Buying campaign to promote climate protection

A Carrotmob campaign is the opposite of a boycott: a group of people spends money to support a business, and in return the business makes an improvement that people care about. It’s a coordinated buying campaign in which customers create a positive incentive (a “carrot”) for businesses to do what people want, such as changes related to energy efficiency waste reduction and other climate/environmental issues. Other carrot mobs can focus on social justice issues, such as selling healthy fruits and vegetables in poor neighborhoods without access, or giving restaurant workers paid sick leave.

Costs: €-€€

One month with only regional food

The regional food challenge aims to motivate participants to base their daily meals on regional grown food only. This competition challenges consumers to be more conscious about where their food comes from, which produce is in season and which products typically need to be imported. Locally grown food has a high postive impact on the local biodiversity and lowers the impact on climate change and the environment due to little transportation, less use of energy for cooling and storing and finally less packaging.

Costs: € - €€ (costs depend on ambition: from swapping consumption for a locally produced produce to starting vegetable garden to farming)

One month without plastic

Plastic Free Challenge is a playful competition to become aware of the amount of single-use plastics in our everyday life and to find respective alternatives to avoid it. It can be organised as a local challenge between friends, families or neighbours, or you can join international challenges on social media. The basic idea is the same: participants challenge themselves to avoid using single-use plastics and document their creative solutions to share with other people. For a 4 week-challenge, participants are invited to weigh the amount of plastic dumped in a „normal“ month and compare with the amount in a „plastic free month“ – the less, the winner! 

Costs: € - €€

Find new favourite clothes

Call it clothing swap party, fashion exchange party or similar - the basic idea is the same: to clear off your wardrobe of those clothes, shoes, accessories or other which are still in good shape, but don't fit your size or your taste any more... and to help them find new happy owners. To do so, you can organise private or public events, invite your friends or more, and create a nice atmosphere where people can present the clothing etc. (hangers, tables and mirrors are useful). It 's not a 1:1 swap, but everyone is free to roam through the items and take what he or she likes, for free! For the party atmosphere, you can ask people to contribute to a buffet with food and drinks, and even have a fashion show at the end to present the new styles. For better planning you can limit the number of items people can bring, and think about what to do with leftovers (2nd hand shops, charity collections, or similar).

Costs: € Generally no costs, as event can be hosted in someone's home, garden or even in the local library. Organize tables, mirrors, clothes hangers; maybe snacks and drinks.