What's Up ?!

What happened so far and what's next

The last months have been a wild journey with several workshops or actions each month. Mutuus hosted workshops and presentations about Composting, Eco-Voluntarism, Community Work in Zambia. Joined forces with the Veolia Eco-Center for a Repair Cafe and an Upcycling workshop. We collaborated with the University and the Portugues Association of Environmental Education, met in the park for Natural Movements and Yoga and had another 5 km run on the Canal. All while we opened up another second hand shop, tried to grow tomatoes on our window sills and catch some summerwinds in the city of Aveiro. 


War is not just a human tragedy; It's an environmental disaster too. Wars take lives, both human beings and animals, and destroy forests and rivers. Our planet suffers with us. Talking about war can be tiring, but silence is not an option. We need to keep talking about wars and their devastating consequences because every voice can help put an end to them. Merch for Ukraine brings Ukraine's courage into the spotlight with products that tell stories — stories of Ukrainian resilience in the face of Russian invasion. Merch for Ukraine doesn't just sell clothes; helps causes like Ukrainian Witness, a Ukrainian media project that reveals the harsh realities of war. Join us, listen to the stories of struggle and take a piece of history with you. Every item you purchase is a statement and a step towards Victory and peace. The project will be presented by Olga Filipova, a Ukrainian activist from Coimbra. Since 2014, she has been debunking Russian propaganda and, with Merch for Ukraine, gives people a way to show support and stay informed. Come, support and help us keep history alive. 

The Cabeço Santo Association (ACS) is an Environmental NGO that focuses on restoring ecosystems and renaturalizing landscapes. Its headquarters are in Feridouro, in the municipality of Águeda. Regular activities are based on the removal and control of exotic and invasive species, the sowing and planting of native species and the signposting of walking routes to discover native habitats. The Cabeço Santo Association (ACS) is an Environmental NGO that focuses on restoring ecosystems and renaturalizing landscapes. Its headquarters are in Feridouro, in the municipality of Águeda. Regular activities are based on the removal and control of exotic and invasive species, the sowing and planting of native species and the signposting of walking routes to discover native habitats. Furthermore, we believe that environmental education is fundamental to nature conservation, and we contribute to this by holding lecture sessions, educational games and field visits to our land with schools and institutions. 

Portugal has been very successful in reducing the consumption of plastic bags over the last few years. 

However, is choosing to buy a cotton bag really better for the environment? The truth is that buying a cotton cloth bag will certainly not make us more sustainable, unless we use the same bag about 7,000 times (or 20,000 times in the case of organic cotton). 

We are sure that the campaign to avoid the consumption of plastic bags was very important in this country, also due to its proximity to the sea, however, buying new cloth bags cannot be the solution - and especially if we accumulate several of these bags in our kitchens. 

The resources used in cotton production, as well as the difficulty in recycling these bags, mean that these bags are not as environmentally friendly as you might think. 

Buying new items, in a world facing a current and growing climate crisis, can never be the solution!

 Come and sit with us in a workshop facilitated again by Marcelle Ferro, where you will learn how to use clothes at the end of their lives to create your own, unique, tote bag. 

This workshop is free. Send us a message via Whatsapp (915 219 461) with your registration. 

Sources:

https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/sustainable-living/cotton-tote-bags-sustainable-shopping-b1909035.html

On Saturday, Mutuus went to Eco-Centro de Aveiro to help with the Repair Café organized by Veolia. If you have any electronic equipment giving you a headache, come and find out and let's try to repair it together! Nowadays it's easy to get into the habit of buying and throwing away. We want to break this cycle and relearn the art of repair. 

Rita is passionate about making her clothes last longer and, as such, finds creative ways to do so. A year ago she studied Modeling and Sewing in Lisbon, and started sewing and knitting her pieces. 

In this workshop, Rita will teach us how to transform denim pieces into yarn that will be used to later create knitted pieces. 

Mutuus receives many donations that are not in good condition to sell, and we have all these donations stored in storage as recycling them is difficult. We intend, in the future, to be able to (re)use this valuable textile resource in our climate center but, for now, projects like Rita's are an added value for the use of these pieces. 

Textile waste is currently a huge problem and learning how to reduce it is our business, and yours. 

An urgent matter. 

Better than buying new clothes is buying used clothes. Better than buying used clothes is getting old clothes. Learning to work with fabrics and needles and having the ability to create our own clothes is something that is increasingly distant from the younger generation - used to fast fashion and disposable items. We want to bring back caring and valuing what we have, whether through teaching or reconnecting with people specialized in this art. Come learn from Marcelle, our colleague and fashion designer. 

We met for the second time to take care of our body and mind in a natural space with free access. Our guest, Francisca Zavala, is a Fitness instructor and defines this meeting as an introductory class to these two practices of knowledge, reconnection and encounter with ourselves and nature. 


On August 12th we talked with Michele Giaconia, a food therapist, covering  myths about healthy eating and the importance of sustainable choices not only for your personal health and well-being, but also for society and for the environment.


Max is a Mexican-born environmental engineer specializing in urban resilience to climate change; currently holds a PhD in environmental sciences and engineering at the University of Aveiro. He invites us to discuss how to mitigate climate change by living in a city and share nature based solutions with us. Let´s take advantage of the opportunity to put scientific knowledge at our disposal and apply it in small changes in our day-to-day lives.


Beach Cleaning Action

In December 2022 – where we, together with a partner association from Czech Republic and the local community, used a day to remove lost rubbish from a local beach. This action was taken under the umbrella of Erasmus+ which is an European Programme that aims to promote cultural exchange.

We were about 30 people and have collected really lots of plastic bottles, fishing nets, old carpets, plastic toys, etc. It was a cold and rainy day and after bringing all the rubbish to the recycling containers, we all went to a small local restaurant and had a nice, warm soup. Compared with the need it was a small action, but we believe that small actions can make a difference.