Mini guide: A sustainable DDW

Okay, okay, as an avid visitor, you know better than anyone else that sustainability (in the broadest sense of the word) plays an important role during Dutch Design Week. Is this your first DDW? Then you're going to experience just that! From social impact to ecologically responsible fashion, all designs and expos have a link to sustainability. And let's not forget: you, too, can make your visit to DDW 2023 a little more sustainable. We share all the tips & tricks below. 

Transportation

Our practical guide tips everything about transportation to and within the city. You probably guessed it: by bike or on foot is simply the most sustainable option. You can rent a bike at Ketelhuisplein or Fuutlaan. Traveling by train? Continue your journey with an OV-bike from the Central Station or Station Strijp-S. You'll find electric bikes and scooters from Go Sharing, TIER, CHECK, and Cargoroo all over the city. Prefer to go by car? With a DDW wristband, you can get a free ride in one of the Design Rides, which, not coincidentally, are fully electric. Enjoy the ride! 

Shopping

Beware: all those beautiful designs can make you greedy (we've warned you). Small-scale, vintage, locally produced, or made from leftover materials, at the following shops and ateliers, you’ll find everything your green heart desires: 

• TWEEK Eek: Twin sisters Roos and Geertje Eek make machine-inspired jewelry. See their creations (of which many fashion magazines are fans) with your own eyes in their new showroom or the Piet Hein Eek shop. 

• Sectie-C: Lovers of vintage and handmade interior gems should not miss the ateliers at Sectie-C.  

• YATVA: Let's keep it short and sweet; YATVA is the vintage Valhalla of Eindhoven. Visit them at Plan B!

Food and drinks

Design shopping on an empty stomach is an absolute no-go (we know this from experience). Fortunately, the choice is vast when it comes to fine eateries, also with sustainability in mind. Wether you opt for a break at one of the designhotspots or head straight to one of the vegan restaurants, here are our tips:

• Brasserie NEXT: Want to know what the future tastes like? Brasserie NEXT at Evoluon does things differently, from jellyfish sandwiches to space cake.

• Vaderland at Benz: Taste the rich harvest of this beautiful season with hyper-local products at Kazerne.

• Bar Bistro Calypso: For french fries and Grandma Bob's bitterballen, among other things, all plant-based! 

• Rabauw: Not only is the beer brewed on location, but the people here are also super social. You can read more about that in our web stories. 

• Jungle Café: Plant-based, healthy, and bio. What else do we need to say?

• Super MARKT: Sharing is caring, right? At super MARKT Restobar, you'll enjoy small but tasty dishes to share.

Exhibitions

The theme of Dutch Design Week 2023 is 'Picture This', a call to think about what the future ahead. What will await us in 20, 30, 50 years? The following exhibits managed to capture that energy: 

• Regeneration - Fashion from the Ground Up: Visiting New Order of Fashion will get you up to speed on healing fashion and planet. No time to lose!

• Tony: Cooling your veggies and fruits without electricity? The innovative project called Tony encourages you to rethink food storage and sustainable consumption.

• WasteBase: Recycling residual materials is a sustainable way of circular production. WasteBase shows you how!

• Spacefarming: Discover the future of our food at Evoluon. In addition to the Spacefarming exhibition, there is much more to see!

Sustainable visit for those who don’t live in Eindhoven

There are many ways to make your visit to Dutch Design Week a little greener. But perhaps our biggest tip: stick around while you’re here! This way, you not only make your DDW trip more profitable (because more days = more time to indulge in design), but you can also get to know Eindhoven a little better. Like to plan your trip with us? We'd love to share our ten tips for a sustainable city trip here. We also know a thing or two on spending the night in Eindhoven. Looking for a design hotel, anyone?