As part of the European Week for Waste Reductionlink opens on new page, students from the adult stylist group at Kuressaare Ametikool, under the guidance of Piret Paomees, created awareness posters and textile installations to draw attention to textile waste generated every year.

"I saw information about European Week for Waste Reduction on the Ministry of Climate website and thought about what I could do within four lessons," said Piret, who teaches sewing topics. "The fact that our used clothes become waste in Africa has been on my mind for a long time. The goal of our project was to raise awareness so that this issue would stand out in school."

The project also included a short survey on clothing reuse.

In addition, as part of the theme week, Piret conducted a session for small craft building students titled "Care for Men's Clothing." The aim of the session was to broaden the horizons of young men regarding textile materials and their sustainable care.

"The more aware we are of how to care for different textile materials, the less energy is consumed, and clothes maintain their quality and last longer," noted Piret. "There is an increasing focus on repairing worn clothes instead of throwing them away. The basics of easier repairs with a sewing machine can be learned in a few hours if desired."

The goal of the European Week for Waste Reduction is to raise awareness of the importance of waste reduction and the significance of a circular economy.

Piret's study assignment demonstrates that sustainability projects can be undertaken with minimal time and resources.

Ametikool is a partner in the freshly started Erasmus+ project, VET Schools Doing Green. The aim of the project is to increase awareness among students and teachers and implement educational projects on the topics of UN Sustainable Development Goals.