Craftastic, plastic is not fantastic
The yuoth exchange we took part between 23 July – 1 August allowed us to focus on what we usually tend to undervalue: the importance of recycling, especially concerned to the use of the plastic.
Plastic is one of the most popular and useful materials of modern times: we now use about 20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago. Its popularity and widespread use is why handling it responsibly and correctly once it becomes waste is so vitally important. We can optimise the lifespan of plastics by re-using and recycling items as many times as possible. For example, by recycling used plastic bottles into new ones, we can therefore reduce our need to create new plastic.
Our plastic footprint on the environmental health involves the entire world population. During the project we had the opportunity to compare, with other young people from different European countries, different ways to recycle plastic, in order to reduce the negative impact that it has on our planet. Specifically, our Italian team decided to show an initiative called “Trash Challenge” that took place in Foggia, one of the biggest town in Puglia, Italy, through which a group of volunteers who loves its own city, wants to remove it from lawlessness and environmental degradation. They transported a decommissioned refrigerator to the streets of Foggia by bike and turned it into a library accessible to all. They called it “Librifero”, that is a combination of book and refrigerator in Italian. Furthermore, it represents a cultural exchange because the users of the Librifero have the possibility to donate their own books and to share them with the whole community. At the same time, they can bring a book totally free.
Recycling is one of the most important actions currently available to reduce these impacts and represents one of the most dynamic areas in the plastics industry today. Recycling provides opportunities to reduce oil usage, carbon dioxide emissions and the quantities of waste requiring disposal. About this, among the activities it was very interesting to realize with our own hands useful product for our everyday life, by using recycled material of all types: sheets of newspapers, bottle caps, straws, cans, old notebooks, boxes and lots more. The contribute of each of us has therefore allow us to give them a second life.
The experience was incredible in so many ways. First and foremost, it allowed each of us to step out of our comfort zone and challenge ourselves with English language practice. In addition, we met so many wonderful people and learned about their cultures through the international evenings organized. We remember with pleasure all the activities we did, but also the moments of light-heartedness: for all these reasons we strongly recommend you try such an experience! Don't let fear stop you, once inside you won't want to go back! Adjusting to the food in Romania, the very tight schedule, and the new place was not easy, but we absolutely do not regret anything. This experience has enriched us so much and given us so many opportunities for growth.
We came back to Italy with a new awareness about the environment but also about how nice it is to share with people from outside our own country.
It's really true that Europe can be a big family!
The Italian team!
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