Community-based creativity and eco-friendly organisations Creative Junk and Floyds Creative Arts have joined the Ecoexpo team as affiliates, running activities throughout the three days of Ecoexpo '09 to help entertain kids of all ages and to promote the exercise of creativity in finding

Community-based creativity and eco-friendly organisations Creative Junk and Floyds Creative Arts have joined the Ecoexpo team as affiliates, running activities throughout the three days of Ecoexpo '09 to help entertain kids of all ages and to promote the exercise of creativity in finding solutions to sustainability issues.

Creative Junk will have an area devoted to encouraging parents to engage in creative play with their children using urban waste, making novel items with materials from the organisations vast supply room.

Floyds Creative Arts will be teaching visitors how too craft items out of flax and promoting the use of effort and creativity rather than money to make individual gift items for friends and family. 

The event, which runs from World Environment Day (Friday 5 June) to Sunday 7 June will also feature a rolling programme of workshops, seminars and films throughout the day for young people and adults, and features a large exhibition hall filled with products and services designed to deliver cost and health benefits to consumers and the planet.

“An eco-friendly lifestyle is no longer a luxury — it's what we need to be doing for a sustainable future,” says Ecoexpo event co-ordinator Glen Tregurtha.

And with Canterbury now firmly in the cold, wet grip of winter, the many solutions that allow people to be warm and dry throughout the year while saving energy costs are sure to be a hit, says Glen.

"Internationally, we're seeing that eco-friendly living is no longer just for 'hippies', it's the lifestyle of today and tomorrow. Families, schools, businesses, scientists, politicians... they're all looking for ways to live well, while still looking out for the environment. We're all about showing people how they can achieve that."

A broad range of products and services will be on display, including home retro-fitting experts, landscape and garden designers, natural health practitioners and products, composting solutions, environmental education providers, solar alternatives, and heating and ventilation engineers.

Christchurch City Council (CCC) has stepped up once again as lead sponsor and the community of Ecoexpo affiliates has grown to include fair trade organisation Trade Aid, community access radio station Plains FM, Ecobulb™ inventor and energy efficiency company Energy Mad, grassroots community building organisation Project Lyttelton, and eco-friendly living website Ecobob.

CCC's principal advisor on sustainability issues, Tony Moore, says Ecoexpo '09 has attracted its support again because the event helps make people more aware of the solutions out there in the market.

"We want to bring sustainable solutions to the attention of as many people as possible," says Tony.

"People are too often bombarded with the problems and not presented with the solutions. These sorts of events allows us to communicate with the public and to promote a sustainability ethic at home and in the workplace."

The Ecoexpo message is that action can save you money while saving the planet at the same time while also improving your health and well-being, Tony says.

Entry is $5 per person or $10 for a pass valid for all three days; children are free. The first 100 vitors each day of the event  will receive a large jute bag, courtesy of Trade Aid; the first 2000 people through the door on each daywill receive a free Ecobulb Mini Downlight worth $20 each, courtesy of Energy Mad.

Ecoexpo '09 runs from 5-7 June; doors open at 10am and close at 6pm on all three days.

Find out more about Ecoexpo '09 at www.ecoexpo.co.nz.