The Partners 

We want to gather young Europeans to work on an environmental 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.

We also 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.

Another reason for this exchange is the European dimension of plastic pollution and the negative impact of single use plastic which 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.