DIY for Youth - Let's Upcycle

According to the European Environment Agency, the overall recycling rate in the European Union reached 46 percent in 2020 when comparing total waste generated, excluding major mineral waste, with the quantities processed through recycling. Packaging achieved the highest recycling rate at 64 percent, followed by municipal waste at 49 percent and electronic waste at 39 percent in 2021. The World Economic Forum reports that the average person in the EU now generates waste equivalent in weight to a camel. Compared with 1995, each person produces 38 kilograms more municipal waste today, which is roughly one additional large backpack. Municipal waste consists of items collected by local authorities, including old clothing and unwanted furniture. As waste volumes continue to rise, awareness of proper waste management becomes increasingly important. Understanding the environmental consequences of this growing burden and identifying ways to reduce our ecological footprint are essential for sustainable development. Do-It-Yourself workshops provide a practical tool to address these challenges by transforming old materials into new functional items. With creativity and basic skills, an outdated cabinet, table or chair can become a renewed product with added value. Strengthening the recycling and upcycling skills of young people supports long-term behavioural change and encourages responsible practices across future generations. 

Through this project we seek to promote upcycling as a meaningful response to consumer culture by working directly with young participants and the wider community. Discarding old items and purchasing new ones remains the simplest option in a culture driven by consumption, yet upcycling allows individuals to reduce waste while developing products that can be reused. The project builds on the positive results of previous activities carried out by our organisation and on the demonstrated influence that DIY workshops can have on local waste management practices. Participants will collect household waste from within the community and, with the guidance of facilitators, turn these materials into renewed items that will be presented in public space. In addition, Spanish participants and facilitators will organise a DIY Day in a shared public space to engage residents, strengthen local awareness and foster skill development among both young people and the broader community. The project addresses four themes, climate change, excessive consumption, recycling and creativity, using DIY as a tool to promote environmental awareness and stimulate innovative thinking. By emphasising the principles of Reuse, Reduce and Recycle, the project contributes to the objectives of the European Green Deal. The final products will be donated to the local community to ensure lasting impact and to reinforce solidarity and commitment to sustainable practices. The objectives of the project are;  

- Strengthen the capabilities of young people with DIY skills to promote reuse and upcycling practices and environmental awareness

- Increase the ecological skills of young people by having them try recycling practices using unused materials considered trash

- Raise awareness about the problem of waste in European communities through DIY workshops and in-person activities

- Qualify young people as artisans by increasing their DIY skills and using materials creatively to reduce waste in communities

- Create a tangible local impact in Alcalá la Real by raising awareness about waste management through face-to-face campaigns involving young participants and involving them in workshops