hold an Swap Fair every month at the Klub Zona, and since the first Fair held, the anniversary of which we will soon celebrate, we have noticed a significant increase in the interest of citizens – said Lina Vuletić, an expert associate of Sunce and organizer of such events in Sunce.
The fair in Dubrovnik was held in Lazareti from 14:00 to 19:00 so that as many people as possible could attend. Items citizens brought were exchanged for vouchers and then they took some of the exhibited items with these vouchers.
– I found myself some tights with a winter pattern and a Christmas decoration – said one of the Fair’s visitors.
Judging by the reactions, Dubrovnik citizens like the idea of finding gifts for their loved ones, but also for themselves, in a more sustainable way. Given that gift giving during the holiday season is a tradition, we want to make you aware that there are other ways of finding gifts besides shopping.
We hope that this is only the first in a series of such events in Dubrovnik. Until the next Fair, we invite all citizens to investigate ways in which they can get rid of things they no longer need or use in the household and in this way make others happy.