WASTE-EI

Using innovative approaches, Waste-EI will investigate best practices in waste education delivered across five EU regions, with the aim of sharing best practices and encouraging citizens to improve the quality and volume of valuable resources available for recycling. Delivered by universities and industry, the objective of the project is to change behaviour and ensure that regions maximise recycling in the most cost-effective way through a combination of teaching, educational resources, ICTs and tours to waste treatment facilities. The regions covered by the partnerships represent approximately seven million residents and five million tonnes per annum of municipal wolid waste (MSW), with a variety of recycling approaches. Resource efficiency and the transition to circular economy principles will be central to all of the outputs, ensuring consumer behaviour and materials recovery are included in the project design. All outputs and ideas will be disseminated throughout the partnership and other established networks to maximise the wider impact of the project.

Waste-EI aims to do the following:

• Develop and deliver classroom-based education materials (waste hierarchy, waste prevention, segregation, reuse, recovery and principles of the circular economy), teaching aids, website and resource network

• Educate school teachers through bespoke workshops such that waste education resources can be delivered within schools in the EU

• Facilitate visits to local waste infrastructure to educate young people about the importance of local waste management requirements to ensure clean, high-quality recyclate is produced to enable local re-manufacturing and the replacement of raw materials

• Prepare young people for 'green' sector opportunities resulting from the decoupling of economic growth from material consumption central to the circular economy transition. Note that by 2030, expansion of the circular economy has the potential to create 1.2 to 3 million more jobs in Europe and reduce unemployment by around 250,000 to 520,000.

• Develop a complementary online resource centre with relevant, up-to-date information to support the teaching activities

• Create an intelligently designed and customisable mobile phone app for partners to use to support and develop their education activities. This will be used to engage not only school children but also university students and the general public.

• Develop a waste-aware and motivated generation of young people across Europe that will drive change

Projektteam: Natalia Parfeniuk

Projektwebsite: WASTE-EI Website

Projektflyer (pdf): WASTE-EI Flyer (Tipps zum Müll vermeiden)