Plastic-Free Gift Wrapping & Creative Community Time – Open Crafting Afternoon at the Bergedorf District Office Brings People Together

18 December 2025

In cooperation with the Bergedorf Borough Office (Bezirksamt Bergedorf) and the Hamburg Alliance Against Loneliness (Bündnis gegen Einsamkeit Hamburg), Plastic-Free City (KuBuS e.V.) hosted an open crafting and gift-wrapping afternoon at the Bergedorf district office on the 9th of December. The aim was to offer an easy-access, free activity that brings people together—right in the middle of the holiday season, when many families are looking for affordable opportunities and small moments of relief.

With tea, cookies, and a warm, welcoming atmosphere, visitors were invited to wrap gifts, craft, and connect with each other. Only materials that had already been collected or reused were provided: gently used wrapping paper gathered in advance, various packaging materials, and even old movie posters kindly donated by a local cinema. This creative reuse meant that no new materials had to be purchased, and it naturally introduced sustainable thinking without explicitly placing sustainability at the center of the workshop.

This approach was intentional: the session was designed to reach people outside the typical “sustainability bubble.” Instead of talking about ecological concepts, the focus was on offering a low-threshold, free activity. Many parents told us how grateful they were to have a cost-free, centrally located opportunity to spend meaningful time with their children during the busy holiday season.

The topic of loneliness was also not explicitly addressed. Instead, the event created a space where everyone could feel welcome. Jana Borutta from the Municipal Health Promotion Management (Kommunales Gesundheitsförderungsmanagement) and Swantje Tiedemann from the Hamburg Alliance Against Loneliness invited passersby to step inside and take a look around. The Senior Advisory Council had been informed ahead of time and took an active part—showing how intergenerational encounters can naturally emerge when an open environment is provided.

The afternoon clearly demonstrated how ecological and social sustainability can come together: resources are conserved, people connect, and creativity becomes a shared experience.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making this open crafting afternoon such a warm and lively gathering in the heart of Bergedorf – especially to Jana Borutta, who initiated and organized the event.