The EU has set ambitious recycling targets to be achieved by 2030. Currently our initial assessment of the education system in the EU suggests that the core priorities and behavior changes necessary to achieve these demanding targets are not routinely addressed in the academic delivery to school children across the region. We have found that there are good practices but based within silos within the EU. This project, "Waste", combines 5 HE and 1 industrial partner to improve the knowledge delivered by Higher Education Institutions to facilitate wider education of EU citizens and school children in particular. thus creating the environment required for EU transition to a Circular Economy. Currently in each EU country there are silos of good practice but there is yet to be an informed and unified approach to producing future "waste citizens". Consequently, "Waste-EI" will break down these silos and develop a unified informative yet exciting educational resources to address unsustainable consumption trends which need to be addressed if we are to meet the ambitious EU reuse and recycling targets. The project is predicated on the belief that the attitudinal and behavioural change necessary to achieve these very significant shifts in societal waste management will only occur through proactive interventions in all life stages, but most importantly in the developmental years of EU citizens (ie whilst in formal education). Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) Waste 2 Resource Innovation Centre (W2RIC) aims to lead the "Waste-EI" project and develop and deliver a suite of education activities to promote waste prevention and resource efficiency through teaching and visits to waste treatment facilities. The waste and resources industry will have to undergo digital and technological change to enable the transition; therefore, a key measure will be to enable young people to understand STEM skills required to enable this transition boosting growth, jobs and low carbon opportunities. The project Waste-EI will provide a basis upon which other projects focusing on education for the reduction of waste and the circular economy in particular, may be undertaken in the future.
The EU has ambitious recycling targets to be achieved by 2030 and the only way to achieve these is via education and behaviour change. The core priorities and behaviour changes necessary to achieve these demanding EU targets are not routinely addressed in the academic delivery to school children across the region - there are good practices but based within silos within the EU. The Waste -EI project formed a consortium to tackle this issue. Combining 5 HE and 1 industrial partner we have improved the knowledge delivered by Higher Education Institutions to facilitate wider education of EU citizens and school children in particular thus creating the environment required for the EU transition to a Circular Economy. Waste-EI was delivered via 4 Intellectual Outputs: 1) a full waste system needs assessment; 2) Waste Citizen website; 3) Waste education teaching guides; 4) Guide for students and residents, 5 publications and 1 in press. Over 130,000 teachers, children, students, lecturers and citizens engaged with the project.