Across the European Union, textile consumption and textile waste are increasing, while progress towards a circular economy remains slow. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), average textile consumption in the EU reached 19 kg per person in 2022, increasing from 17 kg per person in 2019, indicating a growing pressure on natural resources and the environment (https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/textiles). At the same time, the amount of textile waste generated remains very high. The EEA reports that approximately 16 kg of textile waste per person per year is generated in the EU, while only a small share is collected separately for reuse or recycling. Most textiles still end up in landfills or incineration. The European Parliament highlights that textiles are among the top five consumption categories with the highest environmental and climate impact in the EU, due to water use, greenhouse gas emissions, chemical pollution and waste generation (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20201208STO93327/fast-fashion-eu-laws-for-sustainable-textile-consumption). Despite EU-level policies promoting circular economy, progress remains limited. According to Eurostat and the EEA, the EU circular material use rate reached only around 12%, demonstrating that linear “take–make–dispose” consumption patterns still dominate (https://shorturl.lt/hxIVz5). Young people are a key target group for addressing sustainability challenges. According to the European Parliament Youth Survey 2024, 33% of young people aged 16–30 identify environment and climate change as one of the top priorities for the European Union. There is a clear gap between awareness and action. While young people are concerned about sustainability, many lack: practical skills related to circular consumption, accessible alternatives to fast fashion, opportunities to engage in sustainability initiatives at local level. The need for this project is strongly based on the direct experience of our and partner organisations and young people we encouter daily and work with. In the everyday work of the applicant organisation, while we focus on developing creative and innovative educational methods for young people, sustainability-related topics have emerged naturally across different educational activities. While working on themes such as creativity, wellbeing or civic engagement, young people themselves often brought up questions related to overconsumption, environmental responsibility and the feeling of uncertainty about how to live more sustainably. This project addresses this gap by focusing on practical, action-oriented learning, enabling young people to translate environmental awareness into everyday sustainable behaviour. The project focuses on countries with very low circular material use rates, where the transition to circular economy practices is especially urgent: Romania – circular material use rate of approximately 1.3%, one of the lowest in the EU. Greece – circular material use rate of approximately 5,2%, indicating strong reliance on linear consumption models. Lithuania – circular material use rate of approximately 4% (latest available data), nearly three times lower than the EU average at the time. Spain - circular material use rate of approximately 7,1-8,5%, even though higher than in other EU countries, still lower than the EU average. (https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/circular-material-use-rate-in-europe). In these countries, young people face similar challenges related to fast fashion consumption, limited access to circular solutions, and a lack of practical sustainability education. The aim of the youth exchange is to raise awareness and encourage sustainable consumption habits among young people, with a specific focus on reducing fast fashion use and promoting circular textile practices through experiential and intercultural learning. The project objectives: • Increase young people’s understanding of the environmental impact of fast fashion and textile waste in a simple, accessible and youth-friendly way. • Encourage reflection on personal consumption habits, helping participants recognise how everyday choices influence the environment and climate. • Equip young people with basic practical skills related to circular textiles, such as repairing, reusing, swapping or creatively upcycling clothing. • Promote positive behaviour change by showing that sustainable fashion choices can be affordable, creative and socially attractive. • Strengthen intercultural learning and peer exchange, allowing young people from different countries to share experiences, ideas and local realities related to sustainability. • Empower participants to become sustainability ambassadors, motivating them to share what they have learned with peers in their local communities after the exchange.