EVENT: WAO Summit, Wanaka, Oct 26 - 31st
Wao : The forest, with its intrinsic diversity, natural regeneration and climate regulating abilities.
Our Kaiwhakahaere Fi is off to Wanaka! Fi will be lending her voice to speak at the WAO Summit which is a six-day annual event that aims to inspire, educate and dive into all things Zero Waste. Res.Awesome and the team behind the WAO summit are here to help Aotearoa reduce waste and become home to thriving carbon zero communities.
Fi is stoked to join the team at the WAO summit in our shared kaupapa; to empower people on their journey towards raising awareness about climate justice and facilitating community collaboration all over Aotearoa. We are living through a period of massive change which has been influenced by the threats of climate change, the economic pressures suffered by many and the measures taken to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. This time throws many challenges our way along with many opportunities for positive change!
Amidst the six-day WAO Summit of 2021, the team will be hosting a sustainability event called ‘Buy Less, Buy Better: It Is Time For a Fashion Revolution’. This event is part of their live-stream series and can be attended virtually for those unable to physically attend.
Fashion production makes up 10 per cent of humanity's carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. About 85 per cent of all textiles go to the dump each year. Washing some types of clothes sends thousands of bits of plastic into the ocean.
Textiles in our home were once comprised of all-natural materials, yet now we find ourselves in a time where we are surrounded by synthetics; on our floors, walls, bodies and even beds. These materials bring their own health and safety hazards, as well as having an irreversible negative impact on our environment.
Fi’s work as a zero-waste textile practitioner and founder of Stitch Kitchen (Just Atelier Trust) makes her a perfect fit for this event. From 7pm to 9pm on Saturday 30th of October, Fi will be sharing the podium with notable leaders in this space such as:
Tim Jones (facilitator) - Grow Good founder, a purpose-focused consulting
Peri Drysdale - founder and CEO of sustainable lifestyle fashion brand Untouched World and Chair of the Untouched World Foundation
Ben Acland, Mons Royale
Lillian Cotter - Advocate for sustainability and circularity in the fashion industry
This discussion is suitable for the whole community and will explore the issues surrounding fashion and textiles and how we can all make a difference with style. With this event, Res.Awesome and WAO hope to raise awareness about the importance of natural fibres, not just for land and water, but also for our health. The team at Res.Awesome know this is a priority for our followers, check out our previous blog post to see what you can do about our microfibre pollution problem.
You’ll also be able to catch up with Fi in a more informal setting during the Sustainable Communities tour exploring the WAO Sustainable Communities map. This guided tour will visit 13 locations around Wānaka, visiting people and places who make this town a thriving, sustainable community. Your opportunity to get a first-hand look and experience of what's going on already. Look out for where Fi will be with her creative reusable textile goodness.
Watch this blog space for more information about this important issue, as we endeavour to keep our community in the know when it comes to best sustainability practices. Thank you to the incredible team at WAO, we are so stoked to partner up with like-minded organisations! Check out their work here.
This event is part of the WAO Summit 2021, check out the full programme below.
wao.co.nz
In the case of Covid-19 alert level changes, this event will be activated online as a virtual session. All events that can be run in person will be. Visit their website for full details of Wao’s Covid-19 Policy www.wao.co.nz/covidpolicy
