ART OF RECYCLING SHINES IN FESTIVE SHOP WINDOWS
The holiday season is upon us. It’s a time of year full of traditions and expectations that lead us quite naturally to keep doing the same old things — even if they are not good for us. And even if they are not good for the planet. But does it have to be this way? The festive season is a very busy time for retailers, and a vital way for us to attract customers to experience the season with us is through window designs that not only showcase products, but evoke the traditions and celebrations that are held dear by many South Africans.
We feel your relief at the end of the year; we share your delight that holidays are ahead, and we are aware of your aspirations for it to be a good time celebrating with your family and friends.
There’s no question about how special the occasion is. The important thing is: how will we showcase our holiday season shop windows so that they are aligned to Woolies’ zero waste to landfill by 2020 journey?
This was the challenge faced by the Woolies’ Visual Merchandising team this year — and we are delighted with the results. A vivid and beautiful bouquet of indigenous flowers has been crafted as the centrepieces of Woolies’ holiday season window dressing, and they are all locally-crafted from plastic waste.
Approximately 14,000 units of plastic bottles, single-use plastic cutlery and plastic hangers have been artfully re-purposed into handmade Protea flowers by essay Gifts and Kidz Positive. These works of art, entirely repurposed from plastic waste, have been created mainly by women from disadvantaged communities.
The drive to do beautiful holiday-season windows differently is in step with Woolworths’ ZERO packaging to landfill commitments, to ensure that we will phase out all single-use plastic, including shopping bags, by 2020; and that all our packaging will be recyclable or reusable by 2022.
Each King Protea comprises 20 used plastic bottles and every medium-sized Protea design used more than 40 plastic bottles, forks, knives, spoons and hangers.
The waste was collected from Woolworths
Head Office, schools, recycling and sorting facilities as well as via social media appeals and neighbourhood newsletters. The Woolies Visual Merchandising team was on hand not only to involve themselves in design and product development, but also to promote the customer journey to ZERO waste to landfill.
These remarkable flowers have an important waste-free message and after the festive season they will be delivered to local recyclers for their next life as reusable shopping bags, duvet and pillow fillers, packaging or T-shirts.
Because Woolworths recognises that being kind to the environment isn’t just seasonal — it’s for a lifetime.