Project Objectives 

Rational and Needs of the Project

In the light of the environmental challenges facing Europe of today this project aims to raise awareness of the negative impact of plastic and plastic waste on the environment. The EU-Commission has published on their website (https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/plastics_en) that almost 32 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated every year in Europe, from which around 80 % is marine litter. The EU has also been tackling plastic pollution but still 80 % of Europeans are worried about the effects of plastic waste on the environment.

In September 2024 a survey was conducted among Austrian and Polish teenagers where were asked about their knowledge on plastic waste, recycling methods and how long certain plastic material would need to degenerate. The results of this survey were rather disappointing and for this reason the Austrian coordinators decided to take action to organise this project. The partner also believe that teenagers are still openminded and motivated enough to change their daily behaviour related to plastic waste compared to their parents.

Issue related dimension:

The first need to address in this project is to gather young Europeans to work on a topic that can be related to their life as teenagers and that will have a strong influence on their future and their environment. Young people need to understand the impact of plastic on their lives and the amount and type of plastic waste created in Europe. There is also a strong need to furnish young people with knowledge about strategies and green skills how to reduce the amount of plastic and plastic waste in general. With the knowledge acquired they will then act as agents for change for environmental and sustainable development in their social environment and in public. There is a strong need to ensure every young European knows the effect of their actions on the environment.

European dimension:

The second reason for this exchange is that plastic pollution and the negative impact of single use plastic cannot only be tackled on a national level. As plastic is traded and transported all over the world, plastic waste and recycling has become a global and European wide environmental issue. For this reason, the two project partners have agreed to implement this youth exchange to tackle the problem on a European level. Young people need to understand that certain challenges can only be solved on a EU level. The change of perspective can only be achieved by connecting the EU with youth. If youth is guaranteed meaningful involvement and dialogue in EU decision making processes, they acquire the ability to take action and identify  themselves with EU policies and values. As the belief among EU citizens EU has been decreasing during the last couple of years, there is a strong need to build young people’s trust in the EU, its institutions and policies.

Objectives:

- Youth Exchanges: Carry out two one week youth exchanges with 20 young people and group leaders from 2 countries working on the main topic plastic waste.

- Raise awareness of plastic waste issues: Educate participants about the environmental impact of plastic waste, including its effects on marine life, ecosystems, and human health.

- Encourage behavioral change: Motivate participants to adopt eco-friendly habits such as using reusable bags, bottles, and containers, while  understanding the long-term impact of their personal choices on the environment.

- Develop creative solutions to reduce plastic waste: Inspire participants to brainstorm and design innovative solutions or campaigns that can help reduce plastic waste in their communities.

- Foster cross-cultural collaboration: Facilitate collaboration among participants from different countries to develop joint projects or initiatives focused on tackling plastic pollution.

- Empower young people to become European environmental Ambassadors: Equip participants with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to become active advocates for reducing plastic waste and promoting environmental sustainability in their local communities.

- Strengthen the EU Youth dialogue and furnishing young people with knowledge about EU values, active EU citizenship, and democratic participation.