It was Friday, 21 May 2021, when curious people gathered in the lobby of the GECQ building during lunch time to be there for the start of the first flea market organized by the GECQ. Nine sellers brought their clothing, books, household appliances, toys, and more and sold them successfully to the visitors. Besides GECQ tenants and employees of other companies in the Ecopark there were also some of the local residents participating enthusiastically.
„Too often, we throw out stuff we no longer use, although it is not broken and still functional. Not only is that wasteful, but also bad for the environment” says Ms Lu, Director of Administration & Events for the GECQ. Her idea: organizing a flea market in order to support the idea of sustainability that is a big part of the Ecopark concept. “We can give people here a platform to sell their “old” stuff or find “new” things for little money. That might be especially interesting for families with children – they often play with toys only for a certain amount of time and they also outgrow their clothes quickly. That does not come cheap.“ The GECQ offers its lobby and the organizational effort to hold the flea market for free and will organize the next one in two months.
The GECQ Team had its own booth at this first flea market and donated all of its income from the sales to the Charity Federation of Qingdao Economic and Technological Development Area, altogether 1,515 RMB.