WeFair brings sustainable consumption ideas to Linz

The WeFair trade fair in Linz is presenting ideas for a more sustainable lifestyle this weekend, from fair-trade fashion and regional food to environmentally friendly products, ORF reported.

More than half of the exhibitors are from Upper Austria, with businesses and initiatives from other Austrian states and nearby countries also taking part. Organizers said more than 7,000 people attended last year.

Rescued food is being used in the fair restaurant, coffee lounge and food truck run by the Is Nu Guat initiative. Organizers said almost one million tonnes of food are thrown away in Austria each year. Upper Austria’s climate protection councillor, Stefan Kaineder of the Greens, said the fair aims to show how food can be creatively reused and let visitors try sustainable consumption for themselves.

Saturday’s stage programme focuses on protecting mountain environments, with hut operators, tour guides, activists and authors discussing sustainable tourism and how to treat nature and the climate. The fair also addresses agriculture: the Green Economy held a discussion on the origins of food served in restaurants on Friday. On Sunday, environmental group GLOBAL 2000 will discuss the effects of artificial intelligence and high resource consumption.

Visitors can bring clothing, electrical appliances and toys to the Volkshilfe repair café. Workshops will cover plant dyes, resin ointments and weaving. Sunday morning’s family programme includes puppet theatre, a children’s concert and a quiz trail.