The objectives of the RESCUE project were: -To raise awareness among young people on the long-term impact of plastic on the environment and human health -To promote more sustainable consumption patterns of plastics for young people and to stimulate tangible change -To build environmentally friendly behaviors and attitudes among young people -To provide youth workers with tools and methodologies to transfer knowledge to young people regarding the use of plastic and motivate them to run green initiatives -To connect young people through green campaigns and give them the opportunity to learn, cooperate, volunteer and disseminate their experiences to peers and the society -To equip the partners’ staff with the know-how to apply green, plastic-free practices inside their organizations
The average global plastic consumption is 45 kg per person per year, with Western Europe accounting for 136 kg per person per year (Plastics Insight, 2016). In 2020, 367 million tons of plastics were produced globally, 55 million tons of which were produced in Europe, accounting for 15% of global plastics production (Material Economics, 2021). The effects of plastic use on human health and nature are immense. Many young people are unsettled by the multiple global crises. The RESCUE partnership aimed to develop a comprehensive and collaborative approach to learning for environmental sustainability involving different bodies, organizations and participants in the education, youth work and training system. By raising awareness through theoretical knowledge and participatory activities, the project intended to build attitudes and behaviors of young people regarding climate change and sustainable consumption patterns of plastic, also providing stimuli to young people for creating green initiatives and campaigns with an impact on the environment and society.