SOUTH Beach turned into a tropical winter wonderland over the weekend, as vendors set up booths to ring in the holiday season at the Sustainable Christmas Market.

There were more than 80 vendors selling products that ranged from plant-based food to second-hand luxury items. Sustainable craft and fitness workshops were also conducted at the event.

Presented by not-for-profit organisation Peace of Art, the event aimed to raise funds for underprivileged children from Singapore Red Cross’ Young Hearts programme.

This group of children live in public rental housing.

By Sunday (Nov 12), the programme raised S$201,000 – excluding the 20 per cent donation from vendors’ sales proceeds – exceeding its S$200,000 target.

Eunice Yeo, founder of Peace of Art, said: “The art of sustainable living is living a good life, but in a sustainable manner.”

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This is especially important as National Environment Agency’s website stated that about 7.4 million tonnes of solid waste were generated in 2022.

She further emphasised that the fitness workshops, sustainable home products, workshops for children to “raise a sustainable generation” and sustainable luxuries support this way of living. 

Shopping, workshops and more

To participate in the Sustainable Christmas Market, vendors had to donate S$600 directly to the Red Cross, or commit at least 20 per cent of their proceeds from the event to the cause. Members of the public could also donate to the initiative.

Two such food and beverage vendors were noomoo and Salted Caramel. Sustainability is at the core of noomoo’s business, as it offers plant-based dairy alternatives. As for ice cream brand Salted Caramel, it focuses on being zero waste by minimising the use of resources and utilising compostable materials.

Another vendor was Market for Good, which showcased handcrafted gifts made by beneficiaries at the event, including single mothers and persons with disabilities. Its founder and managing director Tali Goldman said: “We create a sustainable source of income… and provide a livelihood for beneficiaries.” 

All proceeds from the fitness workshops and sustainable craft workshops went towards the Young Hearts programme. 

Nasdaq-listed proptech platform Ohmyhome ran a workshop for children to build and decorate their dream home by reusing materials.

Race Wong, co-founder of Ohmyhome, said: “A lot of people do delivery and order things online, and it always gets delivered in cardboard boxes. So we collected (cardboard boxes) from our teammates and cut them out into shapes to build a home.” 

In keeping with the holiday spirit, she added that Ohmyhome collaborated with furniture store Commune to organise a Christmas photobooth, with all the proceeds going to Young Hearts. 

Second-hand items as the first choice

The market also featured a bazaar selling pre-loved luxury items, organised by e-commerce marketplace Huntstreet, which sells second-hand luxury items. All proceeds were donated to Young Hearts.

Sabrina Joseph, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Huntstreet, hopes that people will be more sustainable and minimise wastage by making second-hand items their first choice. She said it was a growing need as more people are “getting more consumptive”.

Also doing its bit to promote sustainable modes of transportation was Polestar, which showcased electric vehicles and allowed people to test drive them for free. 

The market was inaugurated by Alvin Tan, Minister of State for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, who highlighted the shift towards a sustainable Christmas. 

City Developments Limited is a supporter of the Sustainable Christmas Market.

 Other companies which support this initiative include DBS and Tencent.