With the implementation of the project “Smart Green Generation,” which was carried out from 21 to 29 June 2025 in Istanbul, Türkiye, we pursued the objective of systematically raising young people’s awareness of the principles of the circular economy and strengthening their digital competences in the context of ecological sustainability. We aimed to develop a well founded understanding of the interconnections between resource consumption, climate change, and individual consumption patterns, while simultaneously conveying concrete action oriented competences. Furthermore, we intended to bring together young people from Germany, Serbia, North Macedonia, Türkiye, and Romania in an intercultural learning environment in order to promote a shared European approach to environmental and sustainability issues. A central concern was to convey the core concepts of the circular economy, in particular the principles of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair as well as zero waste approaches, in a practical manner. We sought to demonstrate how these concepts can be understood as a strategic response to increasing global material consumption and rising waste generation. In doing so, we placed particular emphasis on clearly presenting the ecological, economic, and social benefits of the circular economy and highlighting its relevance within the framework of the European Green Deal. Another objective was to deepen the participants’ environmental awareness by enabling them to critically reflect on the impacts of their individual and collective decisions. We provided competences for measuring their own ecological footprint using digital tools such as CO2 footprint calculators, simulation tools, and interactive analysis platforms. This was intended to enable participants to make data based decisions and to develop concrete measures to reduce their ecological impact. In addition, we pursued the objective of specifically strengthening the digital competences of the young people. Participants learned to use technological tools not merely as consumers, but strategically for problem solving, particularly with regard to environmental analysis, resource efficiency, and sustainable project development. In this way, we combined ecological education with digital transformation and promoted integrated competence development in line with European priorities for sustainability and digitalisation. A further focus was placed on promoting active citizenship and voluntary engagement. We informed participants about the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme and encouraged them to engage long term in environmental and sustainability initiatives. The aim was to position them not only as learners, but as multipliers who would further disseminate sustainability principles within their local communities.