project sustainability 

Exchange 25 Martina Franca, La Spezia and Budapest: 

Sustainability at school

This week, we will explore how we can make our school more sustainable. We will focus primarily on waste. Our objectives are: 

1. Make our fellow students aware of their behaviour with regard to waste. 

2. Motivate our fellow students to make their behaviour with regard to waste more sustainable, both at school and at home.

3. Take the first steps towards making school policy more sustainable by drawing up an action plan with concrete action points.

Project introduction 

Tuesday 04/11: projectwork The secret life of a plastic bottle

Practical organisation

1. You can find the groups here 

2. Every group needs a webmaster. 

WIFI

Username: bezoeker

Password:  c9giltpc 

Assignment 1      Deadline 10.20 h. 

Find a good video on you tube. Don't be happy with the first link you find. Make a link on your groups website page. 

Assignment 2     Deadline 10.20 h . 

Do some research on the life of your plastic bottle. 

1. 1. 1. These lists of questions can help you to find good facts and figures. 

         1. List the Fishpeople 

         2. List the Explorers

         3. List the Eagles 

         4. List the Relivers

      2. You can find a list of good sources with facts and figures below. 

      3. Discuss your findings within your group and make notes as base for your survey. 

      4. Make sure you get into the most important elements you will need to mention in the survey ( see below). 

Assignment      Deadline 11.20 h. 

Divide the group into 4 groups 

1. Make a text 200 words withe the essence of the life of your bottle(you can find an example here). Ensure that the following important elements are clearly incorporated into your text. You are allowed to use AI. 

   1. 1. What are the most important facts surrounding the journey of your bottle? Be sure to include some surprising figures.

      2. What are the ecological consequences of these facts?

      3. Does this also have consequences for our health?

      4. Are there economic opportunities to offer solutions? 

      5. Are there any policy solutions that need to be implemented?

2. Make a news item for the the News Broadcast in 2050. Try to bring the news that scientists predict if the policy on plastic waste doesn't change. Stay within the story of your bottle. (for example: the bottle that ends up in the ocean). Use the app. Capcut.

Remarks 

3. 1. 1. write a script

      2. think about the message 

      3. use chatgpt 

4. Make an advertisement promoting the journey your bottle made. Use the app. Capcut. You can make this extremely humorous or extremely realistic. The aim of your film is to raise awareness of the problem. 

Remarks 

4. 1. 1. write a script

      2. think about the message 

      3. use chatgpt 

5. Make a poster visualizing in a simple way the life of your bottle. Make sure the poster is informative, simple and provides awareness of the problem. 

BEWARE 

• Chat gpt 

  • Good prompt

    1. 1. 1. 1. Students 15 year old 

             2. good info 

             3. don't be happy with the first text, keep

  • Not a search engine 

  • Shit in -> shit out 

Wednesday 05/11: projectwork The secret life of a plastic bottle

TO DO 

1. Make an organisation of your workshop. 

2. Write down the set-up in detail. The workshop should take max 5 min. 

3. Make a list of materials. 

4. Look for an appropriate spot to put down your workshop (talk to the coordinators)

TO DO (COORDINATION)

1. Make a plan of the expo 

2. Make a Timing

3. Organise an incentive and rewarding system motivate the visitors to attend as much workshops as possible. 

1. “The amount of plastic waste”  Ylan en Raphael

Goal: Understand how much plastic waste we produce in a year.

Setup: Each EU citizen produces 36 kg waste per year. Within the EU we are +/- 450 miljon people. The students try to make it visual by filling garbage bags till they reach 36 kg.

Educational value: Shows how much plastic waste we produce. An incentive to avoid plastic waste.

2.  “The Journey of Plastic” – Interactive Map or Maze by Ronaldo en Baptiste 

Goal: Understand how plastic travels from production to pollution.

Setup: Create a floor game or wall map with arrows, QR codes, and short tasks.

Students follow a plastic bottle’s journey: factory → shop → use → waste → river → sea.

They make choices along the way (“Do I recycle or throw it away?”) and see the consequences.

Educational value: Shows how personal choices affect the environment.

3.  “Plastic or Not?” – Touch and Identify Booth by Lowie en Anna

Goal: Discover how much plastic we use daily.

Setup: Boxes with everyday items—some plastic, some not. Students guess, then learn about hidden plastics (synthetic fibers, cosmetics, etc.).
Optional: use a UV lamp to reveal microplastics in samples.

Educational value: Raises awareness about hidden plastics in daily life.

4.  “Microplastic Microscope” – Science Station

Goal: Learn about microplastics and their impact on ecosystems and health.

Setup:Use microscopes or digital magnifiers with samples from water, sand, or clothing fibers.Students identify and count microplastics.

Educational value: Connects science with real environmental issues.

5.  “How Much Plastic Is in You?” – Health Awareness Booth

Goal: Understand how plastic affects human health.

Setup: Interactive posters, infographics, or quizzes about plastic in food, air, and water.
Students can eat a food of their choice and must try to avoid as much plastics as possible.

Educational value: Links behavior to personal health

6. “Upcycling Workshop” – Creative Station

Goal: Show how plastic waste can be reused.

Setup: Let students make small crafts or artworks from bottles, caps, or wrappers. Or something very useful.Display examples from eco-artists or designers.

Educational value: Promotes creativity and circular thinking.

7. “Plastic Soup Simulator” – Experiment or Game  by Violette en Améline

Goal: Understand ocean pollution.

Setup: Use a large basin filled with water and floating trash. Students try to “clean” it and realize how difficult it is.

Educational value: Demonstrates why prevention matters more than cleanup.

8. “What Can I Do?” – Action & Promise Wall 

Goal: Inspire individual responsibility.

Setup: A big board where students write and hang personal pledges (“I’ll use a reusable bottle,” “No more plastic straws”).
Add info about local initiatives or cleanup projects.

Educational value: Encourages concrete, positive action.

9.  “Where Does My Packaging Come From?” – Global Map Game

Goal: Learn about the global impact of plastic production.

Setup: Use real packaging with country labels or QR codes.
Students connect strings on a world map to show where each item originated.

Educational value: Links consumption to global sustainability

10.  “The Life Cycle of Plastic” – Escape Box or Puzzle Game by Kato en Leonor

Goal: Think critically about plastic’s life stages.

Setup: Create an escape room–style box where each puzzle represents a production step (raw material, product, use, waste, recycling).

Educational value: Promotes teamwork and systems thinking.

11. “The True cost of Plastic” – Economy Station

Goal: Show that cheap plastic has hidden costs.

Setup: Compare prices: plastic product vs. sustainable alternative. Add “hidden cost” cards about pollution and health.

Educational value: Teaches about sustainable economics.

12.  “The Real Age of Plastic” – Master Mind by Andreas en Seppe

Goal: Learn how long plastics lasts in Nature 

Setup: Let the students sort different plastic waste according to their “surviving” years i  nature

Educational value: Explains the long term damage of plastic waste in the environment.

13. “From Bottle to Fleece” – Textiles & Microfibers

Goal: Discover plastic in clothing.

Setup: Display garments made from recycled plastic bottles. Compare natural vs. synthetic fabrics (feel, durability, washing).

Educational value: Connects fashion with environmental awareness.

14. “Plastic-Free Supermarket” – Shopping Game

Goal: Practice making eco-friendly choices.

Setup: Create a mini “store” with real or mock products. Students shop for items with the least plastic packaging.

Educational value: Teaches sustainable consumer habits.

15.  “Art Against Plastic” – Creative Expression by Laura en Axelle

Goal: Express feelings and opinions about plastic pollution.

Setup: Invite students to make art or poetry from recycled materials. Exhibit their works as part of the expo.

Educational value: Combines art, emotion, and environmental education.

16.  “Recycling Myths Busted” – Critical Thinking Booth by Anna en Marie 

Goal: Learn to identify misinformation.

Setup: Present statements like “All plastic gets recycled” or “Bioplastics are always eco-friendly.”Students guess true or false, then see the explanation.

Educational value: Builds media literacy and critical thinking.

17.  “Future Without Plastic” – Innovation Challenge by Morgane en Marie-Madelène

Goal: Inspire creative problem-solving.

Setup:Teams design an invention, campaign, or policy to reduce plastic use. Present ideas in a mini fair or pitch session.

Educational value: Encourages innovation and teamwork. 

18.  “Take Action” – Physical activity by Georges and Jack

Goal: Bring awareness to the other students. 

Setup: The students will place a tag with ‘the sea starts here’ on the playgrounds, where the water ends up in the drains. 

Educational value: Encourages taking action! 

19.  “Make a waste heat map” – Field research

Goal: Bring awareness of the problem of local waste at school. <

Setup: The students will conduct field research at school to determine where dirt accumulates and where they need to provide a solution. They will report this on a map of the school, which will be illustrated with photos of the risk areas. 

Educational value: Students learn to analyse and report. 

20.  “OVERALL ORGANISATION of the EXPO” 

Goal: We create an incentive and a practical organisation for the visitors of the EXPO. 

Setup: The students will organise the expo: 

• Think about a rewarding system for the visitors. 

• Make a plan of the room and organise the placement of the different workshops

Educational value: Students learn to organise. 

Thursday 06/11: projectwork The secret life of a plastic bottle

Assigment 1  10.20 h. 

• Try out your workshop 

• Prepare the workshop 

• Make a list of materials you need 

Assigment 2  11.20 h. 

• Practical preparation 

Practical arrangments Waste Expo

• Welcome by organisation 

  • divide in groups 

  • talk about the timing 

• Groups of 4 

  • You are busy with a group tell the next group to wait. 

  • Or work with 2 groups at a time. 

• Lanyard with card 

  • rewarding only if the group did exceptionally well

  • Present wheel --> organisation 

• Your workshop 

  • Starmarker --> evaluation  

  • workshop number 

  • Materials  ( BEWARE 16h. Hand in with Anna+ and Lowie+ )

BEWARE 

• Clean up all your stuff 

• make it look great 

• Be nice --> kids can be very challenging 

• We love it when a plan comes together. 

Good sources 

• https://www.plasticsoupfoundation.org/en/plastic-facts-and-figures

• https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Packaging_waste_statistics

• https://www.weforum.org/

• Our World in Data: Provides comprehensive data and graphs on global plastic pollution, including production and waste. Focuses on the world's largest plastic producers, such as China and North America, with production data. 

• WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature): Focuses on the impact of plastic on animals and provides concrete figures on the number of animals that die due to plastic pollution.

• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Provides information on global waste flows, with statistics on how plastic waste is processed (recycled, incinerated, or landfilled).

• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): Publishes facts and analyses the sources of plastic pollution, with a particular focus on disposable products and urban sources.

• Business Waste: A British source that shares a wide range of statistics, from plastic bags to household waste and ocean plastic.

• Aquablu:  Focuses on the world's largest plastic producers, such as China and North America, with production data. 

Exchange 24 Martina Franca, La Spezia and Budapest: 

Sustainability in fashion industry. 

Students conduct a SWOT analysis in regards to sustainability of the fashion industry. They do this within the framework of the 17 sustainable development goals set by the united nations in 2015. 

This synthesis will be compiled into a website. This website can be found on the results page. 

Furthermore, to make the students of our school aware of the problems of the fashion industry ( fast fashion) and their consumption behavior, the students will create an instagram post and organize a pop up event with infotainment and thrift shop. 

The students use the following information and documents: 

On thursday, to make an instagram post you need to make a movie with the following program.