Art and Recycling

Unnecessary – useful and aesthetic. Creative approach to recycling

The partnership project “Unnecessary – useful and aesthetic. Creative approach to recycling” is an innovative project, funded by the Erasmus+ Programme. It matches the idea of sustainable development and lifelong learning. The project assumes socially inclusive activities, promotion of proper behaviours in relation to the environment and preservation of the natural balance. It is also devoted to the contribution of citizens to the environmental protection and the creative use of waste in art, art therapy and to improving the ecological awareness of adults, including those at risk of marginalization (disabled, senior citizens, migrants and refugees). The partnership consists of 7 organizations, 3 of them from leading countries in environmental protection, Austria and Sweden, as well as organizations from Portugal, Italy, Croatia and Poland – the countries falling behind in this ranking. The main objective of the project is to raise the level of educational qualifications and the target group is the one of educators working with adults, including those at risk of marginalization.

Furthermore, it pursues the following goals:

• Developing cooperation and innovation of educators working to raise ecological awareness and creative activity of adults;
• Raising and broadening the professional qualifications of people working with adults;
• Dissemination of art therapy methods of work among staff working with people from communities at risk of marginalization and people working for these environments as well as increasing the chances of developing individual educators participating in the project;
• Expanding knowledge and skills in the care of the natural environment and related to the subject of the natural environment social responsibility, as well as expanding cultural competences and developing the creativity of employees and volunteer partners working within partner organizations;
• Increasing the awareness of adults, including disadvantaged people, regarding the impact of pro-ecological behavior on the natural environment, health and well-being.

As a result of the provided training, thematic organization of conferences, workshop classes and open demonstrations of working methods, the results include: increase of professional skills of educators working with adults, including those at risk of marginalization and people working for these communities; acquiring new educators and improving existing psychological, interpersonal and methodological skills in working with a group, necessary for the animation of educational classes with the use of art-therapy methods; increasing the chances of individual development and raising the self-esteem of educators participating in the project as well as employees acting for the benefit of the at risk of marginalization.

The project deals with sustainable consumption and offers a handbook containing a program for a two-day workshop. The aim of the workshop is to raise awareness on the available natural resources in electrical and electronic equipment and the need for proper processing of e-waste.