Earth Overshoot Day inspired us.It is the date when humanity’s demand for ecological sources in that year exceeds what earth can renew in a year.2019’s overshoot day was on the 29th of July;we used up earth’s budget for this year before December.According to Global Footprint Network,if we move this date 5 days forward every year,we can carry earth overshoot day to December by 2050.We can achieve it via an easiest,a fastest and cheapest way:by adopting zero waste lifestyles and 5R rule(refuse,reduce,reuse,rot,recycle).The relation between zero waste and climate change is really strong.For any productions we have had;planet’s sources are exploited,raw substances are processed,products are transported to us,we buy these product and eventually many things we regard as rubbish go to landfills,water,soil or air.All these waste and used energy lead to greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions causing climate change.The more we consume,the more GHG emits. A zero waste approach will contribute to stop climate change stated in EU 2020 targets:20% cut in GHG emissions compared to 1990 levels and in Agenda2030 targets:To take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts and reduce GHG emissions at least %40.Our project supports 2015 Paris Agreement whose goal is to cut the emission of gases.By making lifelong learning and mobility a reality and promoting the students to be active citizens,it will contribute to EU objectives as well. Our project is innovative in terms of drawing attention to relation between earth overshoot day and zero waste. Objectives To increase awareness rate %20 in 5 partner schools about zero waste lifestyles by pointing the relation between zero waste and climate change. To reduce ecological footprint by increasing the rate %10 in 5 partner schools about adopting a zero waste lifestyle to ensure a sustainable life. To improve English language skills and other 5 countries’ basic native language skills of students. To reinforce participants’ ICT skills. To gain an international outlook by exchanging good implementations in international dimension. To strengthen participants’ perception of EU values of democracy,equality,respect for human dignity,rights and tolerance. To be aware of being unique as a nation,but also to be aware of being an irreplaceable part of European family. Project partners are France(Coordinator),Turkey,Poland,Lithuania and Portugal.There are 5 LTTs in the project;each includes 5 students and 2 accompanying teachers. Students,teachers,parents,administrators,school staff,local participants,non-govermental organizations will participate in project activities according to type of activities. To raise awareness seminars,workshops,logos,posters,calendars,bookmarkers,zero picnics,rap songs,t-shirt designs,zero waste clubs,celebrating zero waste week and World Day in schools,visits,e-handbook,e-picture book,painting contest,films,animations will be carried out.Grasping the significance of consuming less,participants will be ready for a zero waste lifestyle. Collecting waste batteries and oil,shopping activity by using fabric bags,t-shirt designs,planting trees,recycling of materials,zero waste picnics,producing compost,biogas,vinegar,natural cosmetics,zero waste clubs and workshops will contribute to reduce ecological footprint.Our aim is to put what we have learnt into practice.As stated in social media:“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly,we need millions doing it imperfectly.” Webinars,eTwinning activities,LTTs,e-newsletters,digital dictionary,e-handbook,e-picture book will contribute to improvement in English language and being acquainted with other partners’ mother tongue. Via LTTs,eTwinning activities,computer programs,social media platforms,web2.0 tools used in creating logos, posters,e-handbooks,e-picture books and e-newsletters ICT skills will be reinforced. Impact/results in the long term A project website,Twitter,Instagram and Facebook accounts where all project results will be shared will be created;they will be active at least 5 years.On our ongoing eTwinning project and group,all activities will be shared and disseminated. For sustainability of the project to promote zero waste and a sustainable life; Zero Waste Clubs which will be active after the project will be found.Social media pages in native language will be created to share the outcomes and make an impact. Project experiences will be integrated into the strategic plans to contribute to the long-term growth of schools. Zero Waste Week will be celebrated every year;competitions,exhibitions and zero waste picnics will be held. A new eTwinning and Erasmus+KA229 project on‘Sustainable Life’ will be started. Every year World Environment Day corner will be prepared. Sharing good practices and new ideas via webinars/Skype will go on. Publishing our project’s results and summary in Erasmus Results Platform and School Education Gateway will be a source of inspiration for coming projects.
No Time To waste was an Erasmus+ KA229 project including 5 countries (France, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Turkey). Its main goal is to cooperate for innovation and exchange of good practices in the field of sustainable development education. It started in 01/09/2021 and was impacted by COVID restrictions and the war in Ukraine that led us to ask for a 1 year prolongation and adapt the program of activities and mobilities. The main objectives were to increase awareness about zero waste lifestyles and to spread good practices, to improve English language and ICT skills of students, to gain an international outlook by discovering other cultures and exchanging with foreign students, and to strengthen international unity concerning climate change issues. This was a follow-up to a E-twinning project "let's move the date forward" about Earth Overshoot Day.: the date when humanity’s demand for ecological sources in a year exceeds what earth can renew in the year. (2019’s overshoot day was on the 29th of July). This partership aimed at studying zero waste lifestyles and applying 5R rules (refuse, reduce, reuse, rot, recycle). At the end of the year, the partners (France, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey) proposed this KA229 Project and Portugal joined the team. Eventually the 5 LTTs were successfully done, including visits/conferences and workshops about reducing waste and carbon footprint, and cultural visits and events. Between LTTs, many activities were realised, separately or cooperatively : seminars, exhibitions, events, creative works and contests, dissemination activities,..., Local companies, universities, non-governmental organisations took part to the program of activities. A zero waste club has been created in each school as well as a zero-waste corner where results and information could be seen at school. These clubs and corners shall perdure. The zero-waste week in May was the privliedged period of dissemination of our project through conferences, workshops, exhibitions, zero-waste picinic at school. It shall also be perpetuated. The first year we regularly met online and strove to get the program done despite COVID restrictions. The 3 online meeting with students were successful and helped to gain motivation : first there was the logo contest "Eurovision" event using a Mentimeter template, then a work session about the videodictionnary, and finally the virtual zero-waste picnic event in may. The beginning of the second year was difficult with a lot of incertainties about LTTs and COVID restrictions. In January it all changed when LTT in Portugal in March became possible and our 1 year prolongation was granted. The war in Ukraine made us choose France instead of Poland for the next LTT in June. The third year started with the LTT in Turkey and finished with the two last LTTs (Lithuania/Poland) in May and June. Project's results include a logo (vector image), e-posters about climate change, an e-handbook about good practices for reducing waste and decreasing carbon footprint, an e-calendar with the best paintings from the contest "visions of a desirable sustainable future", and an animation movie promoting a sustainable lifestyle, bookmarks (both ICT and handcraft), all of which developing ICT skills. Solar panels farms, waste recyling companies and researchers, architects, craftmen, ecological guides and activists provided information in english that fed the content of dissemination activities. Relations with these local collaborators will be maintained as educational resources for other projects in this field. Cultural content was also very satisfying with a lot of socializing activities contibuting to the improvement of English communication skills. Relations between partners were good from the start and we are thinking of doing another project on sustainable life design. Among the problems we encountered : - We met a lot of difficulties establishing dates for LTTs due to exams and specific constraints of each of the 5 partners. - A few key members of the project left their school after the first year and their skills were badly missed:: our ICT specialist in Portugal and both our social media specialist and our ERASMUS project manager in France. - Most of the program was fulfilled, but some of the activities had to be adapted or replaced by equivalent meaningful activities - We often met contradictions with our objectives like having to take many planes for LTTs or making extensive use of social media while we learn that it is bad for climate change.